# Judas Priest Bassist Ian Hill on Metal's Enduring Sound

> Bassist Ian Hill says modern metal's masks hide timeless 70s metal fundamentals.
- Title: Judas Priest Bassist Ian Hill on Metal's Enduring Sound
- Summary: Bassist Ian Hill says modern metal's masks hide timeless 70s metal fundamentals. Bassist Ian Hill states that stripping modern metal of masks reveals the…
- Keywords: ian hill, judas priest, bass, metal, 70s metal, modern metal, bass tone, bass technique, Judas, Priest, Bassist, Ian
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/ian-hill-judas-priest-what-makes-heavy-metal-tick
- Published: 2026-10-14T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ian hill, judas priest, bass, metal, 70s metal, modern metal, bass tone, bass technique
## Ian Hill's Metal Perspective
Bassist Ian Hill says modern metal's masks hide timeless 1970s metal fundamentals.

> New metal has a lot to offer, but you take away the masks and the bullshit, and it's the same stuff I was listening to in the '70s.
## Judas Priest's Evolution
Judas Priest formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England, and evolved through thrash to modern masked metal.
## Hill's 2001 Album Shift
Hill tuned down a whole-step for 2001's Demolition album to incorporate grunge and nu-metal tones.
## Bass Technique Details
Hill played melody lines over rhythm guitars on songs like In Between and Lost and Found on Demolition.
## Studio Setup for Demolition
Hill used a Trace Elliot 122HSMX combo with two 10s, a tweeter, and a 12-band graphic EQ for clean bass tones.
## Bass Rig Evolution
Hill started with homemade cabinets and an old Linear 30 amp, then moved to Marshall rigs and EARS-built cabinets.
## Bass Tone Philosophy
Hill describes his tone as round and piano-like with strong lows and highs, pulled by mids with a graphic EQ.
## Musical Influences
Hill's biggest influence was Jack Bruce from Cream, who avoided established blues basslines.
## Bass Technique Evolution
Hill played with fingers initially, then switched to a pick for clarity, now using both for different song sections.
## Bass Practice Routine
Hill runs through songs before tours and recordings to get calluses and finger shape, but no longer practices scales.
## Key takeaway

Bassist Ian Hill states that stripping modern metal of masks reveals the same core sound he listened to in the 1970s.