During a new interview with Metal Hammer, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford reflected on his relationship with Metallica, their music, and their glorious legacy.
The considerable influence of Judas Priest on heavy metal culture is undeniable. The band is mainly regarded as one of the creators of heavy metal genre. They served as a bridge between the defining acts of rock music like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and the later generation of metal bands that emerged in the late ’70s and ’80s.
Judas Priest had a significant influence on many upcoming bands, including Metallica. Metallica members have also never denied the massive impact of Judas Priest on them and publicly talked about it numerous times in the past.
Apart from being influenced by bands like the Priest, Metallica provided a new sound in heavy metal with its aggressive tone and fast tempos. They appealed to a broad audience and played a game-changing role in heavy metal.
Rob Halford talked about Metallica’s influence on ’90s metal during a recent interview. The singer thinks there are similarities between Judas Priest and Metallica in this respect. Both bands played a crucial role in the rise of metal music and attracted tremendous attention.
Halford considers that Metallica’s controversial ‘Black Album’ is similar to what they did on their tenth studio album, ‘Turbo.’ Both albums are known for changing the bands’ sounds. Halford doesn’t think it is about being commercial, though. He believes they were trying to expand their musical boundaries, which resulted extraordinarily.
The singer’s words on the common aspect of Metallica and Judas Priest:
“If you look at the history of Metallica, much like if you look at the history of Judas Priest, it’s a band that’s responsible for an incredible surge of attention to metal. Their slightly controversial ‘Black Album’ was never meant to be called ‘The Black Album.’ It was just meant to be called ‘Metallica’ with the snake on the front.
That was like Priest’s ‘Turbo’ album because they cut their hair, and they started to sound a little bit commercial. But really, that’s never been the case. It was just the band flexing their musical talent and having a great producer behind them. And extraordinary things came from it.”
Also, Rob Halford talked about the first time he heard Metallica. He was surprised by their sound and thought they were incredible when he first heard them. His favorite albums from Metallica are ‘Kill ‘Em All,’ ‘Ride the Lightning,’ and ‘…And Justice for All.’
