How JUDAS PRIEST's ROB HALFORD Developed His Signature Scream

During a brand new question-and-answer session with fans on the JUDAS PRIESTInstagram page, vocalist Rob Halford was asked how and when he came up with the idea for his signature "scream." He responded: "Singers should really have a go at everything. It's all about discovering your abilities. It's no different to a drummer or a guitar player — you've got the instrument and then it's up to you to see what you can do with it. Just kind of get behind the mic and instinctively let your emotions take you where the song leads you. And always be open to suggestions and ideas from your bandmates: 'Could you try singing it this way?' 'Could you try this note?' 'Could you try that key, scale?', whatever.

"It's very important for musicians to take the blinkers off when it comes to opportunities that are provided to you from other sources — producers, bandmembers," he continued. "So it was just experimentation with me. It just slowly developed; it wasn't an overnight thing."

This past March, Halford was asked by Australia's May The Rock Be how he keeps his voice in shape. He responded: "If I knew, I would be, like, 'It's a dollar! Take a sip each night.' I don't know what it is; I really don't know what it is. I think one of the big life-changing moments is when I quit my drinking and my drugs 33 years ago because vocals is a physical performance. You have to get your rest and have all the right components in place to be able to give the performance you can give either in the studio, but primarily, on the road. And the roadwork is grueling, as far as the travel. You notice when you go on a holiday, you take one flight and you're away from a week and you come home and you go, 'I can't do that again. I need a year to recover.' Imagine doing that pretty much every other day for your life in 50-odd years. You do have to acclimatize and make the right adjustments for your physical performance in the voice. It's technique more than anything else."

PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of Halford, guitarists Andy Sneap and Richie Faulkner, drummer Scott Travis and bassist Ian Hill.

Guitarist Glenn Tipton announced his retirement from touring in February 2018 after revealing his unfortunate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He passed on the torch to Sneap, who produced the "Firepower" album.