Rob Halford of Judas Priest is the God of Heavy Metal. There is no other. When I first went deep into the elite realm of metal vocalists, I would spend night after night dissecting his inflections, his breath control, his delivery and percussive meter. I adore that he is a gay man and lives his life as a true individual. So here’s a story for ya…I met Rob Halford at the 2013 Revolver Magazine Golden Gods Awards. Not just a hand shake either. I was there to announce Five Finger Death Punch with the Butcher Babies. I was in the FFDP dressing room at Club Nokia – we have the same manager, Jackie Kajzer of 10th Street, so she had me waiting in there, drinking way too many Rockstar Energy drinks. Everyone leaves, I’m alone. I peek my head out of the room and hear comes Rob Halford walking down the hallway. I run back in, dressed like a weirdo version of She-Ra meets Princess Aura from Flash Gordon and I think “What would my gay friend Andy Bailey tell me to do RIGHT NOW?” You better POSE. So I did. I stood still and posed in this over-the-top golden costume, and when he walked in I said “Hello Rob. I’m Jill Janus of Huntress.” Time stopped. We hugged. The next few minutes are a blur, but I can tell you we spoke of microphone technique (ha! That’s kinda funny). I was totally right about the way he belts out long notes by singing down into his microphone. It takes the pressure off the chords, as opposed to the way Lemmy Kilimister of Motorhead sings with the mic high and above his mouth to get that one of a kind Lemmy tone (which would destroy my voice, Lem’s superhuman). It’s a tighter, more gritty sound. Anyhow, we also spoke about my favorite Priest live album, Unleashed in the East, and of course, about BOYS! That was truly the best night of my life. Sorry if I was a dork, Rob! I will cherish it forever.
Mötley Crüe drop “Dogs of War” video: first song without Mick Mars
Mötley Crüe are back with a brand new song, 'Dogs Of War', marking their first release since parting ways with guitarist Mick Mars with John 5 as his replacement. The track, produced by longtime collaborator Bob Rock, merges old-school vibes with a contemporary twist,...
Hammerfall share “Hail To The King” video; new album arriving in August
Swedish metal giants Hammerfall have announced that their 13th studio album, Avenge The Fallen, will be released on August 9th via Nuclear Blast Records. To give a taste of what's to come, the group has shared a video for their new single, "Hail To The King." Joacim...
Video Premiere: Voraath – “The Barrens”
Hailing from the Carolinas, Voraath, the sci-fi horror-inspired extreme metal band is gearing up to release their debut album, Vol 1: The Hymn of the Hunters on June 17 via Exitus Strategem Records. Today (25th), the group has teamed up with Metal Insider to premiere...
New & Noteworthy: Humanoid Release Torment – 4/26/2024
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week will see heavy new works from Accept, Darkthrone, Inter Arma, Deicide, Full Of Hell, Alien Ant Farm and Black Tusk, the debut...
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New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This New Music Friday will see the highly anticipated returns of Pearl Jam, The Ghost Inside and High On Fire, as well as big...
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New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week will see the debut of Jakobs Castle, the return of classic rockers Blue Öyster Cult, Mark Knopfler and James, as well as new...