When Rob Halford answers the phone, he greets us with a reassuring, “Hello, it’s the Metal God.” That this comes in an unmistakable, cheery Brummie accent merely adds to his steely status. “I don’t look much like one at the moment,” he chuckles, “I’m sitting on a bed in a pair of shorts!”It’s not the length of his trousers that’s made Rob one of the most respected and beloved figures in metal, though. Joining Judas Priest in 1973, he not only led them to phenomenal success during the ‘70s and ‘80s, but helped shaped metal itself. Priest took the heaviness and power of bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, dialled down the blues influences and ramped up the speed, aggression and sharpness. It was unapologetically heavy metal, by intent and design. They also introduced extr...
