About Painkiller by Judas Priest: The album was recorded at Miraval Studios, Brignoles, France in early 1990, and mixed at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands later that year. It was the first album with current drummer Scott Travis. The original LP, cassette and CD versions were released on September 3, 1990. Judas Priest returned to their classic "70s style, while borrowing contemporary speed metal techniques, resulting in their most critically acclaimed album in a decade. The album is viewed by some as the quintessential speed metal album and the style proved highly influential to European power metal bands such as Gamma Ray and Primal Fear.