Judas Priest are now in the studio working on a new album

[treeduck]

JUDAS PRIEST's New Album Contains 'Some Real Classic Moments,' Says Producer ANDY SNEAP

 

JUDAS PRIEST's long-awaited new album contains "good energy" and "some real classic moments," according to a producer who worked on the disc.

 

The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was helmed by the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom, acclaimed British knob-twiddler Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

 

Sneap, who plays guitar in the reactivated British occult metal act HELL, spoke about his involvement with the new PRIEST album during an interview with Serbia's Hardwired magazine.

 

Andy said (hear audio below): "When I first got involved with them, I think we had about twenty-six ideas that we were working on, which we've whittled down to fourteen or fifteen; we haven't decided on a which songs or a running order for the album yet.

 

"I think it's got a really good energy and some real classic moments on there. Rob's [Halford] singing great, Richie's [Faulkner] on fire on it.

 

"We really, really pushed the band to play together in the studio, and we actually took tempos from them playing together rather than the demos.

 

"Glenn [Tipton, guitar] originally wanted to work on it like they have done on the last few albums and use the demos as templates and work off that, and I made them actually play as a band.

 

"I think we've got quite a fresh feel on it and quite an old-school approach at times. We pushed Rob on varying the patterns up a little bit on the verses."

 

Sneap recalled his first meeting with JUDAS PRIEST where he expected to sit down with Tipton and Faulkner to discuss their ideas for the new album's sound and overall direction. "I didn't even know Rob was gonna be there," he said. "And I went down to Glenn's house, and there was Glenn and Richie there. And the doorbell rang and it was Rob, and I was, like, 'Oh, f***ing hell.' [Laughs] And I found myself, within thirty minutes, telling Rob how I wanted him to sing. And I [thought to myself] 'Shut up! I'm telling Rob Halford how I want him to sing' [Laughs]. But he was totally cool. I was saying how I wanted some of that 'British Steel' mid-range in there. And he was, like, 'Yeah, yeah. No problem. I don't wanna sing like a pub singer. You've gotta push me a bit. I can be lazy.'"

 

According to Sneap, "Rob did great" during the album's final recording sessions. "I'll tell you what: for someone who's got that much experience, there's no ego there at all," he said. "We'd do, like, six or seven passes, and I'd ask him to try something a bit [different] on this part, and he was, like, 'No problem.' And he'd give me another four takes with a slightly different vibe. And then me and Tom Allom would sit there and we'd comp it, and we pretty much agreed on everything.

 

"And the other thing… What Rob's really good at is harmonizing with himself," he continued. "And Tom's really good at… I didn't realize how much the classic PRIEST albums, a lot of the harmony ideas were Tom Allom's influence. So Tom was there, and because he's a keyboard player, he'd be singing harmonies to Rob, and Rob was nailing the harmonies like that.

 

"In fact, I got the multi-tracks from 'Screaming For Vengeance' from Tom Allom, and I think Rob is singing as well as he was back then, listening to it," Sneap added. "You're looking at something that was recorded in — what? — 1982, when 'Screaming' was done. So thirty-five years ago. And for a guy thirty-five years on in his career… I mean, they're playing in E flat now, so they are semitone down, but most bands are [these days]. He's nailing it. I took a vocal off 'Screaming For Vengeance' — I think it was a high F sharp — and I put it into one of the songs as a bit of a laugh. And Rob was, 'Oh, that's a good idea,' and he just went and nailed it again. So if he can hit the high notes from 'Screaming For Vengeance', that's quite impressive."

 

Sneap went on to credit Tipton for being the creative driving force behind JUDAS PRIEST.

 

"Working with Glenn, he'd come up with things and you'd be, like, 'Oh, no, no.' You'd think, 'Oh, no. Don't do that. Don't do that.' And then you do it, and it's, like, 'That's JUDAS PRIEST,'" Andy said. "It's weird. He's got a way of doing things that's quite unorthodox and quite not how… Me, as a guitar player, you've gotta try and steer the ship how you think it would go, but then Glenn would come in and sort of go, 'No, that needs simplifying,' and, 'I'm hearing something different here.' And he'll sing a guitar melody or a vocal melody. I didn't realize how much of the melodic aspects of PRIEST actually Glenn was a part of. But when you look at the credits on all the old albums, I think he's credited on nearly every song. But there's definitely a method to Glenn Tipton's madness in JUDAS PRIEST. Rob will come in, take an idea and just take it even further. It's good. It's a great dynamic. It's been really good fun working with them. They're super-nice guys."

 

JUDAS PRIEST's new album is tentatively due in early 2018.

 

Allom produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988), along with several live records since then. As a young engineer, he also worked on the first three BLACK SABBATH records under producer Rodger Bain.

 

[Rod in Toronto]

I'm sold!!!

[treeduck]

I'm sold!!!

Yeah I like the sound of it. Sneap seems to have pushed the right buttons according to what he says.

[Rod in Toronto]

Indeed, man...I wish Maiden had an outside producer that really pushed them, instead of just saym amen to whatever Steve wants, like Kevin Shirley seems to do.

 

Saxon is also putting the final touch on their new album too, and Maiden said they have something planned for next year, but didn´t say what it was exactly. Could you imagine what a triple bill that would be?

[treeduck]

Indeed, man...I wish Maiden had an outside producer that really pushed them, instead of just saym amen to whatever Steve wants, like Kevin Shirley seems to do.

 

Saxon is also putting the final touch on their new album too, and Maiden said they have something planned for next year, but didn´t say what it was exactly. Could you imagine what a triple bill that would be?

Saxon has the same producer too, along with Accept. All three of these albums were recorded or worked on around the same time. So I wonder why Accept's album came out much sooner?

 

http://i.imgur.com/quvv6Pz.jpg

[Blue J]

JUDAS PRIEST Is Putting Finishing Touches On New Album, Says ROB HALFORD

 

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are putting the finishing touches on their long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album, singer Rob Halford has confirmed. Helming the sessions for the new disc are the band's longtime producer Tom Allom, acclaimed British knob-twiddler Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

 

Speaking to Planet Rock's Paul Anthony at the launch of "Hell Bent For Leather", a new exhibition of leather jackets hand-painted by world-renowned tattoo artists, Halford stated about the progress of the recording sessions for PRIEST's new disc (see video below): "Well, we're still tracking. I won't say we're at the end [of the recording process], but we feel like we're coming to some of the final moments. And it's just great to watch how a record comes together, from those early, early days where there was just me and [guitarists] Glenn [Tipton] and Richie [Faulkner] sitting in the studio with a couple of guitars and just, you know, doing what we do. You start the day with nothing, and then at the end of day, potentially, you've got a really great, classic PRIEST song that may live forever."

 

He continued: "So we're hard at it. We're still doing what we love to do. PRIEST is a working band more than anything else. It's that Midlands ethic, the work ethic of anybody that goes to work… I say it's work, 'cause it is work — you're working with your mind, you're being creative. And now we're moving through into other stages, we're preparing for another big world tour, getting stage designs sorted, lighting designs sorted. So this is the beginning of what's gonna be a very exciting 2018 period."

 

Allom produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988), along with several live records since then. As a young engineer, he also worked on the first three BLACK SABBATH records under producer Rodger Bain.

 

During a January 2017 appearance on "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Halford said that there was no set-in-stone timetable for the release of PRIEST's next album. "You know, there is no rush," he said. "There is no rush. We feel great. We're very happy, we're very confident, we're very excited. And so, yeah, we're working with our label and with promoters, and there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes."

 

He continued: "When we go out, we want it to be good — we want it to be good, we want it to be well planned, we wanna make sure that everybody's happy."

 

Halford said last year that JUDAS PRIEST wasn't interested in making "a 'Redeemer Of Souls Part Two'." He explained: "I think it's very important that we make another stand-alone record again, a heavy metal record that's going to have its own legs and just be as different as all of them have been so far."

 

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

 

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

 

JUDAS PRIEST's tenth studio album, "Turbo", was recently remastered and was released via Sony Music on February 3 on three CDs (the original album and two bonus discs) as well as one-LP 150-gram vinyl. Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue was, previously unreleased, "Live in Kansas City", a live recording from the band's 1986 "Fuel For Life" tour in support of "Turbo".

 

Great to read this...I haven't caught up with this thread since this was posted.

Where've you been?????? :fury:

 

Considering you asked this nearly four months ago and I'm just seeing it now... :| I think it's fair to say I haven't been around as much, of late.

[treeduck]

JUDAS PRIEST Is Putting Finishing Touches On New Album, Says ROB HALFORD

 

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are putting the finishing touches on their long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album, singer Rob Halford has confirmed. Helming the sessions for the new disc are the band's longtime producer Tom Allom, acclaimed British knob-twiddler Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

 

Speaking to Planet Rock's Paul Anthony at the launch of "Hell Bent For Leather", a new exhibition of leather jackets hand-painted by world-renowned tattoo artists, Halford stated about the progress of the recording sessions for PRIEST's new disc (see video below): "Well, we're still tracking. I won't say we're at the end [of the recording process], but we feel like we're coming to some of the final moments. And it's just great to watch how a record comes together, from those early, early days where there was just me and [guitarists] Glenn [Tipton] and Richie [Faulkner] sitting in the studio with a couple of guitars and just, you know, doing what we do. You start the day with nothing, and then at the end of day, potentially, you've got a really great, classic PRIEST song that may live forever."

 

He continued: "So we're hard at it. We're still doing what we love to do. PRIEST is a working band more than anything else. It's that Midlands ethic, the work ethic of anybody that goes to work… I say it's work, 'cause it is work — you're working with your mind, you're being creative. And now we're moving through into other stages, we're preparing for another big world tour, getting stage designs sorted, lighting designs sorted. So this is the beginning of what's gonna be a very exciting 2018 period."

 

Allom produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988), along with several live records since then. As a young engineer, he also worked on the first three BLACK SABBATH records under producer Rodger Bain.

 

During a January 2017 appearance on "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Halford said that there was no set-in-stone timetable for the release of PRIEST's next album. "You know, there is no rush," he said. "There is no rush. We feel great. We're very happy, we're very confident, we're very excited. And so, yeah, we're working with our label and with promoters, and there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes."

 

He continued: "When we go out, we want it to be good — we want it to be good, we want it to be well planned, we wanna make sure that everybody's happy."

 

Halford said last year that JUDAS PRIEST wasn't interested in making "a 'Redeemer Of Souls Part Two'." He explained: "I think it's very important that we make another stand-alone record again, a heavy metal record that's going to have its own legs and just be as different as all of them have been so far."

 

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

 

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

 

JUDAS PRIEST's tenth studio album, "Turbo", was recently remastered and was released via Sony Music on February 3 on three CDs (the original album and two bonus discs) as well as one-LP 150-gram vinyl. Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue was, previously unreleased, "Live in Kansas City", a live recording from the band's 1986 "Fuel For Life" tour in support of "Turbo".

 

Great to read this...I haven't caught up with this thread since this was posted.

Where've you been?????? :fury:

 

Considering you asked this nearly four months ago and I'm just seeing it now... :| I think it's fair to say I haven't been around as much, of late.

I can't even remember posting that. I was wondering who you were talking to at first!

[LyndseyG]

Yay!! Sounds like things are really shaping up!! :haz:

 

[treeduck]

Yay!! Sounds like things are really shaping up!! :haz:

Aye!

[treeduck]

New JUDAS PRIEST Album Is 'Sounding Monumental,' Says ROB HALFORD

 

Rob Halford says that JUDAS PRIEST's long-awaited new album is "sounding monumental."

 

The British heavy metal legends have spent the last few months in the studio recording the follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" with the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom, acclaimed British knob-twiddler Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

 

During an October 5 appearance on the "Trunk Nation" show on SiriusXM channel Volume, Halford stated about the progress of the recording sessions for PRIEST's new disc: "We're almost done. We're in that final hurdle before we get to the finishing line. It is sounding monumental. It's gonna blow your socks off. We're thrilled. We've got this big metal monster looming in the background, about to drop early next year, with a world tour to coincide."

 

Asked what it has been like collaborating again with Allom, who produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988), along with several live records since then, Halford said: "Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. Tom has a rich history with PRIEST, particularly those great moments with 'Screaming For Vengeance', 'Defenders Of The Faith' [and] 'British Steel'. My God — he's the man in that respect. So I thought it was really great for Andy Sneap and Mike Exeter to accept that this was gonna be like a three-man job, with Andy mostly holding the reins, but with Tom by his side and Mike there [as well].

 

"It's an unusual way to make this kind of record for PRIEST, because it's generally the producer and the band," Halford admitted. "We just had so much faith in Andy and in Tom and Mike that we said, 'Guys, you go for it. You tell us what to do.' And if Andy Sneap said, 'Do another take, Rob. Do another take, Rob. Do another take, Rob. '… I've never sung so much in the studio behind a mic in all my life. But he got the results that we needed, and I think I can say the same for Glenn [Tipton, guitar] and for Richie [Faulkner, guitar] and for Scott [Travis, drums] and for Ian [Hill, bass]. So he got something out of us — they all did — but they got something out of us truly remarkable, and you're gonna be hearing it very soon."

 

Sneap, who plays guitar in the reactivated British occult metal act HELL, recently told Serbia's Hardwired magazine that PRIEST had "about twenty-six ideas" in the early stage of the production process for the new album. "We've whittled [that] down to fourteen or fifteen," he said, adding that "we haven't decided on which songs [will make the final cut] or a running order for the album yet."

 

Andy went on to say that PRIEST's new album will contain "a really good energy and some real classic moments." He said "Rob did great" during the album's final recording sessions. "I'll tell you what: for someone who's got that much experience, there's no ego there at all," he said. "We'd do, like, six or seven passes, and I'd ask him to try something a bit [different] on this part, and he was, like, 'No problem.' And he'd give me another four takes with a slightly different vibe. And then me and Tom Allom would sit there and we'd comp it, and we pretty much agreed on everything."

 

It was announced on Wednesday (October 4) that PRIEST was nominated for induction into the 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, part of a list of nineteen potential candidates.

 

Inductees into the 2018 Rock Hall will be voted on by a group of more than nine hundred artists, historians and music-industry professionals.

 

Speaking to "Trunk Nation", Halford stated about PRIEST's nomination: "No matter what your opinions and feelings about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it's a great institution. It's in the same caliber as the Baseball Hall Of Fame and Basketball and NFL, the Grammy [Awards], the [Oscars]. Some people might think it's superfluous; it’s not, really. What it is for the musicians, or the artists, whatever you wanna call us, it's just a recognition of the work that you have been making in your years in the music world, and for PRIEST, it's been over forty years of blood, sweat and tears. And we've been slugging away — and I don't mean that in a bad way; I mean in a loving way. You know how much we love heavy metal music. We've had the great joy and pleasure of almost now making our eighteenth studio album over four decades and loving every minute of it. So [for this] to come along now, it's a boost, it's a real boost, it makes you feel good — within the band, within the fans that look after PRIEST around the world, and for heavy metal music more than anything else."

 

He added: "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is more than rock and roll. It kind of ventured off into other language besides rock and roll — which, in my opinion, I think it should because it's the only body that represents music in this broad spectrum. So to have another heavy metal act potentially inducted is important."

 

The 2018 inductees will be announced in December and the induction ceremony will be held at Cleveland's Public Auditorium on April 14, 2018.

 

[treeduck]

Besides the Rock Hall, Priest is gearing up for the release of its next album, the follow-up to Redeemer Of Souls, in 2018. The album is "99.999 percent concluded" he said, and awaiting only final tweaks, while plans are being made for a tour that will likely start in March.

 

"The emails and phone calls have been going backwards and forwards regarding stage sets and lighting sets," Halford reported. "I had a costume fitting the other day in Los Angeles with Mr. Ray Brown. We're slowly getting the touring machine cranked up again. It's a big deal; You don't just walk out on stage. It's a tremendous amount of effort by very talented people, so that's what's starting to go on now."

 

[treeduck]

Here's a good new video:

 

[Turbine Freight]

Can hardly wait for this to land.

 

I fing love Priest!

 

 

[Blue J]

Can hardly wait for this to land.

 

I fing love Priest!

 

Yeah, I'll be all over this.

[LyndseyG]

Awesome!!!

[J2112YYZ]

If it's anything close to the last album we're once again in for something special.

[treeduck]

JUDAS PRIEST To Release 'Firepower' Album; North American Tour Announced

 

 

Judas Priest have revealed that their new studio album will be titled Firepower and will launch next year.

 

The 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees have been working on the follow-up to 2014’s Redeemer Of Souls – and fans won’t have too long to wait until it arrives.

 

The band tweeted: “Judas Priest’s new studio album Firepower will be arriving in early 2018.”

 

To mark the announcement, Rob Halford and co have announced a run of North American dates for next year – the first in a planned world tour. They'll be joined on the road by Saxon and Black Star Riders.

 

Find a full list of confirmed shows below along with the tour poster.

 

http://judaspriest.com/images/2017/Judas-Priest-2018-Firewpower-Tour-dates-US-1280.jpg

 

[greyfriar]

Yeah! Great news! Finally!

Since the tour starts in March, I guess they will release the album next January (well I hope so).

Wow, Saxon and BSR are on board. Great choice. I really hope they bring this billing to Europe.

[treeduck]

Yeah! Great news! Finally!

Since the tour starts in March, I guess they will release the album next January (well I hope so).

Wow, Saxon and BSR are on board. Great choice. I really hope they bring this billing to Europe.

Saxon have a new album out in January too, called Thunderbolt!

[greyfriar]

Yeah! Great news! Finally!

Since the tour starts in March, I guess they will release the album next January (well I hope so).

Wow, Saxon and BSR are on board. Great choice. I really hope they bring this billing to Europe.

Saxon have a new album out in January too, called Thunderbolt!

Yeah, I've read that. Great way to begin the new year. Saxon and Priest. :haz:

[treeduck]

Yeah! Great news! Finally!

Since the tour starts in March, I guess they will release the album next January (well I hope so).

Wow, Saxon and BSR are on board. Great choice. I really hope they bring this billing to Europe.

Saxon have a new album out in January too, called Thunderbolt!

Yeah, I've read that. Great way to begin the new year. Saxon and Priest. :haz:

Whitesnake have one out too!

[Verena]

Amazing Stuff Going On Here!! :haz:

[LyndseyG]

FIREPOWER?!?!?!

 

YAY!!!!

 

[HemispheresserehpsimeH]

Awesome! And they're coming to my hometown. I'm loving this news.

[canadianice]

Playing Casino Rama in March.