Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner has confirmed that the band is currently recording their next studio album, while also discussing their upcoming career documentary, “The Ballad Of Judas Priest.”
During a new interview with Canada’s “The Metal Voice,” the guitarist detailed the group’s current studio schedule. He revealed that work on the follow-up to their recent album, Invincible Shield, began earlier this year.
“We’ve started recording it. Yeah, we were in the studio for a month in February laying the foundation. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that, but I’ve said it,” Richie said.
Speaking about his role in the band, he said:
“I say all the time, I’m part of a team. They’ve been doing it for 50-odd years. I’m part of the team now, and it is the crew and the management and everyone that pitches together to make that machine roll. And I can see how they’ve been doing it for that long. I’ve said to you guys before — they love it. And we’ll do a tour and then we’ll get excited and do an album, and then you get excited for the album and do another tour. So I can see how it happens. And we’re doing another album, and we’ll probably tour that.”
The conversation also covered the upcoming documentary film, “The Ballad Of Judas Priest.” Co-directed by filmmaker Sam Dunn and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, the film chronicles the band’s history. Richie Faulkner highlighted a specific scene featuring founding bassist Ian Hill returning to the site of their first performance.
“Well, it’s really well put together, and it goes through the story, obviously, of where they started and what they went through and everything like that and talks to different people about Priest‘s influence on them. And there’s a great bit in it where they go back to, I think it’s a working man’s club in Aston [United Kingdom] or somewhere like that, where they played their first show, and Ian‘s [Hill] in there and he’s sitting down, and it’s still there. And he’s in the club, and you can see the stage where they performed and everything. It’s still there, man. And it’s great, as a fan, to see that stuff. I haven’t seen that stuff before. So it’s really good. When it comes out, you should definitely check it out.”
Regarding his own inclusion in the project, the guitarist emphasized that the documentary primarily focuses on the core members who established the band’s legacy and released albums like Painkiller.
“I’m in it for a couple of minutes, which is more than I should be, really. In terms of Priest‘s story and the rise of Priest and the story and the legacy and stuff, I think I’m in it an appropriate amount, kind of near the end. It’s about them, really; it’s not about me… They created what we know as Priest. They created the heavy metal sound that we know and those albums in the ’70s and ’80s and Painkiller in the ’90s, they created that old stuff. I’m just happy to be there for my 15 seconds of fame at the end of it. But it’s a great thing. I’m proud to be a part of it, of course.”
Featuring tracks such as “Breaking The Law” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’“, the documentary premiered at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in February. It will screen in North America at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto from April 23 to May 3.
Judas Priest have also further expanded their upcoming “Faithkeepers” European Tour 2026, adding a substantial run of new dates that extend the trek well into September.
Originally set to wrap in late August, the tour will now continue across additional territories, bringing the band’s legendary live show to more cities throughout Southern and Western Europe. The newly confirmed leg includes first-time stops on this run in the Balkans, along with an extensive stretch of shows across Italy and France before closing out in Belgium.
“Faithkeepers” European Tour 2026 Dates:
July 26, 2026 – Neu-Ulm, Germany – Wiley Sportpark
July 28, 2026 – Warsaw, Poland – Torwar
August 2, 2026 – Ostrava, Czech Republic – Ostrava Arena
August 4, 2026 – Bratislava, Slovakia – Nepala Arena
August 6, 2026 – Halle, Germany – Messehalle
August 12, 2026 – Tilburg, Netherlands – O13
August 16, 2026 – Carhaix-Plouguer, France – Motocultor Festival
August 18, 2026 – Pamplona, Spain – Navarra Arena
August 20, 2026 – Valencia, Spain – Roig Arena
August 23, 2026 – Goarshausen, Germany – Loreley Amphitheatre
August 25, 2026 – Pula, Croatia – Pula Arena (new date)
August 28, 2026 – Belgrade, Serbia – Belgrade Arena (new date)
August 29, 2026 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Vidas Art Arena (new date)
September 1, 2026 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena (new date)
September 3, 2026 – Pordenone, Italy – Parco S. Valentino (new date)
September 5, 2026 – Brescia, Italy – Teatro Clerici (new date)
September 7, 2026 – Bari, Italy – Fiera del Levante (new date)
September 9, 2026 – Rome, Italy – Cavea Auditorium Parco della Musica (new date)
September 11, 2026 – Bern, Switzerland – Festhalle (new date)
September 12, 2026 – Strasbourg, France – Zenith (new date)
September 14, 2026 – Lyon, France – LDLC Arena (Décines-Charpieu) (new date)
September 15, 2026 – Bordeaux, France – Arkéa Arena (Floirac) (new date)
September 17, 2026 – Paris, France – Arena Zenith (new date)
September 18, 2026 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National (new date)
