JUDAS PRIEST Singer: 'We've Always Felt Like Ambassadors Of British Heavy Metal'

Andy Welch of WalesOnline recently conducted an interview with singer Rob Halford of British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

WalesOnline: The band, along with IRON MAIDEN, is probably the only British metal band who can tour all over the world.

Halford: That's true. And putting the edge on JUDAS PRIEST, obviously, that's because we were there at the very beginning with BLACK SABBATH in the late 1960s, before the music was even called heavy metal. That phrase, though, when it was coined, has always been very dear to us, and that's definitely the kind of band we are, and it's the kind of music we play through and through. We've always felt like ambassadors of British heavy metal, and have always been very proud to tell the world we're from the West Midlands.

WalesOnline: This is the final world tour, but it's not the end of the band, is it?

Halford: No, it's not. You face mortality at certain points in your life, and we're not getting any younger. We want to keep on making music, and we want to keep performing this caliber of show, but we only want to perform at this level. Like a biker, we want to ride off into the sunset, not fall off in front of everyone. You can do that if you're not careful, you need to have a sense of dignity, and we have to maintain that. We will be touring in the future, probably festivals and special events, but we won't be doing these big grueling tours. There will be a new album late next year, and there is going to be a box set this year with various bits and pieces in it.

WalesOnline: Do you think you get the credit you deserve for a 40-year career?

Halford: Well, we won a Grammy, which was a very important award for us, but it would be nice to get a Brit, from our own country, you know. We get a lot of respect from the metal community, and the magazines too. We don't want a gold watch, you can keep that, but we do get recognition and I think that's to do with the fact we've taken the music around the world and waved the flag. It's a double-edged sword, though. Part of me wants the recognition, and part of me has always felt like an underdog. Is it really important that we don't get the credit some lesser bands do? I don't know if it is, but as I get older I get more sentimental and think it might be nice to get some more recognition. A gong is a good thing to have, but standing on stage in front of fans is a lot better.

Read the entire interview from WalesOnline.