Judas Priest are set to return with their 18th (!) studio album. It’s titled Firepower and due to hit shelves March 9th through Columbia Records.
The follow-up to 2014’s Redeemer of Souls collects together 14 new tracks. It sees the legendary heavy metal rockers finding inspiration in their past in more ways than one. First, they enlisted the production expertise of Tom Allom, who worked on all of the band’s records from 1979 through 1988, including British Steel from 1980 and 1984’s Defenders of the Faith, and Grammy-winning veteran Andy Sneap.
“Tom Allom has got this classic metal thing,” frontman Rob Halford noted in a press statement, “and Andy is a bit more of a ‘modern metal producer,’ but his thinking is a little bit different to Tom’s. And I think to get this balance between that classic old school metal to what Andy’s world is was just a remarkable coalescence.” Bassist Ian Hill chimed in, “Tom Allom has been with us since 1979, so his knowledge of ourselves and our music in general is immense.”
Secondly, Judas Priest revisited an old recording approach they’d first employed during their early years. “We went back to the organic way of recording where it’s all of us in a room and we got to play together,” drummer Scott Travis explained.
As a teaser of the forthcoming LP, the band has shared lead single “Lightning Strike” and its corresponding music video. It tells “a story of resisting fear-based manipulation at the hands of authority figures,” according to Revolver, who premiered the clip. Check it out below.
Firepower Artwork:
Firepower Tracklist:
01. Firepower
02. Lightning Strike
03. Evil Never Dies
04. Never The Heroes
05. Necromancer
06. Children of the Sun
07. Guardians
08. Rising From Ruins
09. Flame Thrower
10. Spectre
11. Traitors Gate
12. No Surrender
13. Lone Wolf
14. Sea of Red
In support of the album, Judas Priest will kick off a massive world tour in March.
Judas Priest 2018 Tour Dates:
03/13 – Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Mohegan Sun Arena
03/15 – Youngstown, OH @ Covelli Centre
03/17 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
03/18 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
03/20 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/23 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
03/25 – Ottawa, ON @ The Arena at TD Place
03/27 – London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
03/28 – Oshawa, ON @ Tribute Communities Centre
03/30 – Rama, ON @ Casino Rama
03/31 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple
04/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
04/05 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
04/06 – Hammond, IN @ Horseshoe Casino
04/08 – Bloomington, IL @ Grossinger Motors Arena
04/10 – Casper, WY @ Casper Events Arena
04/11 – Loveland, CO @ Budweiser Events Center
04/15 – Kent, WA @ ShoWare Center
04/17 – Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
04/19 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
04/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ Las Rageous Festival
04/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Microsoft Theater
04/24 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
04/26 – Tulsa, OK @ Bok Center
04/28 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
04/29 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
05/01 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
05/05 – Mexico City, MX @ Corona Heaven & Hell Festival
06/05 – Oslo, NO @ Spektrum
06/07 – Hyvinkaa, FI @ Rockfest
06/12 – Pilsen, CZ @ Pilsen Homemonitoring Arena
06/13 – Katowice, PL @ Spodek
06/15 – Grafenhainichen, DE @ Full Force Festival
06/17 – Florence, IT @ Firenze Rocks
06/19 – Freiburg, DE @ Messenhale
06/20 – Friedburg, DE @ Sick-Arena
06/22 – Clisson, FR @ Hellfest
06/24 – Dessel, BE @ Graspop Metal Meeting
06/26 – Zurich, CH @ Samsung Hall
06/30 – Madrid, ES @ Download Festival Caja Magica
07/02 – Lisbon, PT @ MEO Arena
07/05 – Barcelona, ES @ Rock Fest Barcelona
07/19 – Athens, GR @ Rockwave Festival
07/21 – Plovdiv, BG @ Hills of Rock Festival
07/24 – Budapest, HU @ Budapest Arena
07/26 – Tolmin, SI @ Metal Days Festival
07/28 – Vienna, AT @ Stadthalle
08/02 – Wacken, DE @ Hauptstrabe 47
08/06 – Tilburg, NL @ 013
08/10 – Catton Hall, UK @ Bloodstock Festival