Les Binks didn’t storm into Judas Priest with flash or swagger. He entered quietly, did the work, and left the music stronger than he found it. That might be the best way to sum up his approach, both to the drum kit and to his legacy.
News of Binks’ passing at 73 has prompted a wave of tributes from fans and musicians, many of whom still hold his short time with Judas Priest in particular high regard. His name doesn’t often come up in casual metal conversations, yet those who truly know the band’s catalog understand what he brought. Binks wasn’t just the guy behind the drums on a few albums, he was the backbone of a sound that was still being carved out.
Joining the band in 1977, Les Binks became part of a three-album sprint that redefined what heavy metal could sound like. Stained Class, Killing Machine, and Unleashed in the East weren’t just records; they were statements. And while the guitars screamed and Rob Halford soared above it all, Binks provided the architecture beneath, measured and mechanical but never cold.
There was an elegance to his playing that’s easy to miss if you’re only chasing speed. Binks played like someone who trusted the song more than his ego. His fills had shape. His grooves had intent. Every kick, every snare, felt like it belonged exactly where it landed. He was the kind of drummer who made complex parts feel simple, a skill that’s rarely acknowledged until it’s gone.
Outside of Priest, Binks didn’t chase the spotlight. He gigged, he taught, and he kept moving. In recent years, he found renewed purpose in Les Binks’ Priesthood, revisiting some of the material he helped bring to life decades earlier.
When he took the stage during Judas Priest’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2022, it was a full-circle moment. Brief, respectful, and understated. Just like his playing.
Les Binks wasn’t loud in personality, but his drums still echo in recordings, in rehearsals, in the way younger drummers phrase a fill without even knowing who they’re copying. That’s a legacy you can’t manufacture. It has to be earned.