After four decades of "Breaking the Law," "Burnin' Up," and persuading impressionable teens to dress like S/M slaves to rock 'n' roll, metal legends Judas Priest have decided to take a little time off from doing the Devil's dirty work.
Last December, it was officially confirmed that "JUDAS PRIEST, one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, have announced [the Epitaph Farewell Tour] will be their final world tour!" Also: "With all guns blazing and amps cranked to eleven, the band will be giving all their fans one last chance to witness the ultimate metal experience that is JUDAS PRIEST!"
Understandably, this talk of final tours and last chances confused fans, causing them to conclude that the dark age of the Priest was totally over.
But apparently, farewell doesn't mean that lead screamer Rob Halford and his fellow metal minions -- axe men Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkne, bass guy Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis -- are planning to retire, break up, or cash in their pension check with Satan's central accounting office.
It's just that Judas Priest will no longer be stoking the hard rock hellfires on a full-time basis. Following the Epitaph Farewell Tour, Halford and fiends will simply become part-time practitioners of the dark arts.
Still, legions of metal maniacs remained convinced Judas Priest were calling it quits. And so, the limey metalheads issued a statement from the depths of their online lair, just to "clarify a situation that seems to be confusing a few people out there."
Farewell Tour clarification from Judas Priest
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
When we issued our press release to announce the farewell tour - we stated that it was the last major world tour for Judas Priest - nothing has changed - we didn't say it was the end of the band or that we were going to retire or the band was going to break up........... Just that it would be the last major world tour we would be doing which is still the case.
We have plans for a new album (which we have already announced in an earlier press release) plus possible future releases and we would still consider doing the odd live show - if it is something special or for a great cause - but no more world tours.
Of course, aside from Beelzebub wanting to see his favorite heavy metal heathens on American Idol now and again, it's difficult to predict what kind of gig might be "special" enough to drag Judas Priest from the comfort of their vacation homes.
So even if it's only semi-retirement, you really shouldn't blow this not-so-final shot to squeeze into your leathers, scream "Living After Midnight!," and ride bitch behind Rob Halford on a hog to Hades.
Judas Priest's Epitaph Farewell Tour with Black Label Society and Thin Lizzy. Thursday, December 1. Klipsch Amphitheater, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 19, at 10 a.m. via livenation.com. Call 305-358-7550 or visit bayfrontparkmiami.com.
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