Judas Priest's 'heavy metal Gandalf' Rob Halford says 'fire builds more as you get older'
Rob Halford moved to the U.S. more than three decades ago, but he’s still praising the country as “a very important place for British musicians.”
Wearing a shirt that appropriately deems him The Metal God, the charmingly loquacious frontman for Judas Priest knowingly recalls The British Invasion and how America “has been so wonderful for me within and without Judas Priest.”
Halford, 72, is opining from his longtime Phoenix-area home and joking that the scenic desert mountain views and those at his “little house in England” are “like chalk and cheese.”
He and the rest of Judas Priest – bassist Ian Hill, drummer Scott Travis, guitarist Richie Faulkner and guitarist Glenn Tipton, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and is replaced live by band producer Andy Sneap – will drop their 19th studio album, “Invincible Shield,” on Friday.
A European tour is underway, followed by a 14-date run through the country they love, kicking off April 18 in Connecticut.
Halford, now sporting a David Letterman-esque beard, chatted amiably about his affection for classical music, the “darker” side of Judas Priest and preserving his operatic rock yowl for classics such as “Living After Midnight” and “You Got Another Thing Comin’.”
Question: This is your first album in six years and your last one, “Firepower,” had the highest chart success of the band’s career. Did you feel any additional pressure because of that?
Answer: “Firepower” was an important album. It was a reaffirmation about everything we love about Judas Priest. You use it as a reference point, just to look at whatever adventures are available and create another set of original songs. The work has always been very pure and simple and then it gets really fun to be able to put the meat on the bones of the song.
In the new song “Panic Attack” you have the line, “eliminate those parasites.” Who might you be referring to?
There are some references on this album that are maybe a little darker than some songs we’ve made in the past. Priest has always been about pushing through the darkness into the light, so here was an opportunity to talk about some of the darker things with us 24/7, whether it’s on the internet or hacking, whether it’s the use and power of language. Whether it’s the government, bullying, or conspiracies, people tend to broadcast their feelings instantly with the internet. We’re living in a world now where a lie can become the truth and that was an observation on “Panic Attack.”
You wrote “Breaking the Law” in 1980 as a response to Thatcherism. Do you ever feel the urge to get involved in American politics through your music?
It’s a hard yes. I think that I’m a different person in my 70s than in my 20s. I’m asked more about stepping forward for the LQBTQ community. I have a lot more strength in my analysis of politics now and I get a lot more agitated than I did. With “Breaking the Law,” that’s been inside me as writer for the band. Those feelings have been there all the time, but the fire builds more as you get older.
How have you preserved your voice over the years?
I think about Pavarotti and his greatest performances in his 70s. We acquire wisdom about the instrument. Since I became clean and sober 38 years ago, that’s had a massive impact. I do my nightly walks, 30 minutes on the elliptical (machine). I’m totally into the ice plunge thing. Your voice is your voice – it’s not like you can change the guitar strings, so believe it or not, I’m not much of a talker. I make limited use of the voice so it gives it time to repair.
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What do you listen to in your free time? Is it always rock?
I think I’ve turned a bit into (Mick) Jagger because he said the first thing he does in the morning is play classical music. We have a station off the Arizona State University campus (KBACH), so I start with Bach, Beethoven. I tended to get drawn more toward classical as I’ve turned into this heavy metal Gandalf. I’ll start with that and by afternoon I go back to Slayer. I’ve always been a person of extremes. Life is such a precious gift. Explore it and have adventures and take as many opportunities as you can dive into.
You’re in the U.K. this month and then the U.S. in April. Since you recently had the 50th-anniversary tour, what are you planning for this one? Will the motorcycle be there?
The motorcycle is a very important part of who we are as a band. Many years ago I’d ask a guy outside (the venue), can I bring your bike on stage? And that was a game changer for Judas Priest. The bike is all the elements of metal; it’s big, it’s loud, it’s shiny, it pisses some people off (laughs). Since day one, we as a band have felt to leave fans with a visual memory. It’s all part of this beautiful Judas Priest world. None of it has diminished. It’s a new, full, multidimensional Priest show.
It was wonderful to see Glenn appear at the Power Trip festival in October. Do you think he’ll be able to come on the road at all?
All of our friends ask about Glenn and it’s beautiful. Parkinson’s is such a cruel, cruel disease that robs you of what you like to do in life. On the positive side, his brain, his communication, his relevance to Priest is as important as it’s always been. He’s all over “Invisible Shield” to various degrees because he’s such a strong person. He’s a remarkable man. It’s a day-to-day occurrence. You have a week of lucidity and some incredibly challenging days. He still has the metal in his belly. He’s been in my life for 50 years, so he’s an important friend and a brother as well.
Touring isn’t an easy thing for anyone over, like, 30. Are you a bus or plane band?
(Laughs) I used to love the bus. Now I hate the bus. I just want to get from point A to B as quickly as possible.
Do you have any essentials when you tour?
I have to have my Yorkshire tea with me and a certain water, Evian. My morning ritual is juice, yogurt, cereal, tea. If I don’t have those things, my day is a disaster.
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