In a recent chat with The Pick, Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill discussed the band’s continued momentum nearly 15 years after their initial “farewell” tour announcement, attributing much of their drive to guitarist Richie Faulkner.
Hill reflected on Faulkner’s transformative impact:
“Richie Faulkner. Yeah, he came, he replaced Ken [‘K.K.’ Downing], who went off to do his own thing. Of course, the whole idea was to slow down a little bit and to take the workload down a notch. But Richie came along with boundless enthusiasm and all this energy, and he just sort of rubbed off on the rest of us.”
He continued, “And here we are three albums, three tours, four tours later — well, five tours later, if you count the [2011-2012] ‘Epitaph’ [‘farewell’] tour — and we’re still going strong. I mean, we’re motoring. We’re loving it. We really are.”
Faulkner, who replaced founding guitarist K.K. Downing, has been instrumental in the band’s resurgence. Downing departed Judas Priest to focus on other projects, and Faulkner’s youthful energy and creative spark revitalized the band.
Earlier, Faulkner shared a personal anecdote about a pivotal decision in his career. “The best decisions I’ve made so far; having a baby, and I remember I quit, you know, one of those moments where I was carrying Marshalls out at three o’clock in the morning, and I quit the band like, ‘I’m not f*cking doing this,’ and a week later, I’ve decided to join again, that was a good decision.”
The band continues to explore new music. In November, Faulkner hinted at the creative process:
“Is there another record? I know we’ve got ideas coming up all the time — riffs and melodies and song ideas and stuff. We’re creative people — as a group of creative people, that’s gonna happen. So I think, hopefully, if we get some time early next year, we’ll be able to pool those ideas and see what we’ve got and then hopefully hit the road again somewhere else.”
Judas Priest’s latest album, Invincible Shield, debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. charts, marking one of their most significant achievements since 1980’s British Steel. The success underscores their enduring influence and continued relevance in the heavy metal scene.