Metal-Rules.com Interview With Rob Halford
Interviewed By Luxi Lahtinen
and Marko Syrjälä
Asking someone Heavy Metal orientated human who
grew up in the ´80s: "Do you remember that VOICE who sang songs
like "Hell Bent for Leather", "Livin´ After
Midnight", "Breaking the Law", "Electric Eye",
etc.? "is almost like asking from yourself "Who is the
president of the U.S.A. today?" And in case you still don´t
know who that person we are talking about is, let me tell you that we
are talking about a legendary singer - Rob Halford!!!
In the ´80s JUDAS PRIEST was undoubtedly one of the
greatest and biggest Heavy Metal bands in the world and victories
continued until year 1991 Rob surprisingly decided to leave the band and
start his own solo career. The beginning was more than promising.
His new band called FIGHT brought us another metal classic album
("War of Words") and story kept on continuing. But after
that first album problems started to appear. A follow-up FIGHT
album "A Small Deadly Place" was released, but quite soon
after that FIGHT broke up. Several years later in 1998 came out a
new strongly industrial-tinged record under a name TWO, but almost
without any success. Many people thought back then that the story of Rob
was going to end, but...
It´s year 2000 now and I´m sitting in a hotel lobby in
Helsinki. Why I am there is because I´m going to meet Mr. Metal
God Rob Halford himself during the next couple of minutes. It´s
been almost ten years since I have seen him last time, during the
"Painkiller" tour in ´91.
Rob Halford is once again back - now stronger than ever
before with his new band HALFORD and a great album titled
"Resurrection". It´s Rob´s turn to continue from this
moment forward now... "
- Marko Syrjälä
"The year was 1978 when I got to hear "Killing
Machine" for the very first time. I was only 10-year-old brat
back then who was seriously into growing a long hair and getting nuts by
this recently discovered form of heavy music. Along with bands
like IRON MAIDEN, SAXON, MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and a few
other bands, JUDAS PRIEST probably was that band which unquestionably
created a foundation for all the things I loved in music from those days
right up to these days. I loved heavy music and am still going
crazy for it from time to time. JUDAS PRIEST not only impressed me
how they looked like - with leather costumes , spikes , chains and all
that ´cool´ shit, but also with their ear-nailing, ass-kickin´ Heavy
Metal music which was just so captivating for the young kid like myself
at that time. Also, Rob´s vocals were something I couldn´t
resist; his incredibly use of a wide range of vocals completely absorbed
in my mind indelibly.
It´s 21st of June and I´m soon about to meet my
all-time HM-hero Rob Halford personally in a hotel in Helsinki as Rob´s
doing a promo -tour for his new band simply called HALFORD - and his 1st
ever album, "Resurrection", under this new moniker. It
goes without saying that I´m thrilled (moreover a bit nervous, too, to
be very honest with all of you, I´m forced to admit that, goddammit!),
but also well-prepared for having this forth-coming chat with him (inc.
all my PRIEST vinyl - and CD -arsenal which just screams to be
autographed so badly, HA!).
A fan meets his idol finally; my dream is about to come
true after more than two decades... Keep on reading folks,
Rob fills us up with some splendid information about this new album and
his own personal ´resurrection´ to the Heavy Metal scene, only this
time for good... "
- Luxi Lahtinen
INTERVIEW IN MP3 FORMAT
This interview is in MP3 format and clocks in at apx.
30mins.
©2001 Metal Rules!!