LOUDER THAN LIFE:

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner was ripping through the epic solo of the iconic song "Painkiller," on Sept. 26, 2021 at Louder Than Life when he felt an intense pain in his chest.

"I started to feel a bit lightheaded — and I thought it was a heart attack," Faulkner told METAL HAMMER.

It was far worse.

He had suffered an acute aortic aneurysm, a situation in which the body's largest blood vessel — which runs from the heart to the abdomen — ruptures, causing massive internal bleeding.

The guitarist was rushed to Jewish Hospital in Louisville, which lucky was just a few minutes away.

Faulkner underwent a 10-hour procedure and spent 10 days in the hospital.

"They saved my life," Faulkner told METAL HAMMER of the hospital's staff. "They made it possible for me to come home and hold my daughter again and cut the lawn, play guitar and do all the normal things that I can do. So, I'm forever grateful to them."

On Sunday, Faulkner made a triumphant return to Louisville — and to the same stage where he almost lost his life.

Judas Priest delivered a blistering 13-song set as one of the headliners on the final night of Louder Than Life.

And Faulkner's performance was nothing less than legendary.

The 44-year-old guitarist masterfully shredded a collection of the band's most recognizable songs, along with Andy Sneap, including "Breaking The Law," "Hell Bent For Leather," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," and "Turbo Lover."

Priest also played two selections off their latest release, the the title track, "Invincible Shield," and "Panic Attack." The set also included deeper cuts like "Riding On The Wind," Rapid Fire," "Devil's Child," and "Sinner."

The highlight, though, was a stunning rendition of "Painkiller."

A clip of Faulkner's solo of the song can be seen here:

The guitarist never spoke to the crowd, but he certainly acknowledged the significance of his return to Louder Than Life. He repeatedly used his hands to make heart-shaped gestures to the crowd before touching his chest with his fist.

This year's Louder Than Life marked the 10th anniversary of the Danny Wimmer Presents festival.

Judas Priest played the very first LTL in 2014, which was held over two days on Championship Park and drew 36,000 fans.

"We were here for the first one," Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford told the crowd on Sunday. "It's amazing how much its grown. It's huge."

Organizers were forced to cancel one day of this year's event because of rain and wind from Hurricane Helene, but massive crowds poured into the Highlands Festival Grounds on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Headliners included Korn (which also played the first LTL in 2014), Motley Crue, Slipknot, Till Lindeman, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed and Halestorm.

Official attendance numbers from this year's shortened LTL have not been released yet, but the festival drew a record 180,000 people in 2023.

Priest returned to the stage on Sunday for an encore which featured two more majestic pieces of heavy metal magic — "Electric Eye," and "Living After Midnight."

Priest's "Invincible Shield Tour" continues to roll across the United States through October before the band heads to Japan at the end of the year.