Rob Halford’s Debut Blues Album is One Step Closer to Completion

Aside from being the frontman of one of the most iconic metal bands of all time, Rob Halford has been known to dabble in other musical efforts from time to time. From guest appearances on Dolly Parton‘s Rockstar to an album of Christmas carols recorded with his friends and family, the man likes to set some time away from Judas Priest to express himself.

One such project that’s been in the works for a few years now has been Halford’s long-awaited solo blues album. With the recent release of Invincible Shield, the Metal God has been making the rounds with interviewers all over the world to spread the news. During a recent interview with Germany’s Rock Antenne (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), the discussion switched to Halford’s blues efforts, where he provided an exciting progress report on it.

“You may have heard occasionally here and there that I’ve had this ambition at least to make a blues album. Because metal, all rock and roll comes from the blues; everything in music comes from the blues to a great extent. And so, because I’m a blues fan, I’ve always wanted to explore that territory.

“And so, going back a few years, my brother and my nephew Alex, Ian Hill’s son on bass, and a friend of ours, we did the Celestial Christmas album together. And then, towards the end of those sessions, I said to the guys, ‘Why don’t we just make a blues album?’ Okay, that’s a simple idea, isn’t it?

“So we have the music ready, we have all of these songs ready to go, and it’s just about timing. Timing and planning is so important in our world, in music. So that’s one thing I would really like to do, and when I get the time to do it, I shall do it.”

Now, I’m not sure what exactly he meant by “we have the music ready.” When he says music, does that include his vocals? If that’s the case, does that mean it’s being mixed and mastered? Or does Halford have to now find time to get back into the studio to record his vocal parts? Depending on what he meant, that could mean the record’s not too far away, given his current Judas Priest commitments, or it could still be a long time before we hear the finished product.

Either way, I think it will be great to hear Halford really do something else. Listen to his vocals on songs like “Worth Fighting For” and “Diamonds and Rust” and tell me he wouldn’t fucking kill it in a blues record.