As Judas Priest gears up for their 2025 South American tour, frontman Rob Halford opened up in an interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro about their latest album, Invincible Shield, and the shifting dynamics within the band. His reflections provide not just insight into the group’s current mindset but also a deeper look at how they continue to thrive amidst change.
“It’s extraordinary. There is no other band out there in metal that is making these kinds of statements,” Halford said of Invincible Shield. For a group that just marked 50 years since their debut Rocka Rolla, Halford sees the album as a defining moment. “We’re always trying to make the best metal that we can make… In terms of the songwriting and the performance and the attitude of the guys and the production, Invincible Shield was probably as close to an important statement since Painkiller that I can remember.”
The challenge of living up to their own legend isn’t lost on Halford. He acknowledged the pressure that comes with releasing new material after years of silence: “A lot of people were wondering — when your favorite band makes an album, and then you have to wait two, three, four years for the next one, there’s always anticipation: ‘Please, God, don’t let the album suck,’ that kind of thought.”
Despite those fears, he said, the band’s commitment to “making the metal in this metal moment” remains steady, adding that Invincible Shield was “a particularly strong display of relevance, that we’re not holding anything back, that we’re still pushing ahead and we’re still making really good metal albums.”
The absence of longtime bandmates K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton naturally came up. Tipton stepped back from touring in 2018 following his Parkinson’s diagnosis, though he still contributed to Invincible Shield. “Glenn is a remarkable man,” Halford said. “Parkinson’s is a cruel, cruel condition, particularly for musicians, particularly for guitar players who need to use their hands… Thank God his beautiful lead breaks and his guitarmanship will live forever with the work that he’s done for Judas Priest, from Rocka Rolla all the way through to the work that he did on Invincible Shield.”
As for Downing, who left in 2011 amid tensions and criticism of the band’s direction, Halford‘s tone was reflective rather than resentful. “Again, I think that Ken‘s role, Ken‘s place in Priest, is permanent, with his guitar skills and with his writing that he did with Glenn and myself. So, I wish him all the best… You can’t be angry about it. You can’t be bitter about it. That’s putting poison into your system. You’ve gotta let that go.”
Halford’s respect for Downing‘s legacy is matched by his appreciation for the current lineup. He praised Richie Faulkner, who stepped in following Downing’s departure, as a vital part of the band’s modern era. “The fact that Richie came in when he did and is doing such extraordinary work now, making Redeemer Of Souls and Firepower and now Invincible Shield, alongside the bass God…”
He didn’t stop there. “Ian is playing as great and as strongly and as powerfully as he’s ever done backed with the rhythm section of Scott, who’s still pulling out great things on metal drum performances. It’s just a wonderful collection of really top-class metal musicians in Judas Priest.”
Halford himself continues to push his voice to the limit. “I’m still trying to do as best as I can with my voice. There are some things I can’t do anymore because I’ve been screaming my lungs out for over 50 years. But… I’m able to deliver the goods.”
For Halford, it all comes down to what happens on stage. “So, yeah, it’s nice to be philosophical and talk like this about Priest. The summation of all of that is when you see us at work in a few weeks’ time on stage, you’ll see all of those things that I’ve just talked about at their best level. Bands talk all the time about their music… but the actual proof of your ability takes place when you’re on stage. So that’s why we have to come back and show you guys the Priest is back and the Priest is still kicking ass.”
Despite Halford’s heartfelt musings on bandmates both past and present, Invincible Shield still stands tall as one of their finest pieces — they are not looking back, however, as unbowed and battle-worn, they are still forging ahead.
