Judas Priest was around before the NWOBHM. Where’s Praying Mantis or Diamond Head doing 3-year world tours? There’s Def Leppard, but what did they do for metal really? They got in on the arena rock train which died out for the most part in the 90s.
There have only been four metal bands: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Motorhead. Everyone else just copies them.