Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford is streaming video of “Donner And Blitzen” as the lead track and first preview of his forthcoming Christmas album, “Celestial.”
“‘Donner and Blitzen’ gets the snowball rolling for Celestial - a song full of excitement, love and hope,” says Halford. “You can hear and feel the power of Christmas time - energy roarin’ with rockin’ reindeers haulin’!”
Due October 18, the project - billed as Rob Halford with Family and Friends – mixes holiday classics with all-new compositions as he is joined by a supporting cast that includes his brother, Nigel, on drums, his nephew, Alex (son of Priest bassist Ian Hill) on bass, his sister, Sue, on bells, and the twin guitar tandem of Robert Jones and Jon Blakey.
Among the classic holiday standards the singer takes on are “Deck The Halls”, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Joy To The World” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
“The great thing about heavy metal is it’s got these kinds of multiple dimensions,” explains the rocker. “I think when you look at it from an outside point of view - if you’re not really familiar with the metal scene - it can look pretty intimidating. And it is a very strong, powerful experience. But it comes at different levels. I think the music that we’ve made on Celestial, for example, gives a display of that. Metal maniacs - as we call ourselves - are just as ready for the holidays as everybody else. And what we’ve tried to do with this music is to reach out to as many of those metal dimensions as we possibly can.”
“I think the holidays for any family are a mixture of fun and excitement and apprehension of the whole event,” Halford adds. “The magic of it more than anything else. It’s just a beautiful time of year - which a lot of us wish would be for every day of the year. It’s a beautiful thing as far as bringing families together. So, what better way to celebrate it than with your family, friends...and music. You must have music at Christmas time.”
Having completed a world tour in support of 2018’s ”Firepower”, Judas Priest will next be seen joining Ozzy Osbourne for a rescheduled European tour in 2020, with shows set to begin in Nottingham, UK on January 31.
Rob Halford with Family and Friends
“Celestial”
Release date: October 18
01. Celestial [new song]
02. Donner And Blitzen [new song]
03. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
04. Away In A Manger
05. Morning Star [new song]
06. Deck The Halls
07. Joy To The World
08. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
09. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
10. The First Noel
11. Good King Wenceslas
12. Protected By The Light [new song]
See also:
Judas Priest fans raise $150,000 for Glenn Tipton’s Parkinson’s Foundation
Judas Priest thank fans for support of Firepower world tour
Judas Priest: Rob Halford comments on cell phone kicking incident
VIDEO: Rob Halford kicks phone out of Judas Priest fan’s hand in Chicago
Search Judas Priest at hennemusic
