Rob Halford , vocalist of Judas Priest , reflected on his band's tenth studio album, the controversial Turbo , from 1986. At the time of its release, the album received criticism for its use of synthesizers and for having a sound geared towards the North American market.
In an interview with Planet Rock , the Metal God recalled that, at the time of the album's release, many wanted to dismiss it for not considering it metal enough. However, the singer pointed out that, nowadays, fans sing "Turbo Lover" at the top of their lungs at concerts.
“When it came out, everyone wanted to throw it in the trash. They said it wasn’t metal enough. Today, we have 30,000 people at every show singing ‘Turbo Lover.’ Like many bands, we go through different phases and feelings as we move forward. What I love about Priest is that it can be a Painkiller , Turbo , or Invincible Shield . So, the fact that we’re able to create all these kinds of music, but still label it heavy metal, is important,” he stated [transcription via Loudersound ] .
Rob Halford echoed his opinion on Turbo, stating that he recently listened to the album and considers it great. Furthermore, the musician joked about having seen videos from when he still had hair.
“I’m happy that the album was well-received. I watched videos from the tour and we still had hair. Mine is gone now. But it’s a good album, very well-made. I was going through some difficult times in my life, but I’m still here thanks to God,” he concluded.
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