Where I left my mark / When the system fell / You were in my grasp / Hid behind your veil sings Rob Halford on Judas Priest‘s explosive new song “Trial By Fire” from the band’s forthcoming album, Invincible Shield, out March 3, 2024.
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Filled with growling vocals, propulsive rhythm, and blazing riffs, “Trial By Fire” exemplifies just how potent a metal band playing for five decades can still sound and follows the Invincible Shield lead single “Panic Attack,” released in October.
Judas Priest’s 19th album, Invincible Shield is the band’s first release since Firepower in 2018 and will also mark 50 years since the release of their debut Rocka Rolla. The band, Halford, along with guitarists Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis, began working on Invincible Shield before the pandemic and continued fine-tuning it, remotely, throughout the lockdown.
“It’s the same band, so it’s the same DNA, but it doesn’t sound like the last record,” said Faulkner of the album in May 2023. “It sounds like its own album, as they should. It’s exciting. It’s got a few more twists and turns musically than the last record had. It’s by no means a Rush record, but it’s got a few more twists and turns and musical journeys.”
Judas Priest is set to kick off their Invincible Shield Tour in support of the album on March 11, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland with more dates in the UK and Europe through April 8 before switching to the U.S. leg of the tour on April 18 in Wallingford, Connecticut. The U.S. tour will run through May 22 in Syracuse, New York before turning back around to Europe for a number of additional shows and festival dates in June and July.
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind Judas Priest’s Ode to Solidarity, “Breaking the Law”]
Though Tipton plays on Invincible Shield, he will not be joining Priest for their upcoming tour. Tipton revealed in 2018 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and may only join the band for a few, rare shows during the tour.
The guitarist recently joined Judas Priest on stage during their Power Trip festival concert in Indio, California on Saturday (October 7) for an encore of “Metal Gods,” “Breaking The Law,” and “Living After Midnight.”
Invincible Shield Track List:
“Panic Attack”
‘The Serpent and the King”
“Invincible Shield”
“Devil in Disguise”
“Gates of Hell”
“Trial by Fire”
“As God is My Witness”
Photo: James Hodges / Courtesy of Epic Records
