In a new interview with Colombia’s Radioacktiva, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about how the band’s songwriting approach has evolved over the course of the last five decades. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Ideas. I call ’em seeds, heavy metal seeds. There are so many seeds going on all the time. I was looking for my phone, ’cause now I’ve got a phone; [it] used to be a cassette recorder. I haven’t lost my phone, but in my phone there’s hundreds of ideas that can be a lyric, a melody that I can think of that could be a whole song, because, at this point in my life, I can do things that I couldn’t do, like, 20, 30 years ago. I can sit and think and I can compose a whole song in my head. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s where I should be as a musician, because I have, like, 50 years of musical experience. So once I’ve defined the idea of the song and the melody of the song, I can create the whole thing in my head — vocally. I can’t do it like Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] did it, or Ken [former PRIEST guitarist Kenneth ‘K.K.’ Downing] or [PRIEST guitarist] Richie [Faulkner], or I can’t do what Scott‘s [Travis, PRIEST drummer] gonna do or Ian [Hill, PRIEST bassist], but what I’m saying is that that is one way that I personally make my music. And it’s the same way that Glenn would collect his riffs or Ken would collect his riffs or Richie is collecting his riffs right now. All these seeds are put into the ground, [and then eventually it will turn into] a big metal tree. That’s exactly what it is. So it starts like that, and then you come together and you sit with each other.”
Rob continued: “One of the things I’ve always felt that PRIEST grasped on to right from the early days was that if a singer sits with two guitar players, there’s more energy, there are more ideas, there are more opportunities flying back and forth, and that’s always paid dividends for this band as a trio, writing as a trio. And we still do that now. So, that’s really been — from ‘British Steel’, particularly. Up to ‘British Steel’, if you look at the composition, the writers’ credits, it’s all over the place. One song might be Glenn, one might be Ken and Rob, but when we got to ‘British Steel’, we utilized this great idea, being in the room together, two guitars and a singer, and more opportunities seem to flood into the place that you’re working from.
“But it’s great,” Halford added. “Music can come at you out of the blue. I’ll wake myself up in the middle of the night with an idea and I have to put it on my phone, the phone by the bed, and I’ll be making notes, mental notes, because I’ll forget it if I don’t do it quickly.
“I love the writing experience. It’s so exciting. I just love the thought of new music, new art, new creativity. It’s endless, and I’m so blessed, again, that hasn’t really dried up. I’ve still got that energy and exuberance and wonder. I’m always wondering about what we can do next as a band, as PRIEST.”
JUDAS PRIEST will team up with shock rock legend Alice Cooper for an epic co-headlining tour across North America this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the 22-city run kicks off September 16 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi and stops in Toronto, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping October 26 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas.
JUDAS PRIEST, hailing from Birmingham, England, has been at the forefront of heavy metal for over 50 years. With iconic albums like “British Steel”, “Screaming For Vengeance” and their newest release “Invincible Shield”, the band’s legacy is cemented by their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and unparalleled live performances.
JUDAS PRIEST‘s latest album, “Invincible Shield”, entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande‘s “Eternal Sunshine”.
Prior to “Invincible Shield”‘s arrival in March 2024, PRIEST‘s highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980’s “British Steel”, which reached No. 4.
PRIEST‘s 2018 album “Firepower” entered the chart at No. 5.
“Invincible Shield” was JUDAS PRIEST‘s fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned “British Steel” and “Firepower”, as well as 2014’s “Redeemer Of Souls” (No. 6) and the 1979 live album “Unleashed In The East” (No. 10).
“Invincible Shield” landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.
JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its classic album “Painkiller” extensively live with the “Shield Of Pain” tour. This “rare” and “unique set” will include “beloved classics” and “will be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe” this summer, according to a social media post from PRIEST.
Source: blabbermouth.net
