Judas Priest – “Shield of Pain” at Turku, Finland – June 12, 2025**
The sun was dipping low behind the towers of Turku Cathedral as fans began to converge upon Artukaisten kenttä, the ancient playing field turned thunderous battleground of sound. Banners bearing the Shield of Pain emblem—an ornate, flame-riven metallic crest—fluttered in the warm midsummer breeze. The stage, dwarfed by scaffolding and stage‑lights, glowed ominously with red-and-gold veins, evoking the molten core of some mythic forge.
Opening act Nightfall Divinity had already stirred the crowd to a fever pitch, their “Eclipse of Faith” anthem reverberating through the arena. Bu all eyes were fixed on the massive curtain draped across the front of the stage, behind which the real spectacle awaited. Faint silhouettes—guitar heads, mic stands—danced behind it. A hush fell; the scent of diesel‑powder pyrotechnics hung in the air.
At precisely 21:11 local time, the curtain dropped.
Halford’s voice crashed through the PA like a battering ram, launching straight into the savage cad
