When heavy metal fans think of Judas Priest, it’s probably of Rob Halford’s screaming vocals or the band’s iconic twin-guitar attack. But beneath the surface there’s a profoundly groovy pocket laid down by Ian Hill, who’s been with Priest since the beginning in 1969.
At 73 years of age and possessing a 19-album discography with Priest – including upcoming release Invincible Shield – Hill knows a thing or two about maintaining a proper heavy metal low-end. That’s one of the reasons their new sounds are contemporary and worthy of consideration against their best.
Hill shrugs. “We’ve never stopped doing it,” he tells Bass Player. “We haven’t had much of a break between albums, and that’s kept us relevant when others aren’t. Someone could think of a few other reasons, but that’ll do for now!”
His pleasant and calm demeanor starkly contrasts with his status as an icon of chug-and-slug via four strings. He must be aware of his status as an all-time great within heavy metal circles – but he rarely shows it, only adding to his charm.
“I’ve always believed that doing too much will detract from the whole,” he says of his playing style. “People don’t always listen to the bass, but that’s fine; I do what’s needed to get the icing on top of the cake.
“I never want to do anything to detract from the track’s heaviness or integrity. It’s about keeping things tight and allowing everything else to build on top of that. That’’s always been my philosophy.”
In most instances, a five-decade-old band like Priest would have difficulty getting an audience to pay new songs any mind. But with that’s not the case with Invincible Shield, or their other recent releases. “We try and move forward with each album,” Hill says.
“We know what we’re trying to do: get better for as long as possible. We try and take it a step further each time, and thankfully, we’ve kept it heading in the right direction. And with each tour we seem to pick up more fans, which keeps us moving forward, too.
“We have a sound and can expand on it or return to it; it’s like a comfort blanket. You’ll hear that this album sounds like Priest, but still has distinct differences from the last one, Firepower.”
Still, every band has an expiry date. Guitarist Richie Faulkner is 44 and drummer Scott Travis is 62, but the other members of Judas Priest are well into their 70s. Asked if the end ever creeps into his mind, Hill admits: “I do think about it. We think about those things all the time.
“When the performances begin to dip, it’s probably time to knock it on the head. I never want people to remember this band struggling to get through a set. I’d rather finish on a high note than dribble out. But there are no plans to retire; we have a lot to do. As long as we can physically do it, we’ll keep doing so.”
While accolades continue to pile up for the band, Hill is sometimes left out of the conversation regarding the greatest-ever bassists. But that doesn’t bother him. “I’ve been lucky,” he says. “What we do comes from within us, and I try not to get too big-headed. Some call bands like us ‘legacy acts,’ but that title only comes from lack of progress.
“What I do is part of a whole religion of heavy metal. I wouldn’t be doing it without the other band members – that’s important to remember. I take things as they come and put my basslines where needed. If it adds to the whole, then I’m happy.”
Hill rounded out our conversation by revealing the eight players who shaped his sound.
8. His father
“My dad, who was a jazz bassist, is the one who got me into bass. He was a double bass guy, so that was a big influence on me as I watched him in his prime while I was growing up. But the funny thing is that I should have played trombone!
“My dad was in the air force, and they shipped him off to Canada. That’s when he encountered American radio stations – he got doses of all sorts of things. Once he returned home, he found I was playing trombone and thought I’d get bored of it. My mother hated it, so that’s what got me into bass.
“He showed me the rudiments of the double bass, but unfortunately he died when I was 15, so I didn’t get to learn much more from him. But everyone’s father influences them somehow, and that’s how my dad influenced me.”
7. Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
“This guy was a great bass player. He played with Oscar Peterson and a ton of brilliant jazz musicians. I first came across him because I was into big band stuff and a lot of that old-time jazz.
“I followed what he was doing for a long time, especially some of his stuff from an album called Young Django [1979]. It was phenomenal. It’s not in the zone of heavy metal, but it’s so brilliant. If you have the chance to listen to him, you definitely should.”
6. Roger Glover
“I was always a big Deep Purple fan – I loved all those original albums and listened to them a lot. I remember sitting in Ken’s [K.K. Downing’s] flat, listening to Deep Purple In Rock, and being blown away. I was always incredibly impressed with Roger’s bass work, and it was influential to me.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I ran into him recently after not seeing him for a while; catching up with him was incredible. Roger is a true icon, and Deep Purple are incredible.”
5. Jaco Pastorius
“Interestingly, it was Roger Glover who got me into Jaco. I heard some of the stuff he was doing with Weather Report while at the same studio as them when Priest was doing a record in the ’70s. I remember looking up and thinking, ‘Wow… this guy is onto something magical.’
“Jaco’s playing floored me. He’s very versatile and can do anything he wants. I can’t say his style is very prevalent in mine, but in terms of mindset and general inspiration, I have much respect for Jaco.”
4. John Entwistle
“Seeing him do what he did at the height of his career was inspirational. He was unreal. There was only one guitar player in The Who, so everything John did was important. He had a lot more space to fill in than your average bassist, if you know what I mean.
“When there are two guitarists, there’s always someone playing rhythm and someone playing lead. But in The Who you had one guitar, and John had to fill these huge gaps. That’s very different from anyone else, and I always admired that.”
3. John McVie
“John McVie is an all-time great bass player. He’s another one who’s overshadowed by the guitars – but what a great player he is. I was into him from the very beginning of Fleetwood Mac, when Peter Green was in the band in the ’60s, and I’ve followed what he did right on through to today.
“And he’s still at it; he’s still part of it. He’s nearly 80, and he’s as good as anybody. God bless him – he’s undoubtedly been a big influence on me.”
2. Lemmy Kilmister
“Lemmy was such a pistol, wasn’t he? I first saw him with Hawkwind, and I knew straight away how strong a player he was. I watched him at this outdoor show from the back of the park, and it was brilliant.
“I ran into Lemmy through the years with Priest and we’d always talk when we saw each other on the road. Lemmy was a true force of nature to me and everyone else who saw him. I was aware of that from the moment I first saw him all those years ago.”
1. Jack Bruce
“The biggest one for me has to be Jack Bruce. He was unbelievable with Cream, and that had such an impact on me as a bassist. Watching him do what he did was unreal, and I’ve never seen anyone else quite like him.
“Jack is probably the most brilliant bass player I’ve ever seen, and there’s no denying I hacked more than a few limbs off his style over the years. I took plenty of pages from his book, so God bless him, too. He’s a true hero to me as far as bass playing goes.”
- Invincible Shield is out on March 8 via Epic Records.
