Judas Priest has been going strong for 50 years after the release of their debut album Rocka Rolla and they're not slowing down anytime soon. According to Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford in an interview with Rock 108, Halford explained that Judas Priest has zero plans to retire as long as the band is still going strong and sounding good. Which they are – have you heard Invincible Shield? That shit rules.
"My neighbor Alice [Cooper] — he lives about a cup of sugar away from me [here in Arizona] — we did some shows recently together in Europe. And I put a picture of he and I with our arms around each other and put the statement: 'Still going strong'.
"I think if your desire is still there, if your passion is still there, if you can still deliver the goods, to quote a Priest song, if you're moving along and the machine's not too wobbly, you can still get from A to B on one wheel, as long as it looks good and sounds good and all the other pieces are in place, why would you wanna retire?"
He later added: "I wouldn't know what to do with my life if I suddenly couldn't do this beautiful work. I need to do it. It's part of me that I need to do to live as a person because I love it so much. And I think I'm speaking for everybody in Priest. And that's the leading light that pushes through. That's what keeps you carrying on. You marry that instantly with our glorious fans here in America and around the world that have kept this heavy metal machine rolling, because we can't do this alone.
"We'd look pretty dumb going into an arena if there's nobody in there. You need people there. That's part of the experience. It completes you. A live show completes the love of your band. It's like going to see your favorite basketball team or football team. You can watch them on the TV, you can get the shirt, you can see them on the Internet, but going to see them live, going to support them live is the ultimate commitment and dedication. So our fans are the biggest part of this story. We're nothing without our fans. It's true."
Halford has been pretty optimistic about the future of Judas Priest in recent times, saying that the band could very well have one more album left in 'em.