The mighty Priest is back. And dammit if they haven’t created one of the most incendiary, pulse pounding, riff roaring new records of 2018.
Firepower is the legendary British metal band Judas Priest’s 18th studio album, and first since the critically acclaimed Redeemer of Souls in 2014. The album is set to come out on March 9 worldwide and already the music press and the worldwide metal fanbase is chomping at the bit to get their hands (or their mobile devices) on it. It features a melange of metal mastery that incorporates the appropriate level of aggression, breathtaking musicality, and exceptional songwriting chops. Few bands can create melodies that are eminently memorable, gloriously hook-laden choruses, and yet still melt your speakers quite the was Judas Priest has, and continues to do, as evidenced by tracks such as Lightning Strike, Flame Thrower, No Surrender, or the hard driving title track.
Bassist Ian Hill is a co-founder of the band, along with former guitarist K.K. Downing, starting in 1969 – that’s 50 years dear readers! The unmistakable growl and scream of singer Rob Halford has been with the band since 1972 (minus a 11-year gap when he stepped away to helm first Fight and then Halford before returning in 2003), while guitarist Glenn Tipton has a 44-year run with the band. Drummer Scott Travis has been bashing the skins since 1989, while Richie Faulkner stepped in more than admirably to replace Downing when he retired in 2011.
Judas Priest is set to embark on a tour in support of Firepower, and a number of Canadian dates have already been set. March 25 the band invades The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa, followed March 27 by a date at the Budweiser Gardens in London and the next night up Highway 401 to the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, before heading to cottage country in Ontario and a performance at Casino Rama on March 30.
After this little Canadian mini-jaunt, the band heads back over the border in the U.S. and later across the pond for shows throughout Europe. There is no indication that more Canadian dates will be added. But for fans in smaller centres like Oshawa and London, it’s an amazing opportunity to see one of the legendary acts of metal up close and personal.
Undoubtedly, Judas Priest will be performing a number of tracks from Firepower, incorporating it into a set list that will contain some of the most iconic songs in all of metal history. Since its debut album in 1974, the band has unleashed songs such as Breaking the Law, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming, Heading Out to the Highway, Love Bites, Turbo Lover, Painkiller, Victim of Changes and Living After Midnight into the public consciousness. It’s run of albums in the 1980s, starting with British Steel in 1980, through Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith, Turbo up to Ram it Down in 1988 was an epoch of massive commercial success for the band, solidifying Judas Priest as one of the top metal bands of all time.
An interesting part of the process of creating Firepower was the acquisition of two producers. One is a name almost synonymous with the 1980s heyday of Judas Priest, Tom Allom, and the other is one of the bright new lights of the metal music universe, Andy Sneap.
“We were throwing around some names for consideration of people we would like to talk to about producing the record and we came down to two, and it was Andy and Tom. Now Tom Allom, obviously as we know, has a vast history with Priest. He mixed Unleashed in the East and from there he produced all their records up until Ram it Down, so there’s some serious classics there. And Tom also recorded and mixed the Epitaph DVD in 201 and the Blu Ray in 2015, so Tom is very much aware of what Priest sounds like now. So, he was in the wings and was still working with us,” Faulkner explained.
“And Andy was a guy known more for his modern metal production and working with more current metal. He has done stuff with Megadeth and Testament [as well as Exodus, Machine Head, Arch Enemy and Saxon] and there’s some killer stuff that he’s been putting out. And I think it was Glenn who suggested, well why don’t we get them both. Why don’t we bring them both down, have a couple of drinks and see wherever everybody is, and we went from there and it just worked beautifully.
“It could have been a clash of egos. It could have been a difference in direction, and there was the risk that their different producing styles wouldn’t be complementary. But it was the actual opposite. It was a beautiful marriage of classic producer and more modern producer. And I am sure they both learned things off each other, which is just the best atmosphere to have. And, again, it got the best out of us: it got the best performances, the best sounds and the best record we could have created in 2018.”
Allom and Sneap were on the same page in terms of the recording method as well, preferring a ‘live off the floor’ approach for Firepower.
“Both producers were adamant that we go in the room together and we play the songs together. We rehearsed the songs and we refined the songs so that when you are feeding off the energy of the room with those guys, it’s amazing. You’ve got Ian laying down some obnoxious, rude bass lines and Scott Travis doing what Scott Travis does best, so you can’t but be inspired and do something spontaneous. And also, when you’re doing it live, you may sense that something’s lacking – we need a push here or a pull there – and it really benefits the song. So, it was really focused, and we were refining the songs right up until the moment we hit the record button,” Faulkner said.
“And I think it captured the intensity, it captured the interaction and, this may sound corny, it captured that firepower that we were throwing around in that room. So, the producers made a great suggestion and it worked.”
Intensity and passion are two of the hallmarks of Firepower, a sign that after almost five decades for veterans Hill, Halford and Tipton, the creative energy is still alight and the desire to make new music – music that is meaningful, relevant and powerful – is unwavering.
“This album, and the commitment of Rob, Ian, Glenn and the whole band is a testament to that passion and that intensity and to the love of the fans. We’re not going to sit on our laurels. I mean the guys who have been around for almost 50 years could easily do that and could easily become a legacy act. But they care too much for that to happen. The power of this record sums up everything about where the band is at the moment – we’re firing on all cylinders, we’re not resting on our laurels. And awards and special ceremonies or accolades or whatever doesn’t really mean anything compared to the love of the fans, the commitment we all have to metal and producing what I think is such a blazing statement with Firepower in 2018. I think it’s an incredible thing for a band to do,” Faulkner said, reiterating the fact that Judas Priest fans want new music and how their excitement and anticipation feeds that of the band members.
“We’re all fans as well and I think that’s maybe the connection. We’re fans not only of our own music, but we love bands like Queen and Metallica and Megadeth and we know that feeling as a fan when you hear a song for the first time and when you look at each other in the studio and say, ‘that’s it.’ And you know we’re going to play it live and when you play it live it inspires you to do even more new songs. When you look at the fans and they’re singing the songs back to you in whatever country around the world, that just inspires you to go back into the studio to create new ones, which in turn inspires you to go out on the road and play them. You can see how this circle of positivity and inspiration happens and you hope it will continue for a long time.
“Dude, I am a fan of the band as well, and the fans are fundamental in the life of any band, let alone for a band with such a legacy as Judas Priest. Fans are the lifeblood of this band and we love them, and they love us. And it’s no surprise how much love is being shown for Priest and the anticipation that’s growing for this record, because I know what that’s like. I know what that anticipation is like as a fan. I know what it’s like to love a band like that.”
The Firepower tour has extra poignance in that it will mark the first time in nearly five decades that long-time guitarist/songwriter Glenn Tipton won’t be alongside his brothers in arms on stage, bashing out his classic and iconic metal riffs and blistering solos.
In mid-February, it was announced that the Parkinson’s Disease that he was first diagnosed with a decade ago, had progressed, to the point where he would not be able to perform night after night to the standard of excellence to which he would be accustomed. Firepower co-producer Sneap, who has an extensive touring and recording background as a member of Sabbat and Hell will be filling in, although Tipton has said he will try to make it out to a few shows and perform as his health permits.
“It’s an emotional time, both on a personal level for us obviously, and for the fans as well. And there has been an amazing outpouring of love and respect for Glenn on the socials. And I actually called him up a little while ago just to make him aware of that because he’s not really a big internet guy. So I told him, ‘Glenn, just so you know, this is going on.’ And he was like, ‘really?’ ‘Yeah dude, you’re Glenn Tipton. You created some of the best heavy metal music and guitar riffs ever created,’” Faulkner said.
“And to be honest with you, Glenn is a fighter, so when he hears things like that, I know that it inspires him. And I know Glenn is going to come out with us sometime as and when he can and do various shows and a couple of songs here and there when he can. But the more positivity that Glenn gets, I know the harder he is going to fight. The more love that goes out there, the more he will battler. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed and get Glenn Tipton back out there in whatever capacity he can and inspire him to keep fighting.”
For more information on Firepower and the upcoming tour, visit http://judaspriest.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for a quarter of a century. Besides his journalistic endeavours, he now works as a communications and marketing specialist. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
