WHAT IF…DRIVE Was Soundtracked By JUDAS PRIEST ?

DRIVE had a JUDAS PRIEST soundtrack?

Director Nicolas Winding Refn and actor Ryan Gosling collaborated closely to bring audiences the first art-house car chase movie. Although there is surprisingly very few actual driving scenes that show off the Driver – feel behind the wheel, the creative duo pulled if off. DRIVE successfully serves as an 80’s synth soaked companion piece to Walter Hill’s 70’s classic car chase flick, THE DRIVER. 

The only far fetched aspect? There’s not a gear head worth his weight in motor oil listening to 80’s synthisizer music. It just doesn’t fit the character’s profile. A dude wearing a scorpion on the back of his race jacket isn’t going to be running neo-retro New Wave music in the jukebox of his mind while trapped in some No Tell Motel room with a duplicitous doll face’s brain matter splattered across the bathroom by a double barrel button man coming through the window while at the same time someone’s forcing the room door and it sure as shit ain’t room service. More like… doom service.

In a pickle like this, our boy needs to be thinking quick. Things are about to get heavy and that means metal time. Heavy metal. One look at Driver’s stoic stare and it’s clear as crystal, this man is a fan of the metal gods. We’re talking Rob Halford and the lads of Judas Priest. Who else would you crank when all Hellion is about to break loose? See for yourself. Check out this DRIVE clip given the Olivus Stoney treatment.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn chose to keep the movie’s only other car chase sequence music-free, allowing the sounds of revving engines and burning rubber substitute as score. It’s what really pulls the viewer into the chase. All the great car chase movies do it.  

Yet, when you consider the career spanning canon of Judas Priest, it’s impossible not imagine motoring and mayhem. With songs like Delivering The Goods and Freewheel Burning there’s no better metal band to soundtrack a car chase. Adding Priest’s Hell Bent For Leather to DRIVE‘s mid act car chase is a match made in heavy metal heaven.

Rock on and ride free, readers.