Les Binks 73 (JUDAS PRIEST)

[Ravenpride]

Woke up this morning and had to learn, that one of my favorite drummers and maybe, along with Neil Peart and Ian Paice, my most important early influence for me as a drummer, has died. Usually I only do postings like this when I knew someone personally (at least I did an interview with him for Deaf Forever in 2022), but in this case his work feels like "knowing him" after all this years listening to his drumming...and adapting a lot of what he did into my drumming. While the drummer on the first two Priest albums were just some "ok hardrock guys", they had Simon Phillipps on drums for "Sin After Sin". But no matter how great he is (and he really is of course), you can hear that he was not in the same metallic boat than Judas Priest (this happened again on the first MSG album). Les Binks came in for "Stained Class" and was combining the skills and the creativity of Phillips with a down to earth proto-metal drumming (remember, it was still the 70s). What he did on "Exciter" alone, even he told me he has stolen the idea from "Fireball" of Deep Purple, is Heavy Metal history and must have influenced nearly ever drummer in a metal band the following years. Playing a China cymbal along with that intro is also something that was not heard often back then. I also praise him for playing a kind of huge drumset with many toms. Not because the drumset looks cool or something, no, because of the percussive creativity when he did drumfills. Starting on some 8" or even 6" tom...rolling down to the huge floor tom. That still seperates boys from the men to me! One of the sad things with so many new and young traditional metal bands I like is, that play these highly boring basic drumsets, that don´t offer that sound spectrum. Listen to Les Binks and how much he as adding to the music just because of that. I never was the biggest fan of "Killing Machine" aka. "Hell Bent For Leather" and it looks like Les was already kinda forced to play more straight. But he got his signature moment again with the live album (yes, the drums are live for sure) "Unleashed In The East", even he agreed when I told him, that I wish the drums would be a tad louder on that one. He just killed the "Sad Wings..." songs on this album and it is sometimes hard to listen to the studio versions since then... You start wishing he would have been already in Priest when they did "Sad Wings...". And then Judas Priest decided to absolutely downgrade regarding the drums, nearly going back to the days of the first two albums with a drummer only playing basic stuff. It might have been fine for "British Steel" and "Point Of Entry", but alone "Screaming For Vengeance" would have been on another level with Les Binks, who -he told me- would have never agreed on triggered drums or being replaced by a drumcomputer in the studio. Good guy! Whatever, he changed the world of metal drumming between "Stained Class" and "Unleashed In The East" and I hope that he will be remembered for that. Always! He later appeared in Tytan, but in general it felt like he was simply gone. I was so pumped when it was announced that he joins KK Downing, but I got disappointed here again. But his work with Priest never will disappoint at all! He was one of these guys with not a famous name outside the Priest fan circles, but some know what he really did for Heavy Metal and how many drummer he influenced. I am thankful that he stepped into my life when I was a kid, starting to learn playing the drums. When I play my two small concert toms (Tama, 1979) in addition to my Premier drumset, I always think of him anyway. I think from now on I will dedicate all the drumfills that start with these babies to him. RIP great master! Have a beer with Neil Peart and make fun of your drumroadies who have to setup all your stuff 🙂

R.I.P

[Ravenpride]

"Les Binks reportedly died on March 15th, 2025, though the news of his death was not officially announced until April 14th when The Metal Voice claimed that it was "confirmed by multiple sources just now". "

Very sad news today. Classic Judas Priest drummer Les Binks has passed away.
On our first UK tour in 2003 we had a day off in London and went to see a cover band called Metal Works that played regularly at a Camden town pub. We’d heard Les Binks would do a set with them so we had to check it out. It was such a treat seeing Les play the old priest songs among a set of classic metal and rock songs. He was clearly the star of show. @falconfaulkner before he joined @judaspriest was also in the band. Amazing experience. We’d end up seeing Metal Works a second time on that same trip. Amazing times for us. #RIPLesBinks

[Ravenpride]

Former JUDAS PRIEST drummer Les Binks has died at the age of 73.

Earlier tonight (Monday, April 14),the band released the following statement via social media: " We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends and fans.

"The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class — demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision.

"Thank you Les - your acclaim will live on..."

Binks played drums on PRIEST's "Stained Class", "Hell Bent For Leather" (released as "Killing Machine" in the United Kingdom) and "Unleashed In The East" albums.

After the release of "Unleashed In The East", Binks exited PRIEST and was replaced by ex-TRAPEZE member Dave Holland.

Les later told former PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing's official web site that the making of the live album "caused a rift between me and [PRIEST's] manager and ultimately led to my decision to leave the band. I just didn't see the point in continuing to work with a band whose manager didn't want me to receive any payment for that live album. A completely ludicrous scenario. It's a classic heavy metal live album which I believe eventually went platinum and he didn't want me to receive a penny for it. Crazy fucker. But that's what happens if a band allows someone like that to manage them — they lose members. So exit drummer number four."

Binks was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in November 2022 along with some of the other former and current members of JUDAS PRIEST.

The PRIEST members that got inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Binks, Downing and Holland.

In a December 2022 interview with The Metal Crypt, Binks stated about the experience of being inducted into the Rock Hall: "It was a bit surreal because this all came out of the blue. PRIEST had been put forward for this award — nominated, I think is the word — three times in total. The first two times, they didn't get through. Third time lucky. It's up to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame to decide who they're going to induct. They looked back on the band's career. It has to go back as far as 25 years. They say who's been influential on the creative side of things and the band's legacy has to form — what's the word? — the band's identity and led to the success that they achieved. They included me on that. They recognized me on that level, which is good. Of course, K.K., who was one of the finer members of the band, left in 2011. We were both included."

He continued: "I think there was some nervousness on the management side of things as to how the reunion with K.K. would go because there's been a lot of anguish between the two sides. I spoke to K.K. before. We flew together to Los Angeles and flew back together. We just decided, we are here at the invitation of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Let's just be professional about this, just bite your tongue and just get on with giving the audience the performance they came to see. That's what we did.

"I hadn't seen them for such a long time," Les added. "I gave them all a big hug because I never fell out with anyone in the band. I fell out with the band's management, but not with them. I never had any cross words or any problems with anyone in the band personality-wise or creatively. I know there were issues that K.K. had, especially with Glenn and the management as well, but I didn't have those issues. I was able to reunite with the guys in the band without any problems at all.

"Of course, I know [current PRIEST guitarist] Richie Faulkner from long before he joined JUDAS PRIEST. It was good to see him again because he lives in America now as well, so I don't get to see him very often. It was nice to get to meet up with everyone again and actually perform together."

Downing reconnected with Binks in 2017 for the first time in nearly four decades. Downing later described the experience of meeting his former bandmate as "great" and called Les "one of the greatest drummers in the world and a good friend and a great guy."