Sin After Sin appeared in April 1977. It was the first Priest record

Sin After Sin appeared in April 1977. It was the first Priest record under a major label, CBS , and the first of eleven consecutive albums to be certified Gold or Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Phillips declined to become a permanent member of Judas Priest, so the band hired Les Binks on Glover’s recommendation. Together, they recorded Stained Class , produced by Dennis MacKay, and Killing Machine (released in North America as Hell Bent for Leather ), both released in 1978. Binks was credited with co-writing ” Beyond the Realms of Death “. Binks also played on Unleashed in the East (1979), which was recorded live in Japan during the Killing Machine tour. Killing Machine was the first nod to a more commercial sound, with simpler songs that brought back some blues influences. At about the same time, the band members adopted their now-famous “leather-and-studs” image.