Known as the Metal God, Rob Halford is revered for his intense screaming, robust singing, and deeply emotive style. That is still evident on Judas Priest’s epic new album Invincible Shield. In recent years, Halford has branched out into collaborating with other vocalists. Here are seven duet performances that blend his distinctive voice with other well-known rockers in memorable ways.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Bygones” with Dolly Parton (2023)
Judas Priest and Dolly Parton joined the ranks of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. During her closing performance of “Jolene,” the country icon brought out many inductees and inductors of the night to sing with her. Halford wasn’t shy about duetting next to her during that performance, which led to her enlisting him for the single “Bygones” on her recent Rockstar album. The duo exchange lyrics and harmonize in sorrow as they lament a relationship turned sour that still lingers deeply in their psyches. To hear these two legends together—and in a hard rocking context with support from guitarist John 5 and bassist Nikki Sixx—is magical.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” with Doro (2022)
The Metal God and the German Metal Goddess joined forces twice on Doro’s recent album Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud. First they dueted on Priest’s “Living After Midnight,” but more impressively, they tackled Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which was a No. 1 hit for Tyler in 1983. It’s a bombastic pop number that was written by Jim Steinman, who delivered many hits for the late Meat Loaf. The cover is unexpected, much like the Dolly Parton collaboration, and while they give it a metal injection, Doro and Rob never lose sight of the wide dynamic range of the song necessary to make it powerful.
“The One You Love to Hate” with Bruce Dickinson (2000)
Judas Priest and Iron Maiden have not toured together since 1982, and while the world may never experience that pairing again, their respective frontmen teamed up for this pummeling track from the first Halford band album Resurrection in 2000. The album signaled Halford’s return to classic metal after exploring a modern sound with Fight and an industrial-flavored twist with 2wo. For “The One You Love to Hate,” Halford and Dickinson swap angry verses and soar in harmony during the choruses. Perhaps the song was a play on the fact they had both left their famous bands which aggravated certain fans, or their former bandmates. (That’s old news now that they have both had reunions.) During a Halford show tour in London in 2000, the two icons and Queensrÿche singer Geoff Tate performed the song on stage together. There were then rumors the three would unite as The Three Tremors. Sadly, that supergroup project never came to fruition, but the live trio performance was fantastic.
“Black Wedding” with In This Moment (2017)
For this track, which plays on the Billy Idol song title “White Wedding,” In This Moment frontwoman Maria Brink joined forces with Halford for a song and video that seems to tell the tale of a dark union. But as Brink herself explained to Outburn in 2017, the song is about taking dark experiences and channeling them into an empowering ceremony of a black wedding that unlocks the strength and independence within herself. Either way, they deliver the goods in a metal anthem that had a little bit of swing underneath its bruising riffs. “Black Wedding” has racked up 20 million YouTube views and 61 million Spotify plays.
“Push Comes to Shove” with Bad Penny (2021)
It seemed inevitable that Halford and Militia Vox, powerhouse vocalist for all-female tribute band Judas Priestess, should unite in song. Here they do it with the band Bad Penny, who have also collaborated with Dee Snider and former Journey frontman Steve Augeri. The most unusual selection on this list, it’s a churning symphonic metal track with Middle Eastern inflections and a good showcase for their strong singing voices. Militia’s soaring notes are a truly potent match for Halford’s as the duo chronicle a relationship that could be either unrequited or fleeting. This track flew below the radar a bit and deserves more love, so spread the word.
“Painkiller” and “Breaking the Law” with Babymetal (2016)
In 2016, Japanese group Babymetal were all the rage—three pop singers blending J-Pop with death metal, aka kawaii metal. The collision of musical styles might have sounded odd on paper but clicked on stage. During Babymetal’s appearance at the Alternative Press Awards in 2016, Halford showed up to duet with frontwoman Su-metal on a shortened version of “Painkiller” and “Breaking The Law.” The mix of their voices was unusual, and they both looked like they were having fun.
“Stars” with Hear ‘n Aid (1986)
Back in the mid-1980s, Ethiopian famine relief became an important cause, and the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” U.S.A. for Africa’s “We Are the World,” and Northern Lights’ “Tears Are Not Enough” united famous pop and rock artists in song to raise money and awareness. Wanting to show that they cared too, metalheads like Ronnie James Dio, Don Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen, and many more joined forces on the “Stars” single. This was a group effort, and Halford got two main lines to sing while his harmonies dominated the first chorus. Epic vocals and guitar solos make this a blast to listen to.
Bonus Cut: “Ready to Burn” with Krokus (1983)
This bonus track is less of a duet and more of a slightly hidden harmony performance. Krokus released their superlative Headhunter album in 1983. The Swiss band at the time could be approximated as a mashup of AC/DC and Judas Priest, and “Ready to Burn” epitomized that. Judas Priest producer Tom Allom was working with Krokus and seems to have brought Halford in to harmonize with frontman Marc Storace on the song’s chorus. Once you realize it you can hear the Priest frontman, and he and Krokus’ Marc Storace combined to give the chorus some kick. Funnily enough, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson provided backing vocals for “I’m on the Run” on Krokus’ previous album One Vice at a Time.
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Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage
