Next year marks the 50th anniversary of metal legends Judas Priest. The iconic band has been rocking the world with 18 studio albums, including their latest, Firepower. We had a chance to chat with founding member Ian Hill just short of their concert appearance in Hamilton, Ontario on August 27 at FirstOntario Place. He spoke about much of what makes Judas Priest tick, including the success of Firepower as the band’s highest charting US album.

The band currently consists of Ian (bass 1969–present), Rob Halford (lead vocals 1973–1992 and 2003–present), Scott Travis (drums 1989–present), Richie Faulkner (guitars 2011–present)  and producer Andy Sneap (guitars 2018–present). Guitarist Glenn Tipton (1974–present) is travelling with the band but only appears for a couple songs if his health allows (he is facing the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease).