JUDAS PRIEST, the English heavy metal band, recently released a brand-new single titled “Panic Attack”. The track is part of their upcoming album, “Invincible Shield”. It is set to grace our ears on March 8, 2024, via Sony Music.
During their set at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California, PRIEST unveiled their next album, following 2018’s “Firepower”. This exciting announcement took place on Saturday night, October 7.
After playing BLACK SABBATH‘s “War Pigs” as the intro to PRIEST’s set, they displayed a graphic on the video screens that announced “The Invincible Shield.”
In June this year, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke to Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, “the band’s new album was sounding great. I was in Phoenix with Andy Sneap and Rob a few weeks ago, putting the vocals down,” he said. “And it’s always exciting to hear new PRIEST tracks because they become PRIEST tracks when Rob sings them. It’s, like, the world hasn’t heard them yet, but there are new PRIEST tracks that we’re hearing for the first time. It’s exciting to hear that characteristic voice we’ve heard for decades singing new stuff. I think it’s an incredibly exciting thing, so I can’t wait for the world to hear it all.”
He also added this album brings in some unexpected surprises and intricate musical elements. It incorporates a touch of the ’70s PRIEST, which, as a guitarist, I find quite exciting. It’s not a retro album, though. It draws inspiration from the progressive aspects of the ’70s PRIEST while keeping a fresh and modern sound for 2023. So, you can expect a blend of the past and the present in this record.
Last November, Faulkner clarified in an interview with Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that some PRIEST fans had misunderstood his earlier statements regarding the musical direction of the band’s upcoming album. He pointed out that while they’ve mentioned the term ‘progressive,’ it shouldn’t be misconstrued as something akin to ‘Nostradamus,’ or RUSH, which is a completely different style. The use of ‘progressive’ in prior interviews meant to highlight the new material’s musical intricacies that set it apart from “Firepower.” However, it doesn’t mean it’s turning into a RUSH album.
In February 2022, during an interview with Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In, Halford addressed Faulkner’s statement about the band’s upcoming album being more “progressive” than “Firepower.” Halford confirmed that the album maintains its heavy metal essence. However, he stressed their intention to avoid replicating previous efforts. Halford pointed out that each of their albums, from ‘Rocka Rolla’ to ‘Firepower,’ possesses a unique character. It can be challenging because fans often say, “We want another ‘Painkiller’ or ‘British Steel'”. But the band’s response is, “We’ve already made those kinds of albums.”
Get your “Invincible Shield” album by visiting shop.judaspriest.com.
