In a new interview with Greg Prato of Songfacts, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked if he thinks his recently released autobiography, “Confess”, might influence the lyrics on the band’s next album. He responded: “That’s a good question. I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see. I take all of my life experiences and kind of figure out where I am and what I’m doing, and see if they relate to JUDAS PRIEST and to where we are and what we’re doing now. I hear these stories from some of my friends that say because of the pandemic, they’re feeling very angry and they need to let that type of feeling out, and one of the best ways of doing that is through your music.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s some kind of contemplation going on — not so much about the book,” he added. “I don’t know. I could easily reference the book in a way that’s reflecting on your life. It’s important… at least to me it’s been important. Maybe there will be a trickle of that in a PRIEST song that will be represented not just of myself, but where the band is the next time a song comes along.”
“Confess” arrived on September 29 via Hachette Books. Written with Ian Gittins, co-writer of “The Heroin Diaries” by Nikki Sixx, the book charts Halford‘s rock and roll lifestyle from the late eighties to the band’s 50th anniversary in 2020.
Halford recently told Sonic Perspectives about the book’s title: “I would like to feel there are parts of this book which are relatable to others. Everybody is the same, as we all share similar life experiences. There are so many things that happen to us; we are almost identical no matter where we are from. I’ve traveled the world and seen how our music can touch people from all walks of life and professions. Confessing these stories or episodes is important, and it gives the reader a look-see into this guy that you only see from one point of view.”
Halford is not the first member of PRIEST‘s classic lineup to release a book. Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing released his autobiography, “Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, in September 2018 via Da Capo Press.
In 2009, original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins released his autobiography, titled “Dawn Of The Metal Gods: My Life In Judas Priest And Heavy Metal”. JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill penned the foreword to the book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil‘s book “The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith” (Omnibus Press).
