In a recent interview with Spain’s Metal Journal, legendary Judas Priest bassist and founding member Ian Hill confirmed that the heavy metal pioneers have made substantial progress on their next studio album. The upcoming record will serve as the direct follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2024 LP, Invincible Shield.
Speaking to the outlet, the bassist revealed that the core instrumental tracking for the new record is nearly complete, and the focus has now shifted to the vocal sessions.
“We’ve done most of the music, or all the backing tracks anyway; we’ve got them down. There might be one extra [song] to do. But the vast majority of it, the backing tracks have been done. The guys have been to Phoenix working on vocals with Rob [Halford] over the last few weeks, I believe. So he’s in the process of putting the vocals down,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Regarding the musical direction of the new material, Ian Hill noted that the band is leaning toward a more direct sound compared to their previous release, while still retaining their signature classic identity.
“The style, it’s a little bit different from the last one. It’s — I don’t know — a little bit more traditional, maybe a little bit quirky with some of the things. And, yeah, it should be good. Like I say, I’ve only heard it in very raw form — just basically guitar, bass and drums. That’s all I’ve heard so far. But, yeah, it’s shaping up to be a great classic Priest album. It’ll be out some time next year. It’ll be out probably March, April, something like that, I should imagine. That’s down to the record company,” he explained.
When the interviewer asked if by “traditional” he meant a return to the style of historical landmarks like British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, or Defenders Of The Faith, the bassist quickly clarified his comments with a laugh.
“No, not that traditional. [Laughs] It’s more along the lines of Invincible Shield, but a lot more direct, shall I say.”
The conversation inevitably touched upon the band’s longevity and whether Judas Priest could theoretically continue as a group even if he and iconic frontman Rob Halford eventually decided to retire from the road. Ian Hill offered a surprisingly open-minded perspective on the band’s legacy.
“There’s no reason why not. I mean, we’ve already got through about six or seven drummers, four guitarists and two vocalists. So, why not? I’m sure everybody will be up for it if Rob or myself have to pack it in for one reason or another. Yeah, nobody’s irreplaceable, so you never know.”
Regarding his own personal timeline for retirement, the bassist maintained a pragmatic approach, emphasizing that the physical quality of the performance remains his primary deciding factor.
“Well, we’ll see. Like I always say, if the performance starts to suffer, it’s time to start thinking about [hanging it up]. So as long as we’re able to, to give that 100% — I’m talking personally here — yeah, we’ll carry on. But if there are any problems, and it ain’t feeling right, or you know you’re not giving your all, it might be time to call it [a day]. So we’ll see.”
“It’s the traveling that does get to you from time to time,” he continued. “The rest of it’s great. The playing part, that’s the enjoyable bit. And, of course, the camaraderie and the friendships you have with your bandmates and just on a night off going out for something to eat. All of that’s great stuff, but the traveling can be a… not a problem, but it just gets boring. And you never get to see the places you visit. You might say, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re going to San Francisco. How can San Francisco be boring?’ Well, you get to San Francisco, you go to a hotel, you go to the show, and then you move on. You don’t get to see the Golden Gate bridge. And, so, yeah, it becomes tedious after a while. But at least at the moment, the live performance and the rest of it’s making up for that.”
Ian Hill‘s comments align with recent updates provided by guitarist Richie Faulkner. Earlier this month, the guitarist appeared on Detroit’s WRIF radio station and detailed the band’s efficient recording process, noting a return to the collaborative tracking methods they utilized prior to the pandemic.
“We got together in February, just outside Nashville, and did the same thing [as we did] with [2018’s] Firepower… We got together and we did the drum tracks together. We didn’t do it on Invincible Shield because of the restrictions around — [they had] just lifted the COVID restrictions, and we were on tour, so we had to fit the recordings around that. And so that was a bit different. But we got together, recorded the groundings for the record outside of Nashville. So we’ve got the drums done, we’ve got the bass done, we’ve got the guitars done. I did solo guitars in my studio at home. So it’s moving on. We’ve got the base for it. And, yeah, it’s sounding really cool,” Faulkner explained at the time.
In addition to the upcoming studio album, the band’s legacy is currently being celebrated on multiple fronts. A comprehensive compilation titled The Best Of Judas Priest is scheduled for release on June 19 via Sony Music. Furthermore, the highly anticipated documentary film “The Ballad Of Judas Priest“, directed by Tom Morello and Sam Dunn, is slated for a wide release later this year following successful premiere screenings at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Hot Docs festival in Toronto.
The band is also maintaining a heavy presence on the road. Judas Priest will spend the summer tearing through continental Europe, including a major festival stop at the UK’s Bloodstock Open Air on August 9 and a headline performance at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on September 21.
