Rob Halford Says Power Trip Festival Is ‘Already Legendary’

Ahead of the release of Judas Priest‘s 19th studio album, Invincible Shield, the Metal God himself, Rob Halford, joined Chuck Armstrong on Tuesday’s edition of Loudwire Nights (Feb. 6).

“It’s the adventure of this glorious band that’s been making metal for five decades,” Halford told Chuck about what he’s feeling. “It’s a whole bunch of emotions that rush through your mind when you think about this band that’s done so many things and it’s still doing things of relevance.”

As Priest celebrate the release of Invincible Shield, they’ll also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their debut album, Rocka Rolla.

And while he said the upcoming record isn’t the same as their debut, he said there is definitely a connection.

“There’s a timeline, a thread that holds it all together,” Halford explained. “[But] every album has its own legs to stand on, from Rocka Rolla to Invincible Shield.”

Halford told the Loudwire Nights audience that all of the elements that Priest debuted with — passion, believing in the band, believing in the metal, believing in the fans — are part of the fabric of Invincible Shield.

“The fire hasn’t gone down.”

Judas Priest at the Power Trip Festival

As Halford looked forward to the March 8 release of Invincible Shield, he also took some time to look back on Judas Priest’s performance at the one-of-a-kind Power Trip festival that took place on Oct. 7 in California.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “It’s already become legendary less than a year on. It’s just had so much impact.”

For Halford, it was obvious much of the impact the festival had on him was simply because he is such a fan of the other bands that shared the stage over the weekend. From Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden to AC/DC, Tool and Metallica, Halford loved seeing the show come together.

Though, he did wish there was a moment when every band could have soaked it in together.

“I wish there could have been a moment — and it’s gone now — but I wish there could have been a moment where we all could have been in a room together, talking like this,” he admitted.

“Can you imagine how great that would have been?”

Rob Halford Shares Love and Respect For Metallica

More than once in the conversation, Halford brought up his respect and appreciation for Metallica, whether it was about their latest album, 72 Seasons, or their performance at Power Trip.

It was clear that Halford looks to Metallica as friends, peers and pioneers.

“They’re just great people,” Halford said. “They’re so real. They’re the biggest metal band — or the biggest band — in the world and they’re so real and down to earth.”

Chuck asked Halford what it was like seeing videos of the Metallica guys in the crowd during Priest’s performance at Power Trip.

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“I saw it popping up on my social media. There’s Kirk [Hammett] doing air guitar and I’m like, man, this is such a pure display of the simple joy of music and how it reaches all of us, regardless of where we are in the world of rock and roll.”

Halford couldn’t help but continue to heap praise onto the thrash legends as he reflected on their own love for his band.

“I’m so grateful for [them]. They’ll be the first to profess their love of Priest and the inspiration that Priest gave Metallica at the beginning of their journey.”

What Else Did Rob Halford Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What the chemistry was like in the band as they wrote Invincible Shield: “You start in a room with nothing and at the end of the day you can have a piece of music that’s going to live a lot longer than you.”
• Why he still believes heavy metal is a welcoming and inclusive community today: “Regardless of the bands that you’re into, regardless of what you look like, who you love, whatever, it doesn’t matter — we look at each other and we embrace each other because we love heavy metal.”
• What piece of advice Slash gave Halford at a show in Australia that he still carries with him: “I was like, ‘Slash, the heat is killing me, man,’ and he goes, ‘It is what it is, Rob.’ Slash put that mantra into my mind.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Rob Halford joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, Feb. 6; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand. Stream songs from Invincible Shield and check out Judas Priest’s tour plans for 2024.