A new documentary, The Ballad Of Judas Priest, has made its world premiere at the 76th Berlinale – Berlin International Film Festival, running 02/12–02/22. The film is co-directed by filmmaker Sam Dunn and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and it focuses on Judas Priest’s rise and long-term influence inside and outside metal culture.
The documentary includes key tracks in the band’s catalog, including “Breaking The Law” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” and frames Judas Priest as a band whose impact goes beyond genre labels.
At the film’s 02/15 Berlinale press conference, Tom Morello directly addressed the political angle in both the movie and the band’s legacy: “What a time to be alive, where you can both make a documentary about one of your favorite bands and fight fascism at the same time. But one of the things that, while the lyrical content — maybe ‘Breaking The Law’ and a few songs — are explicitly political in Judas Priest, the band’s existence is very political.”
“When I’ve seen Judas Priest over the course of the last decade or so in Los Angeles, the audience is maybe more than 50% Latino. It’s a lot of gay couples — nothing that has anything to do with the stereotypical… And yes, there are some older dudes like myself and leather jackets proudly bringing their kids to the show as well, but that community and the unity and the harmony that exists at a Judas Priest show is in some ways a model for how we might all do better,” Morello continued (transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Judas Priest singer Rob Halford was also at the press conference and explained how social and political realities have shaped his writing for years: “It’s been impossible for me as a lyricist to not avoid seeing things in the world that affect me, that get me pissed off and thinking, is there a way I can put this into a song?” Rob explained.
“And I’ve been doing that forever, whether it was ‘Raw Deal’ from Sin After Sin, which was a really explicit gay song, going to Fire Island and trying to hook up with somebody and the freedom that that gives you as a person to be with your own people, to a song called ‘Savage’, which is about climate change from the — what album was ‘Savage’ on? Stained Class? So that’s a ways back. The last album [2024’s Invincible Shield], I talk about — I’m not gonna say his name, but I talk about that person, and it’s a bit of a smokescreen, but if you understand, if you really listen, the message is there, the expression, the feeling is there. And it’s a very difficult tight rope to walk because I just wanna give people a good time,” he added.
Halford continued with a broader point about messaging and audience connection: “Rage Against The Machine gives people a great time. When you see everybody bouncing up and down, they’re lost. They’re in ecstasy, but the message isn’t lost on them. The message is probably more relevant when they’re home alone, lying in bed or sitting, having a coffee and listening to music. That’s a whole different experience in the way the message can reach you. So, I really have to temper myself, because as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten angrier with the world. I’ve gotten angrier with the injustice, particularly for my own people who are still suffering and are not given the human rights that they absolutely deserve.”
“I’m not talking about Germany, — I’m talking about Saudi Arabia, Iran, other parts of the world where people like myself are just used and abused in horrible ways. So, I try my best to avoid that type of explicit message, but it’s there. It’s there. And that gives me some comfort that I’m not letting myself down consciously on subjects that mean a lot to me and piss me off.”
Co-director Sam Dunn also emphasized why “Breaking The Law” is a central moment in the film: “For me, going into the film, there were probably four or five main moments I knew we needed to hit in the story of this band. And one of them was the song ‘Breaking The Law’ and the brilliant and fun video for ‘Breaking The Law’. And the reason why that is is ’cause — this ties back to our first film, which is, I think, we’ve been on a journey to debunk stereotypes about heavy metal for over two decades now. And I think there still lingers that stereotype of heavy metal [that] it’s just about sex, drugs, and hedonism, and all of that. So a song like ‘Breaking The Law’ was very important to illustrate that Judas Priest, in 1980, had something very important and timely to say about the lives of working-class people in England at that time. And when I did the last interview with Rob and he said the line, ‘It’s a revolution song’ — thank you for delivering that line — that was a very important beat in the story for me.”
The first preview clip from The Ballad Of Judas Priest, featuring Rob Halford discussing the inspiration behind “Breaking The Law,” premiered through Rolling Stone. Check it out below.
