Rob Halford Says a New Judas Priest Album is 'Inevitable'

Rob Halford Says a New Judas Priest Album is ‘Inevitable’ – Interview

2024-09-16

Interview: Rob Halford of Judas Priest – Author: Anne Erickson, Photo via Larry Rostant

Judas Priest are pioneers in heavy metal. Vocalist Rob Halford has been at the helm of metal music for decades. I can’t remember a time when Judas Priest wasn’t a trendsetter in metal music.

Judas Priest are currently on the second leg of their Invincible Shield Tour with special guest Sabaton. In honor of the guys coming back to the States, Halford sat down with me to talk about the tour and the special legacy of Judas Priest.

Judas Priest Vocalist Rob Halford Interview

I had to ask Halford if another new Judas Priest album is on the way. There’s always talk of retirement, but Halford sounds ready and excited to dig into another Priest record.

“Well, it’s what we do,” he exclusively told Audio Ink radio when asked if there would be a follow-up to “Invincible Shield. “I think most bands will tell you that their relevance is based on their music and where they are in that particular moment in their life as a band, and that’s always sustained by the new music that you create.”

He added, “So, even though we haven’t gone into that world yet, into that new world of Priest music, I think that it’s inevitable there will be something else. When it will happen, I have no idea, because, again, this band thrives on the metal that we make, the time that we spend with each other, because there’s a lot of love in this band for each other. We appreciate that we need downtime to go and be who we are outside of the band, which is important. So, you can decompress and take a deep breath and rest and shield and then prep for the next metal assault. But, this is what Priest has been doing. Fifty years ago, we started with ‘Rocka Rolla,’ and 50 years later, we have ‘Invincible Shield.’ So, at some point, there’s going to be another one, obviously.”

Rob Halford’s Favorite Classic Judas Priest Album

When asked to name his favorite classic Judas Priest record, Halford noted the difficultly of the question, saying, “Oh, dear,” while smiling widely and laughing. It’s a doozie of a question, of course.

“I always run to ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,'” he said, “because even though ‘Rocka Rolla’ the launching pad, I think that by the time, the very short time, we went from ‘Rocka Rolla’ to ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ we grew up so quickly as musicians and as writers. So, a lot of what you’re hearing in ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ is the blueprint. It’s the anchor of where we went from ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ onwards. There’s a lot of roots in ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ so that album would always be my first choice.”

He added that if someone says, “‘I’ve never heard Priest before. What album should listen to?’ I go, ‘First, start with “Sad Wings of Destiny.” Then, check out “British Steel” and maybe some “Screaming for Vengeance.” How about some “Painkiller.” Most recently, “Firepower” or “Invincible Shield.” It’s like a library of music. There’s the shelf, and there are the different album opportunities. Each album has its own to tell. It’s own songs to send out different messages from each part of the band’s life. That’s just a joy.”

Listen to my full Rob Halford interview via the YouTube player above. Also listen to the Rob Halford interview via the Audio Ink Radio podcast on Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.