Ian Hill, of Judas Priest, talks about iconic metal band’s modern sound, massive global tour making stop in Spokane on Sunday
Judas Priest is returning to Spokane for the first time since the pandemic with the same love for metal and performance – as is evident in the iconic metal band’s newest record.
Judas Priest has spent more than 50 years simply rolling – album after album, tour after tour, year after year. That is, until 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic struck, suddenly ceasing its momentum.
With one half of the band living in the original homeland, the United Kingdom, and the other in the United States, they were split for some time. But once they could tour again, the group jumped right into the band’s 50th anniversary tour.
Since the pandemic effectively forced Judas Priest to put a new album to the wayside, band members refused to let anything else get in their way.
Thus, the group recorded each of its parts individually in various locations instead of the traditional methods of tracking the instrumentation all at once.
Lead singer Rob Halford recorded vocals in Arizona while guitarist Richie Faulkner and drummer Scott Travis tracked at their homes in Nashville, Tennessee.
Bassist and longest-standing member Ian Hill, using the laptop of touring guitarist and producer Andy Sneap, recorded while touring in Europe.
“It was done in hotel rooms, which is a great way to record after the pub or something to eat,” Hill said. “And your time is your own, it was a wonderfully sedate way of doing it.”
The 11-track record (with an extra three included in the deluxe edition) titled “Invincible Shield” was released in March and was the group’s first since 2018’s “Firepower.”
Featuring the same intensity and sheer rock energy Judas Priest has long been known for, “Invincible Shield” is a force driven by double-kick, Hill’s unrelenting bass, and fresh solos. It’s undeniably a Judas Priest record, but as original as ever.
The record went to No. 2 on the United Kingdom charts while also cracking the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and topping the Billboard Hard Rock charts – something Hill credits to the band’s constant want to better itself.
“It comes down to that moving forward all the time,” Hill said. “If you listen to ‘Firepower’ or ‘Invincible Shield’ and didn’t know who we were, it could be a new band … it’s got a more modern sound, it’s up to date, it’s relevant.”
In support of the record, Judas Priest is in the midst of a massive global tour that will bring them back to Spokane on Sunday. Although, this isn’t new for the group with a “love of the game” and playing shows, no matter the size of the venue, is something they have yet to tire of even after so many years. And since the pandemic, the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
“We enjoy what we do for a living, so we look forward to playing wherever it is,” Hill said. “And we want to perform for (our fans) as long as we can, although we’re not fools.
“Robert and myself are in our 70s, so we know the end is on the horizon somewhere, but nowhere too soon.”