Rob Halford , legendary vocalist of Judas Priest , has one of the most recognizable voices in metal. Like so many other singers who have pursued careers for decades, the public often compares his vocals from years ago with his current sound.
In a 2015 interview with That Metal Show , the God of Metal explained the changes in his own range and tonality. “Any good guitarist, even those in Priest, can maintain a ‘youthfulness,’ if that’s the right analogy. You can’t do that with singing. Depending on what you do with your voice – and I tortured mine to death for 40 years – it’s natural that it changes shape,” he explained.
To illustrate, the vocalist recalled an interview with Luciano Pavarotti at age 60. The famous opera singer missed singing the high notes he could reach in his 20s, but as time went by, it was no longer possible.
“I don’t think it really matters, it’s a quirk for singers. My voice is deeper now, it sounds like old leather,” Halford joked. “My voice sounds like [that leather jacket].”
In early August, Judas Priest returned to the stage for their first shows since the start of the pandemic with a setlist full of new material on their 50 Heavy Metal Years , celebrating five decades of the band's career. Among the surprises, the group played "Rocka Rolla" for the first time in 45 years .
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