Judas Priest’s Rob Halford Announces Christmas Album

Rob Halford has announced that his second Christmas-themed LP, Celestial, will be released on October 18, via Legacy Recordings.

In addition to heavy metal versions of Christmas tunes such as “Deck The Halls,” “Away in a Manger” and “Joy to the World,” the 12-track album will also contain four original songs recorded exclusively for the project.

The singer released a video for “Donner And Blitzen” to mark the announcement.

“You can hear and feel the power of Christmas time – energy roarin’ with rockin’ reindeers haulin’!” the Judas Priest singer wrote on his Facebook page.

“Metal maniacs — as we call ourselves — are just as ready for the holidays as everybody else,” he said in a press release. “What we’ve tried to do with this music is to reach out to as many of those metal dimensions as we possibly can.”

With Halford’s brother Nigel playing drums, his nephew Alex at the bass and sister Sue playing bells, Celestial, can be termed a family affair. Robert Jones and Jon Blakely play the guitar.

Celestial is the first solo effort by Halford since Halford IV: Made of Metal in 2010. He released Redeemer of Souls and Firepower with Judas Priest in 2014 and 2018, respectively.

Halford is set to rejoin his Judas Priest bandmates for a 2020 European tour alongside Ozzy Osbourne beginning January 31.

Celestial track listing:

01. “Celestial”
02. “Donner And Blitzen”
03. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
04. “Away In A Manger”
05. “Morning Star”
06. “Deck The Halls”
07. “Joy To The World”
08. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem”
09. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
10. “The First Noel”
11. “Good King Wenceslas”
12. “Protected By The Light”

(Photo: Stefan Bollmann)

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