Heavy metal is immortal, but we're not.
Rob Halford
It's a very empowering kind of music, heavy metal is.
If I was a billionaire, I'd have a warehouse full of Ferrari and Lamborghini, but I'm not.
The great thing about Priest, in all the years that we've been making heavy metal music, is that we've always kind of carried this metal flag, if you will - this beacon of hope that, no matter what you may be going through in life, there's always a sense of overcoming difficulties, a sense of winning, a sense of coming out on top.
I chew a special brand of gum that you can't get in America. It's British, and it's called Airwaves. It's a menthol eucalyptus gum that is a very soothing thing for me when I'm singing because I'm swallowing, and it also keeps my sinuses and general upper breathing clear. I've got to be able to hit these clear, clean notes.
I will always remember the first show I did clean and sober... It was in New Mexico, in Albuquerque. I literally felt elevated, as everything was coming with such clarity.
You've gotta learn to love yourself and live your own life. Then you can go out in the world and try and figure everything else out.
It's very tempting for certain generations to say, 'Well, I just want to be in a band, and I want to be a rock star,' or whatever. That's not what it's about. Firstly, you've got to be in it for the love and the passion that you have for the music, and then you take it from there.
I pray quite a bit, actually. And even if you don't believe in prayer, just have a go. Pray for a good day, or just pray for your friend, or whatever it might be. And it's amazing, man, 'cause it absolutely works. I guarantee, it genuinely does work.
Just the basic principles of what makes America work for me are very strong in my heart. It's like no other nation in the world.
I love early blues like Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf. I listened to the way these people sang, and it was just beautiful - straight from the soul. That, for me, was an inspiration.
Some songs are dead easy, and others can be quite challenging. Other times, you just have to put it in the bin.
With 'Defenders,' we had some very barebones ideas, but the bulk of it came together very quickly over in Ibiza. The main thing I like about that record, looking back on it now, is the change in the texture of the production from 'Screaming For Vengeance.'
I was in several bands before I joined Judas Priest. Being in those early unknown bands were the stepping stones, really, so I learned a lot in those short few years jumping from one band to another.
I think I'm still a lone wolf, internally. And I always will be.
I never tire of the drive from Phoenix to San Diego, and it is mostly desert, obviously, but you get different varieties of desert terrain.
Heavy metal is always going to be there. At its core, it's all about a primitive connection we all need to keep in our lives.
I've been a huge fan of Gaga since she first burst on the scene. I just love everything that lady represents. First and foremost, her voice is extraordinary. I love her voice. She's an accomplished musician. She plays piano really well. She's just a great songwriter. And she's a beacon of hope for a lot of people in the world.
You don't fully appreciate your band until you're away from them.
I think that essentially, since music was invented, it's basically reached out and touched every single kind of conceivable generation.
I kind of blew the doors off the myth that all heavy metalheads are Neanderthal and very limited in their ability to take on subject matter of any human depth.
Music is there to get you through life's ups and downs, good times and not so good times.
Most of humanity just wants to live a peaceful life, don't we?
There are gay and lesbian people in all walks of life, in all different types of professions. I just happen to be a gay man who sings in a heavy metal band.
I was a huge Rick Astley and Bananarama fan.
It doesn't matter how many records you've made; there's always a new experience you can get with a new producer.
Metal fans are just as compassionate and caring and tolerant as any other form of music fans are.
If you look at the history of the LGBTQ community, from my perspective growing up as I did in the U.K. in the '50s, there was just terrible, terrible discrimination, you know? It was extremely difficult to live your life as you should have been allowed to do.
I like to remain somewhat anonymous. I could never handle the whole Britney Spears syndrome of being noticed everywhere.
'Defenders' seems to have a really gritty, hard, uncomplicated vibe about it. Somehow, we made everything sound stronger and more precise than on 'Screaming Vengeance' through Tom Allom's amazing mixing skills.
Making a record is an intimate experience. A good producer can get things out of you that you can't get out of yourself.
The thing about rock & roll, and the black leather biker jacket - it automatically creates an idea about what that person might be about, about their musical taste or their attitude.
When I got clean and sober, that was a major change in my life.
The battle goes on for me; as a gay man, I shall not be happy until I see equality across the board.
We're a rock n' roll band. We play heavy metal music. And we want to give you a great time. That's basically how it all boils down.
Sometimes when I'm writing lyrics, it's a very loose train of thought, and wherever that takes me, I let it flow.
I think that the fact of the matter is that metal isn't really part of the big picture of the gay, lesbian, transgender music scene. But it's certainly there. There's gay metalheads all over the world.
Don't put yourself on a pedestal. Because it's very easy for someone to knock you off.
'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk,' that's my big Emperor album.
I think my heart will always be made of metal, but it would be ignorant of me and kind of foolish to ignore the other emotional connections you can make in all kinds of music.
Teachers should not need to have to buy books for the kids, or pencils and pens. That's absurd.
I love people. I love being in a band. I love making music.
As soon as I got my driver's license, I went crazy, and I got the Ford Cosworth, which was this limited edition street racing turbo. It was like this 200-miles-an-hour monster.
Oh God, don't let me go on Amazon Prime at one in the morning 'cause I always buy something I don't need.
The moment I came out as a gay man, I never really thought of the consequences. Of course, the proverbial happened: it hits the newswires, and it's this big, big thing.
I'm drawn to singers who have something different to say vocally, and Adele would be in there.
If you go to the gym every day, it's not really good. Your muscles get fatigued. Your vocal cords are muscles - they get burned out, they get tired, so you've got to give them the chance to recover and repair during the night.
On their debut, Korn brought a new definition of metal that was a game changer.
To have Judas Priest together? It's a real adventure, and we always feel excited when it's time to create a new record.
We can either rip your face up with 'Painkiller,' or we can play this beautiful thing called 'Last Rose of Summer' from 'Sin After Sin.' And people love us for that because they don't really know what to expect.
