---

MANSFIELD - It was a double billing of British heavy metal Tuesday night at the Comcast Center as Judas Priest and Whitesnake took the stage.

Both groups had their start in the 1970s, hit it big in the U.S. in the 1980s, and have come out with new material in recent years.

A twist, the leather-clad headliner Judas Priest is playing its U.S. breakthrough album, 1980's " British Steel," cover to cover on this tour. The band's seventh album is considered a landmark heavy metal album.

Among the more popular songs off that album are "Breaking the Law," "Metal Gods," and the group's signature tune, "Living After Midnight," which of course was a highlight of the night.

But "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise" and "United" were compelling. The rest of the numbers before the encore included a few rare ones.

Off 2008's double concept album, "Nostradamus," was "Prophecy," with a large figure of the prophet on the stage's backscreen.

"Victim of Changes" from 1976 wrapped things up before the encore, with frontman Rob Halford, 57, riding onto the smoke-filled stage on a motorcycle for "Freewheel Burning," the 1977 cover of Joan Baez's ballad, "Diamonds and Rust," and the big 1982 hit "You Got Another Thing Coming."

With numerous lineup changes over the years, Whitesnake has always been singer David Coverdale's band, and the ranging voice of the former lead singer of Deep Purple was in fine form despite nearing 60.

Whitesnake opened with "Bad Boys," followed by "Fool For Your Loving," which was done by the group twice in the '80s.

The beauty "Love Ain't No Stranger" and drum heavy rocker, "Slow and Easy" are both off 1984's "Slide It In," and the latter was a smash.

After "Lay Down Your Love," off last year's "Good To Be Bad" album, the band let into five mostly romantic rockers off the sensational 1987 "Whitesnake" album: "Crying in the Rain," the No. 2 ballad "Is This Love," "Give Me All Your Love," the No. 1 "Here I Go Again" and the Led Zeppelin-sounding "In the Still of the Night." Several were hit music videos.

Whitesnake influenced Extreme and Queensryche, who incidentally opened for Judas Priest here four years ago.

The heavy metal Pop Evil opened for the two main bands.