JUDAS PRIEST to Play 'Old Favorites' On OZZFEST Tour

JUDAS PRIEST are planning on playing a set list consisting of old favorites during their appearance at this year's Ozzfest, then returning to the States in early 2005 on the heels of their as-yet-untitled new album, which they've been recording with Roy Z (who's previously produced HALFORD as well as BRUCE DICKINSON and DOWNSET).

"On Ozzfest, we want to literally slam it to people straight in the face, both the people who know of us and people who have never seen us before," guitarist K.K. Downing explained to Revolver magazine. "I think the old-time fans are gonna want to hear the favorites, and I think we'll be playing the shorter songs on Ozzfest, so we can fit more of them into the set. But once we're off on our own tour, we'll be able to mix in not only some new stuff but a lot of the more obscure stuff as well — things we haven't played in ours set for 10 years or more."

"Once the reunion became official, the phones just didn't stop ringing," singer Rob Halford told Revolver. "We start in June in Europe, doing metal festivals. Then we go from the metal festivals to Ozzfest, and then we go from Ozzfest back to Europe and a headlining tour, and then I think we do Australia and Japan and other areas in the Far East. That'll take us through Christmas time, and then more than likely, we'll come back into America in the early part of 2005 for a headlining tour. I mean, we're trying to be sensible and say, 'Let's take it one step at a time.' But I don't see how we can do that, once we've unleashed the monster again! This band was always about work, hard work, and never taking a break. We were always writing, always recording, always touring, without much of a break. That's where we're at. That's what we do, and that hasn't changed."