Judas Priest's new album will be released on March 9th
In an interview with The Rockside Chronicles With Shawn Sixx, Rob Halford, vocalist of Judas Priest, spoke about the influences and inspirations for composing the new album, Firepower.
“A lot of it is instinctive. You know who you are, you know what you stand for, because of all the things you’ve achieved. The great thing about Judas Priest is that we’ve never been afflicted. We’ve never taken anything for granted. We’ve never shied away from even our fans. We’ve always had this built-in work ethic – [maybe because of] where we’re from, The Midlands, UK, which has a real problem – grind, the embodiment of working-class people even now. It’s pride, it’s pride in the music you make.
OK, we’re about to go on tour playing songs we wrote thirty years ago, but look at this that’s being released now. It’s hot, it’s fresh, we feel it has all the same ingredients of great music, like what we were doing before. Does Judas need to make an eighteenth studio album? Absolutely not, but we wanted to, because we love what Judas Priest is. We love making new music. It’s a constant, endless thrill, an addiction to what we can do next. It’s not what we need – or maybe we need to do it, because that’s the "Our job. We're a working Metal band, and by all accounts, now that our good friends Black Sabbath have gone on hiatus, we're the longest-surviving Metal band in the world. I don't wake up and think about it, but sometimes it crosses my mind, and that's an incredible feeling of joy and the emotion and honor that has been given to you by your beloved fanbase that allows [you] to continue doing these great things in Metal.
When I listen, and I try to take my Judas Priest hat off, which is difficult, I think, 'God, this sounds like a new Metal band that just burst onto the scene.' The exuberance, the vitality, and the essence of the music coming out of the speakers, it's really a wave of vibration. You really feel good, and I think that's a great achievement just speaking in reference to the great power, the positive power of music. This album is full of that.”
Regarding whether he still feels the band is living the dream, Rob said:
“Yes, absolutely. It’s just a glorious journey that Priest has been on for almost 50 years. Judas Priest was born in 1969, and that seems inconceivable. You wake up one day and you go, ‘Wow, this band is still capable of making great records, making great songs, and doing another great world tour to see our glorious fans again who gave us life. Never lose sight of your fans, because without your fans, you have nothing. Yes, you are living the dream, it’s still happening.’”.
Firepower will be released on March 9th.
