Judas Priest will release a new album titled Invincible Shield on March 8.
The Metal Gods announced the album ahead of their Saturday performance at the inaugural Power Trip festival, where they played before AC/DC. The album cover, title and release date were broadcast onscreen before the band began its set. Invincible Shield’s track list has yet to be revealed.
You can preorder Invincible Shield in a variety of formats now.
Invincible Shield marks Judas Priest’s 19th studio album. The metal giants’ most recent LP, Firepower, came out in 2018. According to Rob Halford, that album could have been the band’s last, but the excitement around Firepower spurred new material.
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“[Firepower] was so well-received and critically acclaimed,” Halford said in 2022. “It was kind of like, ‘Is that it? Should we leave it there? Should we leave the party now?’ But that record, along with the reception from our friends and in the industry, gave us even more energy and more determination to make another Priest album.”
Judas Priest Had Been Hinting at a New Album
Though exact details surrounding Invincible Shield have been hushed, Priest openly teased that they were cooking up new music.
In 2022, bassist Ian Hill revealed that an album was “in the pipeline,” adding that the material would “be a bit more intricate and maybe more complicated than Firepower.” “That’s what we’ve always tried to do, and hopefully, it’s another step in the right direction,” he said.
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Roughly a year ago, Halford confessed that his vocals were the last thing that needed to be recorded for the album.
“It’s done, you know, except for me,” the singer told UCR last October. “I feel terrible. Everybody’s bitching and moaning: ‘For God’s sake, Halford, get in front of the mic!’”
Is Judas Priest on Tour?
Judas Priest performed at the Power Trip Festival in Indio, California, on Saturday, part of an impressive lineup that also features AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Tool.
No other gigs remain on Priest’s calendar following Power Trip, but the band has already announced an extended trek across the U.K. and Europe in 2024.
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They don’t call ’em Metal Gods for nothing.
Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff
