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‘Judas Priest’ singer Rob Halford goes from ‘Living After Midnight’ to ... LIVING after
By John Benson
You’ve got another thing coming if you think age is going to slow down Judas Priest singer Rob Halford enough to hang up his leather for good. The 59-year-old screaming rocker, who reunited with the “Living After Midnight” band in 2003 after a 12-year separation, is back with new music and a high-profile tour. After releasing the fourth studio Halford album, “Halford IV Made of Metal,” this fall, the frontman is touring alongside his old friend Ozzy Osbourne. This includes a Dec. 5 show, featuring Halford tunes and a few Priest hits, at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Vindicator talked to Halford in a phone call to Calgary, Canada, about his memories of Northeast Ohio, how NASCAR influenced his new 14-track album and his long friendship with Osbourne.
Q. First off, how’s Calgary?
A. It’s cold. Naturally, they had their first blizzard of the season. We had to be escorted into town. It was a 16-hour drive. And the blizzard kind of reminded me of the “Blizzard of Oz.” I felt like I was in the thick of it.
Q. So you’re not a fan of the cold?
A. Not particularly, even though I have British blood. That’s why I moved to Phoenix.
Q. Let’s hope it doesn’t snow for your upcoming show in Cleveland. Speaking of which, any memories of the Rock Hall city?
A. I have 40 years of metal memories crammed in my noggin. One of the very first shows I did with Priest was, I think, at the Agora Ballroom. It was 1976 or 1978. You kind of cherish those older memories more now than you do the new ones. When you’ve been around the world so many times, you’ve kind of lost count.
Q. As for “Made of Metal,” what tracks stand out as defining the album?
A. The opening cut, “Undisputed,” I see as being in the metal spirit. When I’m talking about the undisputed champion, I’m talking about the survival of heavy-metal music for all of these decades. So that’s important to me. That’s connecting in the set.
Q. What’s up with the NASCAR race car on the album cover?
A. I know a little bit about NASCAR. I like to watch it. It’s a tremendously exciting and dangerous sport. So when it came time for the cover, it’s like, “Do you want to stand there with a shield and a sword or be in a forest or standing in burning embers?” These are almost the clich d metal-album covers. So I’m trying to put a different angle on an idea.
Q. Hmm, is there a parallel between metal and NASCAR, both being exciting and dangerous?
A. I still think metal is a high-wire act when you walk out on stage. Anything can happen. That’s the thrill of rock ’n’ roll. It shouldn’t be safe. That’s just what makes for the electric buzz to be there.
Q. Finally, here we are four decades later, and two of metal’s biggest names are sharing the stage. How long have you and Ozzy Osbourne been friends?
A. I don’t know; we go way back. We come from the same town in West Midlands in Birmingham, and we’ve known each other for a long time. He’s a good friend of mine. We’ve traveled very similar journeys, musically at least. So we’re good friends. We don’t have to say much when we see each other because we’ve been in a somewhat parallel universe to some degree. He’s a wonderful guy, and I’m so happy for him because he’s got this great record out. This is his first big tour in a long time. He looks great, sounds great, puts on a great show, and gives his fans what they want.