10 Musicians Who Left Major Bands

Coming out of the 80's nearly unscathed, Judas Priest had proven themselves to be the conquering warriors of metal. With the hair-metal boom fading from view and the thrash scene on the rise, Priest were still firing on all cylinders as the 90's came into view. Just underneath the surface though, the Metal God had different arrangements for his future.

After the Painkiller tour, Rob Halford announced his departure from Judas Priest. As he went on to explain in interviews, the need to separate simply came from a desire to branch out into other styles, which Halford went on to fulfill on the industrial-inspired album by the band Two. Unable to wait around for their screamer, Priest drafted fan Tim "Ripper" Owens to take over. Halford then launched his own solo act with a sound that was more reminiscent of the classic Priest style.

Both parties soldiered on for the better part of a decade until each of them met up to discuss a Priest retrospective. After putting everything together, the band reconciled and agreed to work together again. Finally, the Metal God had fully returned to his throne, ready to smite down any heretics who stood in his path.