Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon from Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke to Judas Priest guitarist, Richie Faulkner. He spoke about the band's upcoming North American tour, gave a new album update, and more. Watch below.

When asked about an update on the next Judas Priest album, Faulkner reveals: "Since the Firepower tour we went our separate ways, like we do, and we've always got ideas coming up, me Rob and Glenn start to put ideas down. We got together in early 2020, me Rob and Glenn, Andy Sneap was there as well, and we pulled all our ideas together and started the first writing sessions. We got together a batch of songs, that were by no means finished but they were developed enough we could call them songs, so we could give them working titles. They were demos. So we had a batch of demos and since then we have been trying to find an opportunity where we can all get together and develop them further and record them. Obviously with the restrictions at the time, lockdowns and the pandemic, we wanted to be together as a band to iron out those creases.... it becomes evident when you play together what songs need. We have started recording some and getting it put together with those restrictions, because we want to get it done, but it has obviously been taking longer than we would like. We are working on it, but obviously we are nowhere near a release date."

On the direction of the new music, Richie says, "Whenever you start a record you never know how it's going to turn out, so you might start with an idea of what it's going to be and as it kind of rolls on it comes out something different, so you don't quite know. It is also really hard to sum up your own music I find. But I think this one, it stands on it's own, it's not Firepower 2, it's its own animal. If anything I would say it is a bit more progressive in places and in places it's got a bit more of that Killing Machine swagger. I think it is a little more progressive than Firepower and like I said it has a little bit of that Killing Machine angry swagger attitude going on. But like I said it can turnout completely differently. "

Judas Priest's 50 Heavy Metal Years North American tour, with special guest Queensrÿche, is scheduled to launch on March 4 in Peoria, IL, and wrap up on April 13 in Hamilton, ON. A complete list of shows can be found below. Tickets available here.

Tour dates:

March
4 - Peoria Civic Theatre - Peoria, IL
6 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO
7 - Maverik Center - Salt Lake City, UT
9 - Angel Of The Winds Arena - Everett, WA
10 - Moda Center - Portland, OR (with Sabaton, no Queensrÿche)
12 - Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA
13 - Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood - Las Vegas, NV
15 - The Shrine - Los Angeles, CA
16 - Arizona Federal Theater - Phoenix, AZ
18 - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory - Irving, TX
20 - HEB Center - Austin, TX
21 - Freeman Coliseum - San Antonio, TX (with Sabaton, no Queensrÿche)
23 - Nashville Municipal Auditorium - Nashville, TN
25 - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre - Alpharetta, GA
27 - Charleston Civic Center Coliseum - Charleston, WV
29 - The Met - Philadelphia, PA
30 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
31 - MGM National Harbor - Washington, DC

April
2 - Foxwoods Casino Arena - Mashantucket, CT
4 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
7 - Halifax Scotiabank Centre - Halifax, Nova Scotia
10 - Videotron Center - Quebec City, Quebec
11 - Place Bell - Montreal, Quebec
13 - First Ontario Centre - Hamilton, Ontario