JUDAS PRIEST's ROB HALFORD: Topping 'Firepower' Will Be 'Quite Difficult'

Rob Halford has confirmed to Consequence Of Sound that JUDAS PRIEST has begun compiling ideas for the follow-up to last year's "Firepower" album.

"[Guitarist] Glenn [Tipton] is always noodling away, even though he doesn't tour that much now," the singer said. "He's always noodling away in the studio in the U.K. He's always putting riffs down. We have vaults of so many rifts. It's just incredible. So it all starts with the riff, mostly, in what we do. We start with the riff and a melody, some hooks and we build it, as most bands do. 'Firepower' is going to be quite difficult to top, but we'll do everything we can to cut another great record and that'll happen at some point."

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

Tipton was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder five years ago, after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. The guitarist, who is now 71 and has performed on every PRIEST record since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.

Glenn has appeared onstage with PRIEST many times following his retirement, always performing the same fan-favorite tracks "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Livin' After Midnight".

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