Listen to Title Track From Judas Priest’s New ‘Firepower’ Album
Judas Priest have unveiled the title track to their upcoming Firepower album.
The song follows the release of the video for “Lightning Strike” last month. You can listen to “Firepower” above.
The follow-up LP to 2014’s Redeemer of Souls was announced last year. “It's great," singer Rob Halford said. "This is what Priest lives for. We're a hardworking 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 … a great feeling."
Halford praised the work of guitarist Richie Faulkner, who joined the band in 2011 as K.K. Downing's replacement. "It's Richie's moment, really, because when we did Redeemer of Souls with Richie, it was his first time with Priest as a writer," he said. "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.”
The singer said the new guitarist has sparked the veteran. “Richie's playing is f---ing unbelievable on this album," he noted. "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."
Downing this week announced the publication of his memoir, Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest, on Sept. 20. According to the publisher's description of the book, the former Priest guitarist “discusses the complex personality conflicts, the business screw-ups, the acrimonious relationship with fellow heavy metal band Iron Maiden, as well as how Judas Priest found itself at the epicenter of a storm of parental outrage that targeted heavy metal in the '80s.”
Judas Priest will launch a U.S. tour in support of Firepower on March 13, with Saxon and Black Star Riders as support. The album comes out on March 9.