One drum intro. No guitars. No vocals.
In 1990, Judas Priest opened Painkiller with a statement that sounded like a machine coming to life.
The man behind it was Scott Travis — the band’s new drummer — and the intro was born far more organically than its precision suggests.
A NEW DRUMMER.
Scott Travis joined Judas Priest in 1989, and Painkiller would become his first studio album with the band.
While the group was recording at Studio Miraval in France, Travis would warm up on the drums before sessions. He knew “Painkiller” was going to be fast and aggressive, so he began experimenting with combinations between his feet and hands — essentially playing around with ideas for the song.
The band heard what he was doing and encouraged him to keep going.
What emerged became the opening of “Painkiller”: a drum-only attack that immediately introduced Travis to Judas Priest fans.
AN ORGANIC MOMENT
The moment was not designed as some calculated stunt. Rob Halford later described the decision as organic. The title track simply felt powerful enough to open the record, and the extraordinary drum entrance became the perfect way to introduce the band’s new drummer.
For Travis, it also fulfilled something he had imagined for years. He had always admired instantly recognizable drum openings such as Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll,” Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” and Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher.” He hoped one day to create a signature intro of his own.
He did.
A NEW ERA
Painkiller was released in 1990, produced by Chris Tsangarides and Judas Priest. More than three decades later, that opening remains one of the most instantly recognizable drum intros in heavy metal.
A new drummer.
A spontaneous idea.
An opening that announced a new era.
Sources & Links
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/the-making-of-judas-priest-painkiller/