New Judas Priest Record In 2012

In an interview with Billboard.com frontman Halford revealed that he and guitarist Glenn Tipton "began writing new music early on this year, before we went out on the road. We have about 12 or 14 tracks completely mapped out, four of which have been recorded and mixed and are ready to go... so the good news is that there will be a brand new Priest record next year."

"I think it's fair to say that this is going to be just another great, traditional British heavy metal album from Priest with what you love about the band - the riffs, the screaming vocals, all of the tradition and heritage that we try to keep somehow in our music as we've moved along," Halford promises.

The band are, of course, in the midst of their last full world tour. But that doesn't mean the end of the band as a live act.

"We're just cutting back on these big, long treks around the world that we love to do," he says. "But yet we're facing mortality; as a metal singer I'm still able to do the vast majority of things that have laid out before me...but I'd be the first to admit that I'm finding it more challenging now, and I don't want to get into that syndrome where you end up a little bit punch-drunk and you're not giving the performance that you want to give. I'm delighted that we're taking this approach because the inevitable payoff is that it gives the band more life. We're able to continue doing selective shows in the future and, as importantly, keep recording and making new metal records."

One of the live shows that the band still hope to perform is their long talked about Nostradamus show, which will see them perform the whole of their 2008 double concept album.

You can read the whole interview HERE