Judas Priest Achieve Highest-Ever U.S. Chart Debut with 'Firepower'

Judas Priest have achieved their highest-ever U.S. chart debut with their new album, Firepower. The metal legends' 18th album debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Billboard, edging out 2014's Redeemer of Souls—which debuted and peaked at Number 6—for the band's best-ever position on that chart. It sold 49,000 copies in its first week of availability.

“We knew we had to record a very powerful album, and I think we achieved it,” Glenn Tipton—who played guitar on the album, before bowing out of full-time membership of the band due to his struggle with Parkinson's disease—recently told Guitar World. “We wanted to do a no-nonsense, heavy metal album that was very much Judas Priest.”

“The mantra we had was ‘classic heavy fucking metal’,” frontman Rob Halford added. “There’d be days when the guys would go, ‘Oh, this is a great riff,’ and I’d say, ‘No, it’s not heavy enough.’ With every song, we had to keep coming back to that pillar of dedication.”

You can read our full feature on Firepower—from our brand-new, May 2018 issue—right here.