JUDAS PRIEST – Firepower (March 2018)

Judas Priest have released a brief sample from their upcoming album, the band’s first LP since 2014’s Redeemer of Souls. Firepower will hit stores in March 2018. You can listen to 15 seconds of the title track right now below, and see the cover here.

As reported by our friends at Ultimate Classic Rock:

“It’s great. This is what Priest lives for,” singer Rob Halford told Vintage Rock (via Blabbermouth). “We’re a hard-working metal band still making the metal 40-odd years later, thanks to our glorious metal fans around the world. So we make music now, obviously, still for our own pleasure and enjoyment, and the challenge of finding a new riff and a new melody is always very … it’s a great feeling.”

Halford noted that after completing the Redeemer of Souls tour, he went right back to work with new Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner writing songs for the new album.

“It’s Richie‘s moment, really, because when we did Redeemer of Souls with Richie, obviously it was his first time with Priest as a writer, so I think it was great how Richie was coming into the band at that point, and then going through the writing experience and the world tour together really put Richie in a better place for when we went in to do Firepower— just because you learn so much in a band,” Halford said. “Richie‘s playing is f—ing unbelievable on this album. And just the contribution, I think, as the writing team of Richie and Glenn (Tipton guitarist] and myself. This is some of our best work — without a doubt.” (Faulkner replaced original Priest guitarist K.K. Downing in 2011.)

Firepower, the band’s 18th studio album, was co-produced by longtime collaborator Andy Sneap and Tom Allom. Judas Priest will be touring in support of the album, with the North American leg kicking off on March 13 in Wilkes Barre, Penn., and wrapping up on May 1 in San Antonio.

BUY: JUDAS PRIEST