Speaking with Audacy Music, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford offered some insight on the band's next album, the follow-up to  2018's Firepower.

Halford: "We've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From Rocka Rolla (1974) all the way through to Firepower, each record has had a distinctive character. It's tough because fans go 'We want another Painkiller, we want another British Steel...' and dude, we've already done that. This has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before, and that's exciting because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of Priest. But it's still metal; there's just more of it."

The band's 50 Heavy Metal Years North American tour will launch in Peoria, IL, and wrap up in in Hamilton, ON on April 13. 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

(Photo - Mark Gromen)