Back in 2018, Glenn Tipton announced he’d be stepping down from his formal touring duties with Judas Priest owing to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Tipton has remained a key part of the Priest lineup, albeit with a slightly altered role, and has continued sharing electric guitar duties with Richie Faulkner, whom Tipton has lined up alongside since K.K. Downing’s departure in 2011.

On the live front, Tipton occasionally joins the band on stage to perform the encore, as was the case when Priest played  the inaugural Power Trip festival in California in October 2023.

Amusingly, during Priest’s set, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were spotted in the pit, air-guitaring along to Priest’s 1980 proto-thrash classic "Rapid Fire", reports Classic Rock. “You could see them down there,” Richie Faulkner says now. “It’s like: ‘Oh shit, we’d better be on our game.’”

Priest’s set was memorable for more than just the sight of celebrities fanboying out in the front row. During the encore, the band were joined for three songs by Glenn Tipton. It wasn’t the first time Tipton had joined his bandmates on stage since announcing in 2018 that he was stepping back from touring, but it was certainly the most high-profile appearance.

“It was very, very difficult for me when we went out for the first time without Glenn,” says Rob Halford. “God bless [replacement live guitarist/Priest producer] Andy Sneap, he’s done a brilliant job and no disrespect to him, but I do miss Glenn terribly when we play live. So when he does come out to have a bang, it’s like: ‘My God!’ It feels so great.”

Tipton’s condition may have taken him off the road, but both Halford and Faulkner say he was as involved as ever in the making of Invincible Shield. “It’s absolutely vital that Glenn is part of the songwriting team,” says Faulkner. “Rob, Glenn and me, we go into a room with ideas and throw them around. Whatever challenge Glenn has got, that’s what he deals with. If he could play, he would play. If he couldn’t, then I’d take it on. We helped each other out like that.

“Glenn’s like an older brother,” he continues. “When I joined he took me under his wing as the other guitar player. When we were on the road we’d go out together. So when he pulled back from touring, I did feel like my brother wasn’t there. But I know what it’s like to have something threaten your future career or your ability to play guitar.”

Read more at Classic Rock.

Judas Priest's new album, Invincible Shield, can be ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Panic Attack"
"The Serpent And The King"
"Invincible Shield"
"Devil In Disguise"
"Gates Of Hell"
"Crown Of Horns"
"As God Is My Witness"
"Trial By Fire"
"Escape From Reality"
"Sons Of Thunder"
"Giants In The Sky"

Deluxe edition bonus tracks:

"Fight Of Your Life"
"Vicious Circle"
"The Lodger"

"Invincible Shield" video:

"Panic Attack" video:

"The Serpent And The King" video:

"Trial By Fire" video: