Judas Priest are re-releasing their debut album ‘Rocka Rolla’.
The legendary heavy rockers have had their 1974 debut album freshened up and made “more modern”.
Appearing on the ‘Talking Rock with Meltdown’ podcast, bassist Ian Hill, 72, teased: “It’s just been re-engineered by Tom Allom after all of these years. The multi-tracks were in remarkably good condition, and he’s changed some of the sounds, made it more modern and obviously remixed it. And he’s done a great job.”
As for when it’s being released, fans don’t have long to wait.
The musician added: “It’s just coming out shortly, I believe. It’s only a few weeks away, I’m sure it is. Yeah, but he’s redone it. It’s gonna be re-released, which is great news. It’s finally got the production it’s always needed.”
Meanwhile, Priest’s frontman Rob Halford recently shared how Dolly Parton tickled his beard whilst rehearsing.
The 73-year-old rocker found it “so surreal” meeting the 78-year-old music legend for the first time and having her stroke his facial hair.
The pair joined forces with ‘Heartbreaker’ hitmaker Pat Benatar, Eurythmics Annie Lennox and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon to perform Dolly’s iconic hit ‘Jolene’ at the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.
Rob was then invited to record ‘Bygones’ for the country music icon’s rock album ‘Rockstar’, which also featured Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx and John 5.
He told Metal Hammer magazine of the first meeting: “She goes, ‘I love your beard!’, and she starts to clean my beard! It was so surreal! I’m meeting this living legend and she’s tickling my beard and going, ‘So you’re going to sing some Jolene with me?’ I was just floating.”
The ‘Breaking The Law’ rocker says it was a career highlight working with the ‘9 to 5’ hitmaker.
He said: “We’re on the phone to each other and she’s going [puts on a credible Southern US accent], ‘Send me the files! Send me the files!’ So I sent her the files and she calls back and goes, ‘I love these! This is gonna be great!’ This is Dolly Parton on speakerphone!
Ha ha! She’s just this beautiful beacon of life.
You can tell by the way I’m speaking that this is important to me as a musician, to have had this literally once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with someone so great.”