No Rock And Roll Fun

THE PRIEST RETURNS: See, this is the problem - a couple of years ago people started wearing ironic Iron Maiden tshirts, and before you know it, Ozzy Osbourne is wheeled out at every occasion, the Maiden themselves play Reading, and - oh god - Judas Priest reform.



It's the first time in fifteen years the original Halford - Tipton - Downing - Hill and Travis line-up has been together since 1990, mainly since they couldn't stand each other any more. Rob Halford, though, says it's like they've never been away:

"The decade that we were out of each other's company just seems to have vanished in smoke. "When we got together to begin writing the new material, it was really a continuation of where we would have been had we made the next record after Painkiller. All the pieces were already in place."

Glen Tipton is quite clear that this isn't going to be some post-Equitable Life meltdown pension scheme:

"Years from now, I really feel that this album is going to be viewed as an absolute classic metal masterpiece. We're firing on all cylinders."

But really: is this any way for grown men to behave?



I mean... producing albums with wonky angels on the sleeve when you're fifteen is one thing, but... when you're old enough to consider standing for parish council, it's little different from carrying a teddy bear everywhere and insisting he gets a seat at the table...

Buy: Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution

Tags: music judas_priest metal