Holy shit... This was released in 1978... It sounds heavy now but man it must have been madness when people heard this the very first time.

Early Judas Priest was monstrous!!! Pure power!! Les Binks was a beast!! Thanks from Italy for this gem!

This still sounds diabolically great today. In ‘78 it must have been futuristic

Rob Halford looks so much like David Bowie back in the young non-leather days

This song is so ahead of its time it's insane

That drumming is Killer, sounds so like Ian Paice........

Stained Class and Sad Wings are my favorites.

Rob's voice back then was incredible.

Flawless performance. The entire band brought their A-Game. They make it look effortless. Complex song played perfectly

STAND BY FOR EXCITER STAND BY FOR EXCITER! STAAND BY FOR EXCITERR! STAAAAND BY FOR EXCITEEEEEEEEEER!

I personally think Judas Priest created this genre of music. 💪💥🎸

PROTO SPEED METAL.

Live Albums set in Japan are a gift from the Rock Gods.

Most of the time, people don't realize they are having a moment of greatness which won't be repeated. I wonder if the audience realized they were having such a time witnessing Priest in '78 at the top of their game!

the drummer les binks is killing it and the band sounds so fucking tight

Before all the leather there was just Judas freaking Priest 💪💥🎸

I agree Les Binks was the best this song shows this to be a speed metal classic

The biggest mistake Judas Priest ever made was letting Les Binks go

I think I'm not the only one when I say that Judas Priest were totally ahead of its time. That was in 1978 and still today is super heavy. This guys traveled in a time machine? The drums, the speed, the glorious riffs, even the guitar effects which are far from what we used to hear in the 70s. This is 80s sound in 1978! One of my favorite songs of Judas. After listening to this, I can say they invented it all even before the initials NWOBHM became popular.

Sounds like Glenn got his thumb caught between the strings just after the intro

Saw um in 80. Was one of the best shows I've ever seen. I still go to all the big shows, but that one was special.

This is BEFORE the leather and chains.

Rob's voice...extraordinary

A commenter here said that "in '78 [Exciter] must have been futuristic". Well, not exactly, but fairly close. If y'all don't mind a long post from someone who discovered Exciter back when Unleashed was the latest Priest album, I'll give you my thoughts on this idea, since what he said is a common assessment of what next-level things "must have" seemed like at the time, and since equivalent things are still happening today (though not as often) that might otherwise go unrecognized for years. I'm 58 and been a hard rock/metal musician on several occasions. I'M OLDER THAN METAL, and I've watched it develop. That Unleashed cover photo and the song titles were irresistible to me and my buds. Never seen its like before; nothing so stark and slick and brutal. And I was already well used to being into what we NOW see as precursor music, as I'd been into Sabbath for 8 years, and Rush for 2 or 3. It didn't feel "futuristic" in a sci-fi sense, though of course individual songs like Into The Void and Invader did, Rush very much did, and the whole Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album still does for some odd reason. (Maybe SBS could be the soundtrack for "Again, Dangerous Visions", if anyone gets that reference. I read and kinda understood the book at 10, and got and kinda understood the album at 12. IIRC they're sort of the same color.) The precursor bands also didn't feel "futuristic" in a precursor sense: metal wasn't even 10 years old, few of its fans were more than 18, and we barely even CALLED it "metal" until '79 or '80. We mostly called it rock-n-roll, and we deliberately excluded all other rock forms that also should have been called that. (Later, the "metal" and "HR/HM" labels let us separate our beloved music from all that other stuff.) Plus, people today forget that in '78ish several generations of rock-haters were still alive and still had social and political power. Our favorite bands influencing successive generations wasn't even a concept to most of us - we just lived in the moment. But in that moment things like Dissident Aggressor and Exciter definitely felt ultra-modern: 'this is pinnacle stuff; look how far music has come. How can you older people not love this band like I do??' We just knew it was something special, but it still felt like it was the right pinnacle for the time. Pinnacles which I was a fan of, in the order they made it big, are Zeppelin, Sabbath, mid-career Purple, Kiss (only for their image and show), Rush, Ramones,, Van Halen (whose influence created the entire SoCal Happy Shiny Party Metal scene - aka "hair metal"). Then there was an amazing new upstart called Rainbow with the well-known Ritchie Blackmore, a slamming drummer named Cozy Powell, and this incredible new guy Ronnie James Dio with the insane voice and the mystical-level presence. Then there was AC/DC, Priest, Maiden, and finally the first two Ozzy albums with Randy Rhoads (we knew he was special before he died). All very pinnacle at the time, and all became hugely influential. (FTR, I don't care about the short-lived influence of any of the mediocrities of Hair Metal or Grunge, despite a few really good genre-defying same-era bands like Queensryche and Stabbing Westward. Hair Metal was great stuff for a while, but it mostly just influenced hair metal, and that's the end of that family tree. Grunge was never metal in the first place, and so many of those self-haters have intentionally committed suicide by now anyway - which is an influence nobody needs - so I sincerely hope that's the end of THAT family tree.) TODAY'S PINNACLE is what yesterday's pinnacle felt like. Those kinds of artists are 1) ultra-modern and/or cutting edge, but still right for their day 2) have their own personality and 3) almost instantly make fans out of the wider set of genre lovers. That's who is influencing the next generations, in all genres, right now as I'm typing this. I'm too out of touch to tell you exactly who they are, but I bet some of YOU know. Well, maybe I discovered one about 48 hours ago. You'll instantly see their influences and that Exciter was ultimately the prototype - nothing pinnacle these days. But you'll also instantly see what this subgenre, and this band in particular, have to offer that DOES make them pinnacle: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f8-mdqt_xrfMYoU.html&start_radio=1&t=29s I hope the future agrees. \m/

They say if it's too loud, you're too old. But you can never be too old. You can be too young, but you can't be too old. That's not a thing. Therefore, it can never be too loud.

Apex Priest. Truly unleashed in the east!

One of my favorite songs to this day

This video/concert was such a tape traders grail back in the day. I'm talkin' 25+ years ago. Certainly the best early Priest but man, I wish the footage was just a bit more complete and with a tad better quality. Regardless, Thank you Niko for providing this.

Priest pre-thrash 1978. Give respect. Legendary!

Rob Halford in his maximum voice power! Simply amazing!

Legendary Performance 😍 Priest Forever! 🤘🔥🎶🖤

This is fucking amazing.

Best Priest song from the best Heavy Metal record ever...horns up for the Metal Gods! Halford voice is from another world...the World of Steel! 🤘🤘

one of my all time favorite songs! this is badass!!

Heard Priest as support of REO Speedwagon first in 1978. My first thought: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?😮 After 20 Minutes I loved them😅

saw the Stained Class tour that year at The Liverpool Empire ..... Priests best album..Stained Class was heavily showcased........ Les Binks...their awesome drummer...king of the tom tom drum rolls

The greatest Metal!!!

Awesome! Great version of a great song. Halford looks like he stepped out of a Space Quest game.

Unmatched vocal power.

0:42 tipton fell down in the smoke LOL!!!!

Exxciter ✓ a really good tight tune . Get well Mr. Glen Tipton ... K.K. and Glen have always worked excellent together ! Ian and Dave keep the thumping up to par . They're all Genius in the abilities far surpass other bands abilities ! ✓ Taste the fire upon Your tongue ! 🔷😎🔷

amazing young strong voice here

Awesome drumming

They sound so crisp!

les binks was so amazing! Priest in its prime imho. So ahead of the times, But the world caught up. Plus, what an opening number. "Guys, what should we open with "Exciter" that works.

They can't have tweaked the Unleashed version THAT much, if they already sounded liked this live.

Judas Priest at their zenith!

must be the beginning of speed metal!!!

At this point in time they really knew what they wanted and where they were heading!

Had this cassette in middle school .. Still kicks fukkin ass in 2020

Damn they are on fire!

This is how all forms of speed in metal were born.

Les Binks...'nuff said.

This was in their prime years.

Les Binks !!!!!

I was only 7 at this time but I am so glad for this band. They helped me nail afew girls when I was young.

Oh man. Awesome. I saw them the following year same line up. Forgot how tight and talented this band was in their live shows. Stopped seeing them after their Point of Entry album by that time I think the 80's music genre going around pulled me out of the metal pit - but it was fun until it wasn't. Thanks for the post! Brings back memories.

Dave Holland could never play drums like this. Not even close

rob hit those top notes effortlessly!!

まさにスラッシュメタルの元祖！！

Lines for breakfast, lines for lunch, lines for dinner, no sleep, repeat.

Outstanding performance! Les Binks is a true pleasure to listen to here :)

Wonderful! And Halford could be mistaken for Bowie by the clothing😄

metal monster!!

Gotta admit, never seen Halford in satin white! I kind of dig it for the time!

the best version

The version of this song on the unleashed in the east album is so fucking incredible. Glenn and KK make SO MUCH incredible sound with their instruments. It sounds like there's 4 guitarists jamming out. And of every heavy metal singer, Rob Halford is the least lazy of them all. He puts in 1000% effort, holding notes, hitting notes, he's just amazing. The bass player and drummer are awesome too! I started listening to JP when i was in 7th grade but didn't listen to unleashed for 30 years until last week and HOLY SHIT they're so good live.

The MIGHTY JUDAS PRIEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rob doing his best David Bowie in this performance!

I got here via a military sci-fi book. Yeah, Priest is given the accolade for this song, by title. Had to check it out, and...omg...I didn't know about this look! Dayamm! ✌🙀

WOW!! Thanks for posting!

One of oriests top 2. Albums. N. Definately. A. Major. Show. I. Missed. Again. I didnt get go. See. Priest until 84. At. 14 yrs old. Pissed. I missed all. The greatest. Tours

Even though it's from the 1970s, Sound quality is so good :)

Fantastic

Love this thanks! Amazing how it still sounds fresh and new today; Great metal sound for it's time!

Racing' cross the heavens Straight into the dawn Looking like a comet Slicing through the morn Scorching the horizon Blazing to the land Now he's here amongst us The age of fire's at hand Stand by for exciter Salvation is his task Stand by for exciter Salvation bids to ask Everything he touches fries into a crisp, Let him get close to you so you're in his trip, First you'll smoke and smolder Blister up and singe When ignition hits you the very soul of your being will cringe Stand by for exciter Salvation is his task Stand by for exciter Here he comes now Fall to your knees and repent if you please Who is this man? Where is he from? Exciter comes For everyone You'll never see him But you will taste the fire upon your tongue He's come to make you snap out Of the state…

opened with this at newcastle city hall back in 78 or 79 cant quite remember as im gettin old haha

Pure HEAVY METAL !!!🤘🤘🇧🇷

This album still draws my neighbors to my porch when i'm blasting it out of my kitchen window!!!!

I prefer this over the actual song

The Unleashed in the East live album, used this live track and Rob Halford put the vocals in the studio. Perfect combination, that version is the greatest "live" metal song ever.

Awesome

Faaaaantastic

Speed metal 🖤🤘

Wonderful !!!

I remember this as being the opening song on "Unleashed in the East"however I also see the discrepancy between how the are dressed here and the album cover! Either way this is visceral,inspired metal at its absolute best.Please check out my version of JP's greatest guitar solo here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/obyDl9eAvty8e5c.html

Tipton always cool!!!

Les Fucking Binks!!!

Let's ROCK

Sharing

Eff yeah

Rob looks like Luke Skywalker, sounds great 🤟

Love Judas Priest!!!🤘🤘🤘🤘

La mejor formación de judas priest

Should have been a double live album. The company fucked up .this performance should have been released .

ROADROLLER FAST HEAVY METAL!

Amazing!!! locomotive voive

priest first tour in Japan!

Increíble descarga de puro metal y Halford con un poderío vocal inigualable. Por cierto, se me hace raro verle sin cuero y tachas, aquí sale más elegante.

Nonstop shred.