
Rob Halford is often referred to as the "Metal God.ā As pompous as that nickname might sound, it's quite aptāHalford fronts Judas Priest, a band that is arguably the bedrock of heavy metal. His voice is peerless, and when heās not covered in leather and studs, riding motorcycles onstage, and belting definitive heavy metal songs, he enjoys posting selfies in cute cat T-shirts. In a recent chat with the Mercury, Halford discussed Judas Priestās fiery new full-length Firepower (with an unsolicited Trail Blazers nod!), the semi-retirement of the band's original guitarist Glenn Tipton, their recent brush with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Instagram, and all things metal.
MERCURY: Lets start with how great Firepower is. How did you approach writing the new record?
ROB HALFORD: We knew this was a very important album for us, in lots of ways. Itās difficult for me to explain exactly why we felt that way. Whether itās longevity, survivability, or to show the world that weāve still got the mettle to make metal. All of these things are running through your mind before you even play a note. It can be a bit of a head game when youāre writing music, you know? And then, we were three or four songs in, and we started to get really excited. Weāre going, āIs everybody getting a buzz from this, because thereās something happening here.ā And we said, āYeah, yeah. Letās not talk about it too much.ā You might jinx it, you know? Rock and roll should always have an element of uncertainty. A bit of chaos. A bit of friction. A bit of drama. Thatās what rock and roll is all about. Itās like catching lightning in a bottle. And we seem to have done it on this one.
Did the vibe of the record have anything to do with guitarist Richie Faulkner doing more contributing this time around?
I think he really shined through on this one. When he joined us on the Epitaph Tour, he learned a lot about being in Priest. Heād been in various other bands, but he stepped up on to the big stage with Priest. We knew he could do it. We had nothing but confidence in him. So we came off that tour, and his first writing experiences with us was on Redeemer of Souls. I was watching Richie and kind of had a feeling that he was getting his teeth into this whole experience on the writing team with Glenn and myself. I thought, āWeāre gonna have to go through this cycle once before we get to the next place.ā Thatās exactly what happened. Itās a team isnāt it? Like⦠the Blazers. You bring a guy in, you take a guy out. It takes a few games before you know where you are on the court.
Sadly, Glenn Tipton stepped back from the Firepower Tour due to complications from Parkinsonās disease. Having lost my own grandmother to Parkinsonās, I have seen the debilitating nature of it firsthand. What does the future hold for Glenn, as far as Judas Priest is concerned?
Heās a hero. As everyone else who is living or has lived with Parkinsonās. As difficult as it is, they never give up. Thatās the beautiful thing about being next to somebody you love and care for, and seeing them not let Parkinsonās cripple them in the stage where theyāre still able to function. Glenn is in a great place physically and mentally. Heās coming out again on the road, at some point. He did a few shows early on in the tour. Which was important. Itās absolutely thrilling when he walks out onstage. He just stands there before he plays a note. The crowd goes fucking nuts, because they love him so much. Heās doing remarkably well. Heās had it for 10 years and it was diagnosed five years ago. What did he do? āWell, you know, the band has got to go on. The band has to keep playing, so I think itās best for the band if I step out a little bit and let Andy Sneap pick up the guitar.ā Thatās pure selflessness on Glennās part. He loved this band that much, that he didnāt want to do anything that would be detrimental to the band. Itās that āthe show must go on,ā isnāt it? Some of it seems a bit cruel. Having a tour without Glenn. But Glenn wants us to tour. Youāve got to do what you gotta do to move on in life. Heās just an amazing guy. To be living with what heās got, and still coming out when he can to play two or three songs with the band. Itās beautiful.
Judas Priest was on the list of nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year but fell short. Do you guys care about that recognition at all? Did you feel snubbed?
I wouldnāt say snubbed. A little bit disappointed. For us itās all about getting more metal into the halls there. Our friends from Metallica are in there. Sabbath is in there. You pay your dues. Itās funny really. We got more milage out of not going in then if we wouldāve got in. Our fans are furious! Theyāre still furious. Thatās the love that our fans have got. We love our fans dearly. We wouldnāt have gotten anywhere in life without our incredible fans that support us. Fingers crossed. Eventually, I think weāll get in there.
You have an almost daily presence on Instagram. For someone with your legacy, why do you personally feel the need to take part in social media?
I just love the fans so much. I think about these things, like right now, here in Bloomington, there are Priest fans probably having some pre-show parties. Theyāre playing our music. Some of them are traveling quite a long distance, some of them are coming home from work, putting their leather jackets on. Putting their Priest shirts on. Getting in the car, driving to the venue. I think about all this stuff because I used to do it. Still do it. Itās just an exercise in communication on a more personal level. I value it. Other than that itās, āHere we are. Youāve waited for years for us. Thank you so much. Itās great to see you.ā And then youāre off to the next venue. Itās like a blur. At least with Instagram thereās a little bit more of a connectivity. Itās a lot of fun.
I can tell you have fun with it, and I can tell that you personally are running the account.
I have to. Sometimes out of the blue Iāll send somebody a direct message. āThanks for coming to the show. Hope you had a good time.ā You canāt say enough about the fans that support you. Theyāre absolutely vital to your existence. I think itās very important that artists understand and appreciate that. Particularly metal. We have the metal community. There are no walls, there are no barriers. It doesnāt matter how much money youāve got, it doesnāt matter what kind of car you drive or house you live in, the color of your skin or your sexuality. All of that is moot.