Judas Priest’s Rob Halford talks ‘Invincible Defend’, Dolly Parton, acceptance in metallic neighborhood – Nationwide

It’s been six years since Judas Priest launched their final album, however on Friday the British Heavy Steel pioneers returned with their nineteenth studio effort, Invincible Defend.

Since 2018’s Firepower, the Breaking the Regulation hitmakers have had a rollercoaster journey. COVID-19 wasn’t the one impediment that put a wrench of their touring plans. Lead singer Rob Halford battled prostate most cancers all through a portion of the worldwide pandemic earlier than getting the all-clear in early 2021.

Not lengthy after they had been again on the highway, co-lead guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered a near-fatal acute aortic aneurysm onstage throughout a efficiency at Louisville’s Louder than Life pageant in September 2021.

The 43-year-old was halfway by the band’s final track of the night time — Painkiller, paradoxically — when it occurred. Faulkner powered by and completed the track and was rushed to a hospital the place surgeons carried out a life-saving surgical procedure.

Faulkner stayed on the mend till rejoining Priest on the highway in March 2022, shortly earlier than they had been set to embark on their mammoth fiftieth anniversary tour.

Throughout the trek, the leather-clad quintet stopped in Los Angeles for the band’s long-awaited induction into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame — the place Priest welcomed again estranged band members guitarist Ok.Ok. Downing and drummer Les Binks to make speeches, earlier than a rocking medley efficiency.

Moreover, Halford carried out Jolene with the Queen of Nation herself, Dolly Parton — a private favorite icon of his — earlier than occurring to file the track Bygones along with her for her acclaimed 2023 Rockstar album.

Talking with International Information, Halford expressed his gratefulness: “I can’t thank her sufficient, not just for giving me the chance, however for giving the metallic neighborhood the chance, as a result of I do know who I’m, I do know what I characterize. I’m a singer on this British heavy metallic band.”

By the best way, we’re not but accomplished with the challenges.

All through these successes and shut well being calls, co-lead guitarist Glenn Tipton had been combating Parkinson’s illness since 2008 — a battle he made public solely weeks earlier than Firepower was unleashed to the world.

The end result of feelings endured by Halford, Tipton and Faulkner — Priest’s core songwriters — in that point resulted in one of many band’s most ferocious and introspective data up to now.

Between lead singles Panic Assault and Trial By Fireplace, energy ballad Crown of Horns and the touching, tributary closing monitor Giants within the Sky — which pays homage to fallen metallic legends Ronnie James Dio and Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister — followers are handled with a few of Halford’s deepest lyrics up to now. The susceptible nature of those compositions, nevertheless, doesn’t take away from the “heavy” elements that heavy metallic followers ought to anticipate. All through this file, all 5 band members are firing on all cylinders and carry out with conviction that hasn’t been heard since 1990’s Painkiller. Although we’re met with sonic twists and turns that harken again to data of Priest’s “golden period,” the general variety contained inside Invincible Defend’s progressively shines brighter as every monitor ends and the subsequent begins — serving as a reminder that Priest by no means does precisely the identical factor twice and is a pressure to be reckoned with, nonetheless, in any case these years.

The title, Invincible Defend not solely represents the victories and hardships of the collective band, however these of their followers, too, based on Halford.

The 72-year-old “Steel God” emphasised the significance of writing music that can join with Priest followers — or “heavy metallic maniacs” — and with the ability to present them that they’re not alone in no matter troubles they face.

For many years, Halford has been an advocate for acceptance and empowerment of these inside not simply the heavy metallic neighborhood, however for people from all walks of life.

The Dwelling After Midnight singer recounted the loneliness he felt for the primary 25 years of being part of Judas Priest and feeling like he needed to disguise his sexuality as a outstanding determine within the music neighborhood at a time the place it was not as well-received.

It wasn’t till he publicly got here out throughout an MTV broadcast in 1998 that he felt actually like himself.

“Tolerance and inclusivity is one thing that that I received’t cease speaking about. This complete enterprise of being embraced and feeling not alone and feeling (like) a part of a gaggle of individuals which can be all feeling the identical manner is de facto particular and distinctive to the metallic world.”

And although Halford has confronted prejudice alongside the best way, Halford has paved the best way for a number of generations of metalheads and LGBTQ2 members and says that the collective concept of embracing one another’s variations has improved considerably since his profession started.

Previous to unleashing the pummelling Invincible Defend, Priest shared 4 of the 11 tracks as singles, providing a mere style to their loyal followers.

He made clear that whereas Tipton’s battle with Parkinson’s has slowly deteriorated his stamina, his compositions are nonetheless very a lot current. And the place Tipton was not in a position to file a phrase or solo to his greatest skill, Faulkner stepped in and replicated it as precisely to his bandmate’s model as attainable.

Glowing on the unimaginable reception they’ve acquired, Halford couldn’t comprise his pleasure for followers to listen to the remainder of it, including an eagerness to get again out on the highway.

Taking Tipton’s place on the highway as soon as once more might be touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who additionally produced Invincible Defend — his second time producing for Priest. Luckily for some followers, Tipton has beforehand made a handful of appearances on the highway for the band’s encore.

Although Priest have but to announce Canadian tour dates, Halford has shared fond reminiscences of travelling the nation by way of tour bus from coast-to-coast, and is promising the band will return within the close to future.

“I’ve pushed the complete breadth of Canada, and it’s probably the most wonderful factor. I really feel very, very fortunate that I’ve been in a position to. It’s only a stunning nation,” Halford mentioned, including, “We might be coming again.”

Judas Priest will start the primary leg of the Invincible Defend world tour in Glasgow, Scotland on March 11, making their manner by the U.Ok., U.S. and several other European nations till July.

In addition to choose tracks from the 53-minute spanning mammoth that’s Invincible Defend, Halford guarantees diehard followers a wholesome dose of the classics, in addition to “two or three” deep cuts.

You may watch a condensed model of our interview with Rob Halford above.

‘Invincible Defend’ is now accessible worldwide at judaspriestinvincibleshield.com.

March 11 – Glasgow, Scotland
March 13 – Leeds, England
March 15 – Dublin, Eire
March 17 – Bournemouth, England
March 19 – Birmingham, England
March 21 – London, England
March 24 – Frankfurt, Germany
March 25 – Munich, Germany
March 27 – Dortmund, Germany
March 29 – Prague, Czech Republic
March 30 – Krakow, Poland
April 1 – Vienna, Austria
April 3 – Basel, Switzerland
April 5 – Lyon, France
April 6 – Assago, Italy
April 8 – Paris, France
April 18 – Wallingford, Conn.
April 19 – Newark, N.J.
April 21 – Studying, Penn.
April 24 – Bangor, Maine
April 25 – Boston, Mass.
April 27 – Youngstown, Ohio
April 28 – Indianapolis, Ind.
Could 1 – Rosemont, Ailing.
Could 2 – Minneapolis, Minn.
Could 4 – Kalamazoo, Mich.
Could 05 – Maryland Heights, Mo.
Could 07 – Huntsville, Ala.
Could 09 – Daytona, Fla.
Could 11 – Alpharetta, Ga.
Could 12 – Cellular, Ala.
Could 14 – Charlotte, N.C.
Could 17 – Evansville, Ind.
Could 19 – Washington, D.C.
Could 21 – Albany, N.Y.
Could 22 – Syracuse, N.Y.