RICHIE FAULKNER Hopes For BILLBOARD No. 1 With JUDAS PRIEST's Next Album

When it was released in March 2018, JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it the band's highest-charting album ever. 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.

In a new interview with ABC Audio, JUDAS PRIEST's Richie Faulkner said that he hopes to repeat "Firepower"'s success when the group's follow-up effort is released next year. "Hopefully we can match that or maybe top it and push it up to No. 1," he said.

Richie also talked about the significance of "Firepower"'s impressive chart showing, saying: "PRIEST, to me, has always been one of the bands that flies the flag for, not only heavy metal, but British heavy metal. I remember that week in the Billboard top 10 there was country and there was hip-hop and there was pop, and there was heavy metal right there in the middle of it all. It was proud, and it was unmistakable — there it was. In modern times, there's a healthy chunk of heavy metal right there for everyone to see. So it means a lot."

"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's spring 2018 North American tour.

"Firepower" also landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. album chart. It marked the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" also became PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden.

"Firepower" was released via Epic. The disc was recorded by British producer Andy Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.

JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" world tour marked the band's first run of dates since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He was replaced on tour by Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease nine years ago — after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier — but only announced in 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 75 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", did not quit the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.