JUDAS PRIEST / HALFORD frontman Rob Halford recently spoke with Robert Gray at Ultimate-Guitar.com. An excerpt is available below.

Q: How did 'Made Of Metal' come together?

Halford: "Made Of Metal came together quite quickly really because, as you know, Priest is having a bit of a break. Me, being who I am, I can't sit around; I just have to keep busy, and that's just the way I work. I thought it would be great just to get the lads together and do some shows, and as soon as the dates started to happen - later on this year, I'm doing Japan and South America - I thought 'Well, wouldn't it be great if we had some new songs to play?' That really started it all off. I just started to think about some ideas for some songs, and the bulk of the songs came together quite quickly here in San Diego where I'm talking to you from today. Made Of Metal is just a nice, simple, fast, straightforward heavy metal record in that the arrangements are very direct and straightforward. The album has lots of good riffs and vocal melodies which are really easy to get into, and I think that was my approach. I said to Roy my producer "Let's be simple and very straightforward". Made Of Metal has a bit of a classic vibe about it really; the album is a little bit similar to what 'Resurrection' was all about, just the use of a bit of an atmosphere. Made Of Metal is obviously not Resurrection though, but is just a bunch of really, really good songs. That was it; keeping it simple, and keeping it moving. Now the album is almost about to launch. I can't believe how quickly Made Of Metal came together, though it wasn't a rushed job. The album sounds great in terms of production and standard of playing, and Mike and Roy Z pulled out all the stops in terms of the guitar playing."

Q: In what ways is Made Of Metal the most personal release of your solo career?

Halford: "Just lyrically. Being a lyricist has been my main job with all of these years with Priest. Having the luxury of a solo band, and part of the reason for having a solo band, is just to talk about things that I wanna talk about as a lyricist and as a musician. There are some personal stories on Made Of Metal, like 'Twenty-Five Years'. 'Twenty-Five Years' is about my problems with drugs, which I've stopped doing now after twenty-five years. Again, there are songs about trust and relationships. They're just a little bit more intimate lyrically than the lyrics I'm mostly associated with."

Q: Has giving up drugs changed your perspective on writing music at all? Is there a difference between writing songs whilst under the influence of drugs, and when you're not?

Halford: "Yeah, yeah. It's an interesting thought that is, because if you look at some of the things that've happened in music over the years, some musicians have been very open about saying 'Yeah, I was out of my head. I was bladdered. I was out of my brains when I wrote that song,' and it can be a great song. I personally have found that I have a much better vision of what I want to try to do with a song when I'm writing, and not using drugs. You just get clarity, and I think you're also able to balance it out. Where I'm at now as a solo writer, I try to do stuff that I haven't done before, like the video for the title track 'Made Of Metal'. I'm in a clear head to do things like that, which makes things a lot easier I think."

Q: Was 'Till The Day You Die' possibly influenced by the passing of RONNIE JAMES DIO in May? He was obviously still performing at the age of sixty-seven until his battle with stomach cancer.

Halford: "That's a very good question, but I don't know. Maybe it was an influence. Maybe subconsciously it was. I don't know. He was a good mate of mine, and I still can't believe he's gone. Obviously, music comes at you from many different levels - consciously and subconsciously. Maybe it was. I honestly can't say, but as you get older, you... (laughs) occasionally think about your mortality. I turn sixty next year, and twenty years of your life goes by in a fucking blast in rock 'n' roll doesn't it?"

Click here for the complete in-depth interview.

Halford recently announced more California headline performances to his upcoming itinerary in support of the new Halford album, Halford IV - Made Of Metal. The dates include:

December

15 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
16 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
18 - San Diego, CA - 4th & B
19 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove of Anaheim

'Made Of Metal', the new NASCAR-themed, animated video from Halford, created by London-based Animator Dean Wright, can be seen below:

Halford IV - Made Of Metal was out on Metal God Records as of September 27th (UK, EU, Australia - ADA Global / Warner Music Group), October 28th (North America - Fontana / Universal Music Group) and October 13th (Japan - Fontana International / Universal Music Japan).

Produced by Roy Z. and recorded during 2009 and 2010, Made Of Metal showcases a bulk of material (words and music) penned exclusively by Rob Halford. Made Of Metal features 14 new Halford studio tracks including 'The Mower', 'Made Of Metal', 'Fire And Ice', 'Till The Day I Die', 'Undisputed', 'Heartless' and 'Thunder And Lightning'.

"It has been a long wait for the global Halford fan-base, and of course I'm very pleased to return with Halford IV - Made Of Metal this September 2010", comments Rob Halford.

"It is probably the most personal release of my solo career; in terms of my writing and performances. Halford IV - Made Of Metal hits hard on many musical and emotional levels. I'm certain it will be recognized as one of the band's best releases, and I'm looking forward to performing the new tracks this year, and re-connecting the Halford band with its legions of Metal fans."

Tracklisting:

'Undisputed'

'Fire and Ice'

'Made Of Metal'

'Speed Of Sound'

'Like There's No Tomorrow'

'Till The Day I Day'

'We Own The Night'

'Heartless'

'Hell Razor'

'Thunder and Lightning'

'Twenty-Five Years'

'Matador'

'I Know We Stand A Chance'

'The Mower'

Halford will open for OZZY OSBOURNE's North American arena tour, launching November 12th in Victoria, BC and concluding December 12th in Minneapolis, MN. Check out the dates here.