Halford

Was the first heavy metal record the Kinks’ You Really Got Me (1964), Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild (1968), Black Sabbath’s Black Sabbath (1970) or something else? VerulamiumParkRangerGotta be Black Sabbath. I love the Kinks and Steppenwolf but by definition they’re not really metal. In terms of riffage, I’ve always defined metal to the greatest extent with the bass and it’s a big, meaty, Black Sabbath-style riff – a West Midlands sledgehammer! That’s what Tony was doing, so it’s definitely Black Sabbath for me.How did…

With a truly extraordinary voice that can go from piercing falsetto caterwauling to burly pronouncements in the space of a single song, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford is one of the defining vocalists in heavy metal – and as the band gear up to release new album Invincible Shield, he’ll be answering your questions.Halford’s history with the Midlands group stretches back almost to their very earliest days, joining them in 1973 and recording their debut album Rocka Rolla the following year. Somewhat in the shadow of punk rock…

Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford has shared his thoughts on Ozzy Osbourne‘s recent retirement from touring. Speaking to Metal Hammer, Halford said he had not spoken to Osbourne in person since the latter announced his retirement from touring in early February. However, Halford texted Osbourne to congratulate him on his recent two-Grammy win for best rock album and best metal performance. Digging deeper into the topic of retirement, Halford said: “I can only reinforce what all of Ozzy’s fans, including us in Judas…