Pushing 40 years into their career, British metal gods Judas Priest have done the unthinkable. They were instrumental in creating an entire genre of heaviness and managed to fly the flag around the world via 18 treasured albums, the latest Firepower, which rears its (metal) head next week. Late last year, BraveWords was invited to an exclusive listening session at Epic Records in New York city with singer Rob Halford, guitarist Richie Faulkner and drummer Scott Travis (guitarist Glenn Tipton and bassist Ian Hill remained in the UK putting the finishing touches to their 18th campaign. While we were only able to listen to the entire Firepower album once, these are the first impressions. Overall, from track one to fourteen, Firepower is a hybrid of Defenders Of The Faith, British Steel and Painkiller. Very focused, all the fat trimmed, not too layered like Nostradamus, or varied as Redeemer Of Souls.
Authors note: The news of Glenn Tipton's Parkinson's disease was not information privy to journalists at the time. So my report includes no insights about how the band would be impacted. Also, Priest’s status whether they would be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was not decided at the time.
BraveWords: Firepower is Priest’s 18th studio album. Did the band try anything different for this one, or is it business as usual?
Rob: “Well, it is business as usual in the fact that we tried to make the best Priest album we could. Everyone put a lot of time and effort into this. And, I mean, I have spent so much time working on it and am so close to the final product, I just need to step away from it for a little bit before reflecting on it. But, at this point, it is one of my favorite albums so far. When you listen to what’s coming out of the speakers you say ‘is this some new young metal band?’ because we still, at this point in our lives, still have the love and passion for the music. This youthful exuberance is still in us, creatively we still have the love for making new music. We have never taken for granted what we have in Priest. We are grateful and thankful for the fans always wanting more new music from us. They keep pulling us back into the game (laughs).
“Like when we came off the tour for Redeemer Of Souls, we were on such a high from playing for our fans around the world…you want to see what you can do next, for yourself, but also we want to give the fans some more new music. When we recorded the title song ‘Firepower’, we knew the long time Priest fans would be eating it up live. And you really need to capture that energy within the first two three songs on the album. So, like you said, the title track, ‘Lighting Strike’, and ‘Evil Never Dies’ are a great one two three punch that we still mean business. You’ve got to do that. Then the rest of the album falls in line, goes off at times and takes you on that journey that Priest are known for.
BraveWords: Redeemer Of Souls touched on all eras of Priest, depending on the song. Even going back to the early ‘70s on the opening of “Crossfire”. Does Firepower have similar moments, and the journey?
Rob: “I think Firepower is more focused. When we sat down with both producers Tom Allom, and Andy Sneap (as co-producer), we wanted to make a more direct experience than we had with Redeemer. It was a simple conversation, and they knew what we were going for, especially Tom because he worked on all our albums from British Steel up through Ram It Down. There are still a couple big moments on Firepower, like ‘Rising From The Ruins’, the back end of ‘Sea of Red’. But everything else, the front and back end of the album, is all guns blazing. But we are the band that gave you ‘Painkiller’, ‘The Sentinel’, Sin After Sin, to ‘Beyond The Realms Of Death’, ‘Before The Dawn’. So before you even make a record you know the areas you need to cover, give you an experience of what Priest is all about. So it was important to have that more epic expression somewhere in Firepower. And then the song that follows ‘Ruins’, ‘Flame Thrower’, which has a different texture and delivery to it.
BraveWords: Now in your 60s, does age effect how you’re singing say from five, ten years ago? Do you feel you have the same power and projection?
BraveWords: How many songs do you think from Firepower will be in the live setlist?
BraveWords: Any personal choices for songs, deep cuts, you don’t play that often which you’d like to do this tour?
BraveWords: Thoughts on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and plans if you get in?
BraveWords: Any Judas Priest reissues, remasters, live concerts in the works?
BraveWords: Do you feel there is something different about this album or is it business as usual?
BraveWords: Did you write your own guitar and drum parts on Firepower?
BraveWords: Did the band come up with the idea for the artwork, and will it be incorporated into the stage design?
BraveWords: What are three songs you would like to play live that are not in the setlist?
Richie: “By the way, this is not any indication what the setlist is (laughs) because we haven’t worked that out yet. ‘Sinner’, ‘Tyrant’, ‘Killing Machine’.
BraveWords: How about “Hot For Love”?
BraveWords: Is there a Priest album you feel is overlooked or underrated?
BraveWords: Did either one of you change your gear for the recording of Firepower?
BraveWords: How much longer do you see Priest making music?
BraveWords: Thoughts on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction?
BraveWords: If you could change one thing about priest’s history what would it be?
“Firepower”: Fast, double bass opening and chorus. Mid-tempo verses, steadfast, lead harmonies, lots of shredding and dive bombs! Classic opener.
“Lightning Strike”: Mid-tempo in classic fashion, accenting leads and harmonizing solo with lyrics like “I’ll bring you the head of the demon, I’m peeling the skin from his face”, “bearing the brand”. Solid choice for the first single/video.
“Evil Never Dies”: Mid-paced opening crunchy riff. A concert headbanger for sure. Halford spices up the vocal with a vicious snarl on the chorus, complete with accenting ominous guitar lead. Switch in the beat for the solo, a “Night Crawler” type mid-section break. This one would be a great single and a concept for the video.
“Never The Heroes”: “Turbo Lover” synth/keyboard opening into a slower “Metal Gods” felt plod. Heavy guitars drop out for the verses, tempo picks up a bit for the solo which is nice and reflective, plus accenting clean guitar.
“Necromancer”: Opening builds and quickly kicks in. Rob uses another evil tinged vocal for the chorus. Completed with a lead solo trade off.
“Children Of The Sun”: A dramatic vocal with melodic clean guitar break half way through. This one has more an epic structure to the chorus and arrangement. Same with the leads, phrasing, and notations.
“Guardians”: Minute long piano interlude, orchestrations, guitar and keyboard synths. Segues into “Rising From The Ruins”.
“Rising From The Ruins”: Continues the melody and themes from “Guardians”. Heavy riffs switch back and forth between clean guitars. At 5:23 length, one of the three songs with that epic feel, and also a long solo section.
“Flame Thrower”: Uses a different kind of riff for Priest. A biker-ish feel, like “Wheels Of Fire”. Rock radio type delivery with a screamer ride out high vocal.
“Spectre”: Another tune with a break mid-way with lead harmonies and nice tempo change for the solo.
“Traitor’s Gate”: Scott Travis plays some different drum patterns throughout, mixes things up. Some “woo oos” harmonies with the guitars.
“No Surrender”: At just short of three minutes, a rocker that could have fit on Point Of Entry or Turbo. Catchy, to the point, a radio single for sure.
“Lone Wolf”: Heavy darker riffing for this one, more rhythmic and modern. Could have fit on a Halford solo album.
“Sea Of Red”: Five minute (one of only three this long) album closer. ‘70s acoustic ballad feel in the beginning, Halford’s vocal clean, heartfelt. Crescendo half way hits like a power ballad.