Guesting on the Jeremy White Podcast, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford reflected on the band's legendary Painkiller album, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. 

Halford on Painkiller's title track:

"Sometimes the title track doesn't necessarily have to lead the record off, but it just felt such a potent statement. In all of the songs that we'd written, we felt that this had so much to say and that because it needed this kind of extraordinary opening - the drums instead of a screaming voice or wailing guitars - we thought, 'Let's go for it.' And what a great way to introduce Scott (Travis / drums) for the first time as it was then, with Priest, with that particular record. It still lights up the room. Whenever we play 'Painkiller' live and Scott's there by himself on the stage doing that opening thing, fans go absolutely nuts. It's a bit of metal iconography right there. It's a glorious statement."

AntiHero Magazine recently caught up with Deep Purple keyboardist Airey to discuss the new Deep Purple album, Whoosh!, and other high points of his carer. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

AntiHero: Just to pick out another band that you’ve worked with, that you contributed keyboards to Judas Priest's Painkiller album. What was your given remit going into creating keyboards in a band that isn’t generally renowned for it using any keyboards?"

Don Airey: "They were so worried about it they didn’t even give me a credit, I don’t think, on the album. They paid me, which is always the point. But recently, I mean this last month or so… it’s a wonderful album, Painkiller."

AntiHero: Absolutely.

Don Airey: "And Scott Travis has spilled the beans about it, that all the bass parts are me playing on the mini. It’s Moog bass on the whole album; that was Ian Hill’s bass mixed in as well on parts. But at the time Ian wasn’t very well so he wasn’t at the sessions. So, I got made to do all the bass and they kept it. I mean, it was a funny old job. I only got to play proper keyboards on one track, I can’t remember what the track is. I just read about it yesterday that they’d actually said, I’ve never said a word about it before. I mean, it was an exciting album to do. They’re wonderful people to be around."

Read the complete interview here. Check out the AntiHero Facebook page here.