The Ballad of Judas Priest

From working-class roots in England's industrial Black Country to rock's hall of fame, a story of heavy metal, closeted queerness and a culture war.

Judas Priest didn't just play metal, they shaped its sound, look and attitude. The Ballad of Judas Priest charts that rise through wonderful, richly curated archival footage, exclusive band interviews and appearances from Jack Black, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Run-DMC, Billy Corgan and more. At its heart is frontman Rob Halford's long struggle as a closeted gay man in a genre often perceived as hyper-masculine, and how his eventual coming out challenged assumptions about who metal belongs to. Censorship and moral hysteria collided with artistic freedom too, when the band faced a high-profile trial during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. A story of sexuality, censorship and community, coming home to a city with its own powerful musical heritage.