Judas Priest Salute Black Sabbath with “War Pigs” Cover Ahead of Farewell
In a powerful tribute befitting metal royalty, Judas Priest has released a full studio cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” to coincide with Sabbath’s historic farewell concert on July 5, 2025, in their Birmingham hometown. Although Priest won’t be on the stage that night, their homage captures the spirit of a momentous occasion—Uniting metal legends across decades. (stereogum.com, blabbermouth.net)
A Tribute Years in the Making
Since 2011, Judas Priest has opted to use “War Pigs” as their dramatic walk-on anthem at live shows—a ritual embraced by fans worldwide. Now, with a blistering studio version, the band transforms a live tradition into a definitive statement of devotion. “We are honored to show our love for Ozzy and Black Sabbath with our homage of ‘War Pigs’, a song we play at every show around the world…” the band declared alongside the track’s release. (blabbermouth.net)
The cover premiered online on July 2, 2025, accompanied by a striking performance video featuring Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner, Andy Sneap, Ian Hill, and Scott Travis—a lineup steeped in decades of metal heritage. (metalsucks.net)
Scheduling Conflicts and Heavy Sacrifices
Why won’t Judas Priest perform this weekend? The answer lies in prior planning. Priest is locked into a celebration of their own: headlining the Scorpions’ 60th-anniversary concert in Hannover, Germany, on the same night—July 5(blabbermouth.net). While honored to receive an invite from Sharon Osbourne, Rob Halford confessed that pulling double-duty—even by private jet—would be “dangerous” and fraught with logistical risk. “I was absolutely gutted,” Halford admitted in May via Metal Hammer (blabbermouth.net).
Stepping in for Judas Priest at Villa Park is longtime member K.K. Downing, representing the band’s lineage among Sabbath’s all-star ensemble. (blabbermouth.net)
A Homecoming for Metal’s Founders
The July 5 “Back to the Beginning” concert is more than a gig—it’s a symbolic homecoming. Skratched into heavy metal history as Sabbath’s final show, it’s the first reunion of the original lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—in 20 years (en.wikipedia.org). Scheduled at Birmingham’s Villa Park, the event commemorates metal’s birthplace and Ozzy’s return to the stage in the city of his origin. (en.wikipedia.org)
The lineup reads like a metal hall of fame: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, Lamb of God, Gojira, Halestorm, Rival Sons, and more—plus a “supergroup” house band featuring icons including Duff McKagan, Slash, Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, Fred Durst, and Scott Ian (blabbermouth.net).
Recorded live and broadcast worldwide (with a three‑hour delay) for the benefit of local charities—Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice—the show promises an epic, emotional closure to Sabbath’s storied career (en.wikipedia.org).
Why “War Pigs” Matters
Originally titled “Walpurgis,” Sabbath’s “War Pigs” smoldered with anti-war fire even before its 1970 release on Paranoid. Driven by Geezer Butler’s lyrics condemning the powerful who send others off to die, the song resonates with raw political anger. Music publications continue to rank it among metal’s most iconic tracks, noting its guitar solos and cultural weight (en.wikipedia.org).
Rob Halford has long acknowledged Sabbath’s influence on Priest—describing Black Sabbath as one of those defining albums he’d listen to “in perpetuity” if stranded on an island (blabbermouth.net). The new cover thus becomes both gratitude and proclamation: Judas Priest would not exist without Sabbath’s groundbreaking blueprint.
The Studio Single: A New Take on a Classic
Far from a mere replica, Priest’s rendition amplifies key elements: Ian Hill’s bass is foregrounded, paying respect to Butler’s original menace; the twin guitars and Halford’s soaring vocals inject fresh energy while staying true to the song’s dark core; and the performance video visually evokes both reverence and execution—echoing Sabbath’s shadow while proudly standing on Priest’s own stage (metalsucks.net).
As one fan on Eddie Trunk’s website put it:
“Faulkin’ Awesome! Heavy Metal legends covering Heavy Metal legends. True to the original version with the proper amount of Mighty Priest mixed in. Richie Faulkner absolutely shreds channeling his inner Iommi.” (eddietrunk.com)
A Fitting Salute as Gates Close
Although Judas Priest cannot attend Sabbath’s final night in person, their version of “War Pigs” ensures their presence is felt within the chords, lyrics, and heavy riffing of metal’s homecoming spectacle. This release is Priest’s way of saying: we built our stages on the foundation Sabbath laid.
Reaching across borders and lineups, this homage cements metal as a continuous cultural narrative—where tributes become statements, riffs become legacies, and one final concert becomes a celebration of a genre and a brotherhood born in steel, darkness, and thunder.
With Judas Priest’s heartfelt cover, Saturday’s show becomes a shared triumph rather than a farewell—an audible embrace from one generation to another, closing with cymbals, shoutalongs, and the unbroken riffs of the gods that first called this music into the world.
