JUDAS PRIEST's RICHIE FAULKNER Slams ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Over Latest Snub: 'To Not Be Included Is A Total Joke'

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner has slammed the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after the band's latest snub, saying the institution "holds no credibility" for him.

The British heavy metal legends were on the ballot for Rock Hall induction this year, but failed to receive enough votes to make the class of 2020.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was previously on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

After this year's Rock Hall inductees were announced this morning (Wednesday, January 15) one fan tweeted his disbelief, saying: "WAIT. Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails and Biggie Smalls BEFORE @judaspriest in #RockHall2020? How do I explain this to my child if I don't understand it? #MetalForever #HeavyMetal" In response, Faulkner tweeted: "Doesn't make sense does it kenny? Hence why the rock hall holds no credibility for me and never has RHRF DOTF"

Richie continued in a separate tweet: "I've said it before but 50 years in and still making music, touring the globe to the best fans in the world is the biggest accolade I can think of. These institutions are founded on what these guys helped create and to not be included is a total joke. I have spoken haha"

He added: "If you wanna call it the ROCK hall, then you should START with a healthy foundation of ROCK (in all its forms) to build on. The founding brothers and sisters that created and developed our beloved style of music and aided it's evolution. Otherwise, what does it mean? "

Back in August 2018, Faulkner said that he was "on the fence" about JUDAS PRIEST's absence from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, explaining that having a successful five-decade career and still making music that the band's fans love is "all the affirmation anyone needs."

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

PRIEST singer Rob Halford said that he "would love" to see his band inducted into the Rock Hall. "I think we deserve it," he said. "We've put our 10,000 hours in and more. And beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

In 2020, PRIEST will celebrate its 50th anniversary by embarking on a special tour.