As Judas Priest prepare for their 40th Anniversary tour this fall, singer Rob Halford says his is looking forward to hitting the road once again.
"It's a blessing, an absolute blessing," Halford tells Billboard. "It's remarkable, isn't it? What's really heartwarming about this is the fact that the so-called old guard of metal and rock are still as strong and thriving as we ever were. I have very close friends like [Black] Sabbath, who released a fantastic metal album [2013's 13] and went out on this huge world tour. They've been together longer than we have. Then you get [Iron] Maiden, then bands like Metallica, doing that type of process.”
"All the bands that have been making this music for a very long time are still as strong and relevant as they ever were, so we're part of some very good company."
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the band's debut album, “Rocka Rolla”, which was released five years after the group formed in Birmingham, England.
Judas Priest will launch a North American tour in support of their latest album, “Redeemer Of Souls” – with special guests Steel Panther – on October 1 in Rochester, New York; the 6-week run will wrap up November 22 in Tacoma, Washington.
The project marks guitarist Richie Faulkner's studio debut with Priest; he replaced founding member K.K. Downing following his retirement in 2011.
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