JUDAS PRIEST RELEASE FIRST SINGLE FROM 'FIREPOWER': LISTEN HERE


5th January 2018



judas priest

One of the big things to look forward to in 2018 is the release of the new Judas Priest album, 'Firepower', and the first single from the legendary Metallers eighteenth studio album, 'Lightning Strike', has been released today.

Set for release on Friday 9th March 2018 via Columbia Records - the album is comprised of fourteen tracks of pure and highly inspired Metal. Here's 'Lightning Strike' as a taster of what to expect in March.



Priest have reunited with producer Tom Allom for 'Firepower'. Allom is the man behind the board for all of the band's releases from 1979-1988, including such stellar classics as 'Unleashed In The East', 'British Steel', 'Screaming For Vengeance' and 'Defenders Of The Faith', and with Grammy Award-winning producer Andy Sneap also on board, the sonic bar has been raised even higher.

Rob Halford says:

"Tom Allom has got this classic Metal thing and Andy is a bit more of a 'modern Metal producer' but his thinking is a little bit different to Tom's. And I think to get this balance between that classic old school Metal to what Andy's world is was just a remarkable coalescence.

Bassist Ian Hill adds:

"Tom Allom has been with us since 1979, so his knowledge of ourselves and our music in general is immense. We went back to the organic way of recording where it's all of us in a room and we got to play together."

Priest released an an audio sample of the album's title track late last year and here it is:



'Firepower' tracklisting:
1. Firepower
2. Lightning Strike
3. Evil Never Dies
4. Never The Heroes
5. Necromancer
6. Children Of The Sun
7. Guardians
8. Rising From Ruins
9. Flame Thrower
10. Spectre
11. Traitors Gate
12. No Surrender
13. Lone Wolf
14. Sea Of Red

The British Metal legends will also be hitting the road in 2018. The first tour dates are below and the 'Judas Priest: Firepower 2018 Tour' will kick off on March 13th in Pennsylvania and wrap up on May 1st in Texas.

Confirmed tour dates:

13th March: Wilkes Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
15th March: Youngstown, OH Covelli Centre
17th March: Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
18th March: Washington, DC The Anthem
20th March: Newark, NJ Prudential Center
22nd March: Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
25th March: Ottawa, ON The Arena at TD Place
27th March: London, ON Budweiser Gardens
28th March: Oshawa, ON Tribute Communities Centre
30th March: Orillia, ON Casino Rama
31th March: Detroit, MI Detroit Masonic Temple
3rd April: Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
5th April: Green Bay, WI Resch Center
8th April: Bloomington, IL Grossinger Motors Arena
10th April: Casper, WY Casper Events Center
11th April: Loveland, CO Budweiser Events Center
15th April: Kent, WA ShoWare Center
17th April: Portland, OR Veterans Memorial Coliseum
19th April: San Francisco The Warfield
22nd April: Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
24th April: Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
26th April: Tulsa, OK BOK Center
28th April: Dallas, TX The Bomb Factory
29th April: Sugarland, TX Smart Financial Centre
1st May: San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum

Priest have already been announced for both Wacken and Bloodstock festivals for 2018. The Metal icons are one of the most-requested bands by the Bloodstock's loyal fan base and have been hot favourites to play Catton Park for some years now. They will finally make their Bloodstock debut on Friday night, 10th August 2018.

The band commented when their Bloodstock appearance was announced:

"Judas Priest are thrilled, honoured and primed, ready to unleash Priest-style Metal fury into the headbanging heart and home of Heavy Metal at Bloodstock 2018!"

Gojira were previously announced as Saturday night headliners and Nightwish as Sunday headliners.

Tickets for Bloodstock 2018 at great prices (early bird offers at just £125 for four days of Metal fun) are currently available right here.

Priest join Nightwish, Running Wild, Dimmu Borgir, In Extremo, Arch Enemy, Vince Neil, Children Of Bodom, Dirkschneider, Doro, Sepultura, Amorphis, Epica, Amaranthe, Knorkator, Belphegor, Watain, Firewind, Deserted Fear, Bannkreis at Wacken 2018 with many, many more acts still to be announced.

Tickets and travel packages for Wacken 2018 are on sale now right here.