JUDAS PRIEST’s SCOTT TRAVIS On The “Painkiller” Drum Intro Becoming Iconic: “It’s Certainly Nothing I Really Ever Expected”

In a recent conversation with Shaggy from 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis shared his thoughts on creating “one of the most iconic drum intros of all time” with the opening of the band’s 1990 title track, “Painkiller.”

Reflecting on the recognition, Travis said: “It’s certainly nothing I really ever expected. I do remember at a very young age — I mean as a young drummer; not like six or seven — but anyways, after you’re playing drums for a while, you do — I did — used to think to myself, ‘Man, it would be really cool to have a signature intro. Like everybody knows ‘Rock And Roll’ by Led Zeppelin. Even something simple like ‘Walk This Way’, but it’s so iconic and it is Joey Kramer and it is Aerosmith.

“So in the back of my mind, I guess it was something I’d always wished for, but until I joined Priest and then we were actually in the studio in France and we were working on the record or whatever, then it kind of happened. But for this many years later to have people like yourself acknowledge it, it’s a real honor. So thank you.”

In a 2022 interview with the “Drumtalk” podcast, Travis expressed his love for drum intros and the emotional connection he’s developed to “Painkiller” over the years. He mentioned being part of a “Top 15 Drum Intros” list where his work ranked second, right after Van Halen‘s “Hot For Teacher.”

Humbly accepting the recognition, Travis remarked: “If I’m second place to old Alex Van Halen, then, man, that’s fantastic. Again, that’s one opinion and one little something someone made up. Nonetheless, I didn’t make it, so I’m happy that people appreciate ‘Painkiller’ and it has become a signature Judas Priest song, which I never in a million years would have imagined.”