Editing Judas Priest (section)

=== ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' (1975–1977) ===
Judas Priest performed "Rocka Rolla" on [[BBC Two]]'s ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]'' in 1975, as well as the "Dreamer Deceiver"–"Deceiver" pair the year before the songs appeared on ''Sad Wings of Destiny''.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=34}} Hinch left the band for reasons that are disputed and was replaced with Alan Moore,{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=32}} who returned to the band in October 1975.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=39}} Finances were tight: band members restricted themselves to one meal a day—and several took on part-time work—while they recorded their follow-up album on a budget of £2,000.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|pp=39, 41}} The group intended to make an album mixing straight-ahead rock with a [[Progressive rock|progressive]] edge.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=99}}

The band recorded ''[[Sad Wings of Destiny]]'' over two weeks in November and December 1975 at [[Rockfield Studios]] in Wales.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=96}} The band stayed sober during the 12-hour recording sessions.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=99}} The cover depicts a struggling, grounded angel surrounded by flames and wearing a devil's three-pronged cross,{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=27}} which became the band's symbol.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=100}} The album was released in March 1976,{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=30}} with "[[The Ripper (song)|The Ripper]]" as its lead single.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=33}} The band supported the album with a headlining tour{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=39}} of the UK from April to June 1976.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=101}} By this time Halford joked that fans should burn their copies of ''Rocka Rolla''.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=29}}

The album had little commercial success at first{{sfn|Huey}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=Sad Wings of Destiny - Judas Priest &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|work=[[AllMusic]] |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sad-wings-of-destiny-mw0000201463|access-date=2014-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217173214/http://www.allmusic.com/album/sad-wings-of-destiny-mw0000201463|archive-date=17 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=March 2021}} and had difficulty getting noticed due to critical competition from the rise of [[punk rock]],{{sfn|Bowe|2009|p=39}} though it had a positive review in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=39}} Fans, critics, and the band have since come to see ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' as the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=100}} It features heavy [[riff]]ing and complex song [[arrangement]]s that Tipton and Downing have said were inspired by the factories of the [[Black Country]].{{sfn|Cope|2013|p=110}} The album's centrepiece "[[Victim of Changes]]" evolved from a combination of Atkins' "Whiskey Woman" and Halford's "Red Light Woman", and went on to become a fan favourite.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=27}}

The band grew dissatisfied with Gull;{{sfn|Popoff|2007|pp=41–42}} the tight finances led Moore to leave the band a second time{{when|date=January 2021||reason=The next section says Moore left during the ''Sin After Sin'' recording sessions.}}—this time permanently.{{sfn|Daniels|2007|p=102}} ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' caught the attention of {{not a typo|[[Columbia Records|CBS Records]]}}, and with the help of new manager David Hemmings, the band signed with CBS and received a £60,000 budget for their next album. The signing required breaking their contract with Gull, resulting in the rights to the first two albums and all related recordings—including demos—becoming property of Gull.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|pp=41–42}} Gull periodically repackaged and re-released the material from these albums.{{sfn|Popoff|2007|p=122}}