In a brand new interview with United Rock Nations, JUDAS PRIEST‘s Richie Faulkner, who’s selling the debut album from his ELEGANT WEAPONS mission, was requested what, in his opinion, makes a track a very good track. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “That may be various things for various songs, totally different genres. I like, within the context of a rock band like this [ELEGANT WEAPONS], I like a very good, heavy, catchy riff, a fantastic melody, one thing that is memorable, one thing that makes you… All of us do this factor the place we form of take a look at one another and make that… You do this factor together with your mouth and nod your head, like, ‘That is fucking…’, that aspect of a heavy rock track. Like… I am simply attempting to consider an instance. [METALLICA‘s] ‘Unhappy However True’ — you recognize the primary riff in ‘Unhappy However True’, and everybody headbangs. One thing like that — one thing that is form of heavy and memorable and melodic. And it is catchy. And you retain singing it. It is nearly like you recognize the track earlier than the track is over. That, to me, is an indication of a very good track. Nevertheless it’s not overdone. It is gotta tread the road between realizing it earlier than it is over. When you repeat it an excessive amount of, it turns into contrived. It is gotta be simply sufficient the place you hyperlink with the track, nevertheless it’s not overdone. And it is a robust factor to do. Some issues are simple and so they occur instinctively. Some stuff you’ve gotta work at to get ’em like that. However I believe the journey, the pursuit of a very good track is neverending. You are all the time looking for a greater track or a greater melody or a greater riff. How do I make a greater track or a greater album? How will we make a greater expertise for the followers which can be listening? How will we join higher? How will we make a greater message of this track? So, I believe it is neverending. Even you probably have a Quantity One hit, how do you make a greater one? So it is neverending, actually, and that is the fantastic thing about it.”

Faulkner joined JUDAS PRIEST in 2011 because the alternative for the band’s founding guitarist Okay.Okay. Downing.

In September 2021, Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection throughout PRIEST‘s efficiency on the Louder Than Life competition, only a quick distance from Rudd Coronary heart and Lung Middle at UofL Well being – Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. It took the hospital’s cardiothoracic surgical procedure crew, led by Dr. Siddharth Pahwa and likewise together with Drs. Brian Ganzel and Mark Slaughter, roughly 10 hours to finish the surgical procedure, an aortic valve and ascending aorta alternative with hemiarch alternative.

After Louder Than Life, JUDAS PRIEST postponed the rest of the U.S. dates on its Fiftieth-anniversary tour, dubbed “50 Heavy Metallic Years”. The reveals had been rescheduled for March and April 2022.

Final September, Faulkner revealed that he underwent a second coronary heart surgical procedure in early August 2022 to repair “a gap within the restore.” He added: “There was a leak — I might mainly sprung a leak in there — and it was inflicting a sack to type round my coronary heart. In order that they discovered it simply earlier than the European leg [of PRIEST‘s 2022 tour].”

ELEGANT WEAPONS‘ debut album, “Horns For A Halo”, was launched on Could 26 by way of Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has beforehand labored with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, amongst many others.

ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG) on vocals, Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, is taking part in reveals in Europe via July. The trek consists of performances with PANTERA, competition appearances and headlining reveals.

ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two competition appearances on June 16 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and on June 18 at Graspop Metallic Assembly in Dessel, Belgium.