Review: Judas Priest concert was humming along harmoniously, then things got devilish

Traditionally — at least from the outside — heavy metal is associated with aggressiveness, dark, demonic imagery and serious subject matters (or a serious approach to even fantastical topics). Jokes and laughter are not usually part of the equation.

But Swedish power metal outfit Sabaton, which opened for Judas Priest Tuesday night at PNC Music Pavilion, isn’t your typical heavy-metal band.

In fact, the whole vibe at the show felt like a community coming together for a joyous occasion — until it didn’t.

With the lawn closed due to the rain earlier in the day, those who would have been seated there were upgraded to the partially covered amphitheater. This upgrade benefited both parties by bringing the crowd closer to the bands and enhancing the audience engagement.

The mutual appreciation was evident on both sides of the barrier, as Sabaton vocalist Joakim Broden noted early in its set that the majority of the crowd was on its feet from the band’s first notes — notes many in attendance knew the words to.

“We are not The Village People in camo pants. We are from far away … from Ikea,” joked Broden, addressing those not familiar with the band before launching into the song “Swedish Pagans.”

Four out of five members sang in unison, like a Viking crew belting out sea shanties on the deck of a ship. Sabaton’s songs recounted historical events and characters during wartime. Its towering drum riser looked like a huge military tank, while its backdrop featured a parade of soldiers from different eras.

Broden was a walking contradiction in a mohawk and what looked like a bulletproof vest, obviously delighted with the rapt crowd’s reaction to “The Red Baron” and communal backing vocals — in Swedish no less — during “Carolus Rex.” When a roadie handed him a pink Hello Kitty guitar for one song, he wasn’t thrown at all by the prank.

The camaraderie continued as fans shouted along to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” which signaled the start of Judas Priest’s set. The band launched into the single “Panic Attack” from its new album “Invincible Shield.” It was the perfect opener to showcase frontman Rob Halford’s still remarkably high vocal range, which hasn’t been hampered by his 72 years.

Priest followed the opener with the 1982 classic “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” as pointer-and-pinkie-finger devil horns and pumping fists waved above the crowd.

The band churned out hits like “Breakin’ the Law” and “Turbo Lover”; its members were clad in signature black leather, though Halford’s attire changed practically from song to song, with enough black jackets — adorned with sparkling sequins, metallic thread, studded leather, and foot-long silver fringe — to fill a walk-in closet.

Halfway through its set, the warm-and-fuzzy community feel began to fade as a musty humidity, reminiscent of a YMCA locker room, mingled with the sickly sweet scent of vape and spilled beer.

Sometime between “Love Bites” and “Crown of Thorns,” a fight erupted in the aisle, with one man tackling another on the concrete. I turned to see a pile of ushers and security staff four or five deep on top of the culprits. As it dispersed, a tall man with long gray hair stood bleeding from his temple.

While that environment was more what I expected, it derailed the peace-and-love review I had been starting to write in my head prior.

The scuffle didn’t slow the band down at all, though.

Gum-chewing guitarist Richie Faulkner (who replaced founder K.K. Downing almost 15 years ago) was constantly engaged with the crowd, pointing at individuals with devil horns and throwing out countless picks. Faulkner and guitarist Andy Sneap (who replaced Glenn Tipton on the road in 2018 after the Priest veteran’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis) re-created the signature twin guitar sound, with Halford often leaning in to inspect the former’s work as his fingers scaled the fretboard.

As the show wound to a close, drummer Scott Travis — a native of Norfolk, Virginia — took a moment to praise his fellow Southerners before asking them what they wanted to hear next. Everyone knew the answer: “Painkiller,” which features both Halford’s witchy wail and Travis’s showy drum work.

The show concluded with another SiriusXM staple, “Electric Eye.” Halford sang “Hellbent for Leather” atop a custom Judas Priest motorcycle that he rode onto the stage before the band closed out the night with “Living After Midnight.”

Tuesday night had offered multiple nostalgic concert options in Charlotte, with new wave act Echo and the Bunnymen at The Fillmore and all-female ’90s grunge-metal band L7 at Neighborhood Theatre. Left on my own, I would have chosen the latter, since it’d been decades since they’d played here.

But my son wanted to see Judas Priest — and given the number of times I’ve heard “Painkiller” emanating from his phone through my car stereo in the carpool line after school, I figured this was more important.

How often do you get to see a rock band remain vital and entertaining on stage 50 years into its existence?