JUDAS PRIEST
Heavy metal legends Judas Priest are famous for their twin-axe attack. But now, as guitarist Richie Faulkner tells TG, necessity is the mother of invention
There are certain things to be expected from aJudas Priest album.
When it comes to mid-tempo, palm-muted minor ri ng, screaming harmonised leads and distorted tones that feel hotter than the sun, you know you’re in safe hands. But even by their own standards, the heavy metal pioneers are truly going for gold on this year’s 19th studio album InvincibleShield –rammed with explosive fretwork, from the rapid- re brilliance of opening track Panic Attackto the biker blues of nale GiantsInThe
Sky. It will undoubtedly be one of the nest metal albums you’ll hear this year, and more impressively manages to stand shoulder-toshoulder with classic Priest albums such as StainedClass, BritishSteeland Screaming ForVengeance.
The road to this point has not been easy, however. In 2018, guitarist Glenn Tipton, amember of Priest since 1974, revealed he’d be stepping down from touring after an ongoing struggle with Parkinson’s, forcing the band to rope in their producer Andy Sneap as a touring guitarist. And in 2021, Richie Faulkner, who replaced K.K. Downing a decade prior, su ered from a near-fatal aortic aneurysm while Priest were performing on stage at Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival. After a 10-hour open-heart procedure in which ve parts of his chest were replaced by mechanical components, Richie lived to tell the tale and to continue playing a vital role in this legendary band…
This new album feels extra special, given everything that’s happened. Like the lyrics from Priest’s 1982 track Electric Eye, you are now actually made of metal!
Literally, because there are metal parts in my chest! Part of the healing process was getting back out there and nishing this record. I got back on the horse and rode on. As you say, all of this may never have happened and that does put a di erent perspective on things. You never know what’s around the corner. I don’t know if Rob Halford, vocalist was referring to that when he came up with the title Invincible
Shield. It’s a reference to the metal community in general. We’re proud metal fans and this music is like an invincible shield. We all go through challenges. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Glenn’s had his struggles, I’ve had things, Rob’s been through it as well, but we live to ght another day!
Maybe that’s why the latest material ended up being such amasterclass in technicality? The solo sections feel more orchestrated, with light-speed diminished sweeps and alternate picked ideas…
Prie
