JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford spoke with Darryl Smyers from the Dallas Obseerver recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Dallas Obseerver: Is this really going to be the final tour for Judas Priest?

Halford: "No, it's not. I wish there was another word in the dictionary. It's not goodbye. It's just farewell. We really want to keep going. We've been going at it for forty years. That's our strong suit and it shows the passion of the band. We're just going to cut back on those big world tours. We're going to put a preservation order on what we do. We're still going to be doing shows and recording music. We have started recording a new album."

Dallas Obseerver: Why isn't [guitarist] K.K. Downing playing on this tour?

Halford: "That was a surprise and a shock, obviously. We just had to respect his personal position that K.K. had some other things to do. Now we have a phenomenal guitar player named Richie Faulkner taking up that spot on the stage. He is tearing it up, night after night. He has a sensational stage presence as well as being a great guitarist. We've been all over the world with him and the reaction from fans has been amazing."

Dallas Obseerver: Was there any pressure from a record label or a management agency on you not to reveal your homosexuality in 1998?

Halford: "No, it was a personal decision. I've always respected the fact that my band and my management and my label kept their hands off that very private affair. When any of us steps forward and makes such an announcement, it's a very personal choice. Some of us choose to live a life under the radar for different reasons. For me, it was a very empowering thing to set myself free. The biggest thrill was the acceptance of my fans more than anything else. The guys in the band knew. The families knew. The general heavy metal fan did not know. I didn't know how the fans would react. But you have to get your own house in order. Then, you can look at things around you more clearly."

Read the entire interview here.

Sony Music has released a unique Judas Priest album. The Chosen Few is an album curated by Judas Priest’s contemporaries in the music world – each artist picking their own favourite Priest track and explaining why it is special to them.

Included are legends such as OZZY OSBOURNE, METALLICA's James Hetfield, ALICE COOPER, DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott, SLASH, MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy, SLAYER's Kerry King and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR). All build an album from the very best of Judas Priest – from 1977’s 'Diamonds And Rust' through to 1990’s 'Painkiller'.

Some of heavy metal's elite weigh in on their selections on The Chosen Few:

Lars Ulrich (Metallica) on 'Beyond The Realms Of Death' - “The blueprint for the epic rock ballad. Copied thousands of times, never eclipsed.”

Ozzy Osbourne on 'The Ripper' - “This has always been one of my favorite Judas Priest songs… I just want to know what the fuck that note is that Rob Halford hits in the beginning of the song. Fucking hell!! That note is probably just below what only dogs can hear.”

Alice Cooper on 'Living After Midnight' - “For a metal band, Priest has always used tons of melody... when you have a singer as great as Rob Halford, you have to write great riffs WITH great melodies, you can’t just have riffs. 'Living After Midnight' is the perfect example…”

Slash on 'Screaming For Vengeance' - “Judas Priest have put out their fair share of great albums to be sure. But my all time favourite is 'Screaming For Vengeance'. It was and still is, one of the best metal records ever produced and the title track is in my humble opinion, still ahead of its time.”

Corey Taylor on 'You've Got Another Thing Coming' - "“Judas Priest: the blueprint for the ultimate heavy metal band...”

The Chosen Few tracklisting:

'Diamonds And Rust' (1977) - chosen by Joe Elliott (DEF LEPPARD)

'Dissident Aggressor' (1977) - chosen by STEVE VAI

'Exciter' (1978) - chosen by ACCEPT

'Beyond The Realms Of Death' (1978) - chosen by Lars Ulrich (METALLICA)

'Delivering The Goods' (1979) - chosen by Kerry King (SLAYER)

'The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown)' (1979) - chosen by David Coverdale (WHITESNAKE) & Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD)

'The Ripper' (1979) - chosen by OZZY OSOBURNE

'Victim Of Changes' (1979) - chosen by James Hetfield (Metallica)

'Breaking The Law' (1980) - chosen by Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD)

'Rapid Fire' (1980) - chosen by Vinnie Paul (PANTERA, HELL YEAH)

'Grinder' (1980) - chosen by Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)

'Living After Midnight' (1980) - chosen by ALICE COOPER & Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH)

'Screaming For Vengeance' (1982) - chosen by Slash (GUNS N' ROSES)

'You’ve Got Another Thing Coming' (1982) - chosen by Klaus Meine (SCORPIONS) & Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT)

'The Sentinel' (1984) - chosen by Chris Jericho (FOZZY)

'Turbo Lover' (1986) - chosen by Jonathan Davis (KORN)

'Painkiller' (1990) - chosen by JOE SATRIANI