When Richie Faulkner first joined Judas Priest in 2011, he brought with him a playing style that had been shaped by influences spanning from Zakk Wylde and Dave Murray to Michael Schenker and more.

However, after he got the gig and started his assimilation into the Judas Priest ecosystem, Faulkner became acutely aware that he had to take a step back from the “Wylde-isms” that were present in his playing and start finding his own voice on the electric guitar.

This observation became even more apparent when Glenn Tipton – his new guitar foil in the band – approached him early on and said as much during a gig.

“I always tried to copy people. I was into Michael Schenker and K.K. [Downing] and Randy Rhoads and all that. That’s just part of my heritage,” Faulkner says during an episode of No Cover Charge – a new podcast set up by Jared James Nichols and Tyler Larson of the Music Is Win YouTube channel. “Playing covers, you try and emulate the people you look up to.

“When you get into Priest, you realize you can’t do that anymore,” he continues. “Now, you’ve got your turn to speak your voice. It can’t be Zakk Wylde and Dave Murray and Michael Schenker anymore. It’s got to be ‘Rich.’

“I didn’t feel like a clone, but I felt like I’ve got to come up with my own bit. I think every album we do, you try a little bit more to hone that voice.”

These days, Faulkner is far more conscious about avoiding letting his influences bleed into his playing too much, but that wasn’t always the case.

“[I’m] thinking about not relying so much on the Zakk Wylde-isms but speaking more my own voice,” he reflects. “At the time, I didn’t have much else to rely on. I just had a box of tricks that came from the cover band days.”

The impact this was having on his playing came to the fore during his first tour with Priest back in 2011 and 2012 – the Epitaph World Tour – when Tipton addressed Faulkner’s show-stopping solo that routinely came towards the end of the band’s set.

When asked about that solo in particular – which you can watch above – Faulkner says, “We were out with Black Label [Society] for a part of it, so I did a section of Crazy Train [Ozzy Osbourne] – I think it was because it was in F sharp – and I'd do a section of Rock Bottom [Michael Schenker and UFO] in F sharp.

“Glenn actually came up to me and said, ‘Rich, can I have a word with you?’ And that's never good when someone says that. He said, ‘In this solo I notice you're playing some other people's stuff.’ He said, ‘I think you can come up with better than that.’”

Faulkner knew that was Tipton giving him the encouragement to trust his own instincts as a guitarist and introduce some of his own personal style into his playing.

Speaking to Guitar World in 2021, Faulkner further discussed how he has spent his time in Judas Priest balancing his influences with his own voice.

“It would be silly to try and hide those influences,” he said. “But when I joined the band, it became about, ‘What am I doing to say? These guys have got their voice... what’s my voice going to be?’

“So, I think those solos [Rising From Ruins and Traitors Gate] are some of my favorites because they contain what I think is my voice.”

As they prepare for the release of their 19th album, Invincible Shield, Judas Priest are still pondering the randomness of life and the frailty of the human condition.

Since the release of their 2018’s blowtorch-to-the-face record, Firepower, most of the guys in the band have been anything but invincible. Vocalist Rob Halford has battled and seems to have beaten prostate cancer; guitarist Glenn Tipton continues to struggle with a debilitating case of Parkinson’s disease, which six years ago ended his ability to tour.

And lead guitarist Richie Faulkner vividly remembers suffering an aortic aneurysm on September 26, 2021, while Priest were playing the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

“It’s crazy to think I easily could have died then and there,” says Faulkner, who assumed pole position for the writing and recording of Invincible Shield and worked closely with Tipton to voice guitar ideas the guitar hero can no longer play. “If the hospital wasn’t so close to the venue and they didn’t have one of the leading heart surgery teams in the country, I definitely wouldn’t have made it.”

Faulkner’s survival and rapid recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, even with the intensive follow-up procedures he underwent and the continued precautions he has to undertake.

“Overall, my chest and everything is all fine,” Faulkner says. “I had to go back in again in 2022 to have another open-heart procedure, but that’s all fine and cleared up. 

“One of the only side effects now is I have to play a bit more regularly. I’m not a young man anymore. I can’t leave the guitar for two weeks and then come back and be right up to speed. I have to stay on top of my playing, and some of that is a result of what happened.

“But as far as heart damage and the aorta stuff around it, it’s all fixed. And everything is kept at bay with medication. So, you never know what’s around the corner, but hopefully I’m okay now.”

From the opening riff of the fast, urgent album opener Panic Attack to the pounding, riff-saturated Giants in the Sky, a reference to deceased metal pioneers Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy Kilmister, Invincible Shield is a burst of energy, perseverance and defiance.

Reminiscent of Judas Priest’s classic ’80s albums Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith, but with the contemporary production of Firepower, the new album is all volume, aggression and sonic acrobatics, ranging from the triumphant melodies of Crown of Horns to the barreling, full-blown and rhythmically complex The Serpent and the King.

While Invincible Shield is a powerful celebration of pure metal, it’s also a relentless, brazen middle finger to mortality and severe illness.

“Sometimes, mortality brings out the best in people,” says Halford, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer during the pandemic, underwent a prostatectomy and radiation therapy and has been cancer-free for two years.

“That kind of struggle with mortality is all over this record because the instinct to survive is something you channel into yourself as a person, and the things you’ve been through and witnessed come across in your music.

“These songs are on fire. They’re absolutely blazing because no matter what we’re up against, the Priest will never curl up into a ball. We’re kicking and screaming, horns up and legs out – metal boots stomping all over the place.”

During separate revealing Zoom interviews with Faulkner and Halford, and an email exchange with Tipton, the songwriting trio of Judas Priest addressed the obstacles they faced forging Invincible Shield, the way they had to modify their creative process, how their undying support for one another has brought them closer, and Faulkner’s constant battle to evolve as a player and composer and his unwillingness to settle for anything short of topping his last great achievement.

Where do you see Invincible Shield in relation to the rest of the band’s catalog?

Richie Faulkner: “People keep comparing this to other things we’ve done, and I understand their desire to do that, but I think Invincible Shield is very much Priest today. That classic sound is ingrained in everyone, including me, but we always try to do something a little bit different than what we’ve done before. And that doesn’t come from some need to do something different; it comes naturally.

“I think creative people naturally try to do things that are new and inspiring to them. As a musician, you have to scratch that creative itch and do stuff that satisfies you.”

Rob Halford: “This is probably one of the most definitive Priest metal albums we’ve done. I think it’s a reflection of where we’re at now, and a continuation from where we were with Firepower while making references to other places in Priest’s history.”

Richie, how do you see Invincible Shield as a development of your contributions to the band?

Faulkner: “As a guitar player, I’m always thinking of how I can make what I’m doing better than what I did the last time. I focus a lot on how I can make what I wrote more appropriate and more valuable as a musical statement. So maybe I’ll construct the solos before recording them. That’s something different for me.”

Is that what you did for Invincible Shield?

Faulkner: “I constructed a few of my leads early and brought them into the studio. That gave me a foundation to work from. I still did about 70 percent of my solos in the studio, but what I did was run through one that’s improvised, and then run through another I wrote. After a couple takes, there are motifs that become prominent, and that’s what I build the whole solo around.”

You’ve established yourself as the lead guitarist for Judas Priest without altering the band’s core sound. 

Faulkner: “After 13 years in Priest playing both Glenn’s and K.K. [Downing, former Priest guitarist]’s stuff, everything they’ve done has become a part of my style as well. On a very intimate level, I’m playing the Painkiller solo every night, so that’s become a part of my vocabulary. So, I’m doing things like sweep picking and some tapping, which is new for me.”

Did you want to write differently than you have in the past?

Faulkner: “I’ve always been attracted to slightly progressive elements, and I think we’re all into that, so I introduced some parts that were a bit unconventional in that sense this time. And if they didn’t tick the right boxes, we left them on the shelf and found something else that worked better.

”But a lot of those parts stayed in, which was exciting. Maybe they were a little more progressive, maybe they weren’t. The only rule was that it had to sound like Judas Priest, and that left a lot of room to explore.”

Did you feel more comfortable writing with the guys on Invincible Shield than you did on Firepower?

Faulkner: “It was just a little different. I went in thinking, ‘Okay, you’ve got a bit of history with the band now. You co-wrote two records with them. How can you make this one better?’ I know better is a nebulous term, but for me, it’s got to be better. I’m representing one of the biggest and most influential heavy metal bands in the world, and the bar is higher. But that’s nothing new.

“What’s different, obviously, is Glenn’s situation is different now than it was for the first two albums I did with Priest. I knew I was going to have to take on more of the guitar load.”

Did you work more with Rob than you did before? 

Faulkner: “We did a lot together. Rob and I would put ideas together in the studio. Rob would usually come in with a vocal idea and I’d find something that worked with it on guitar.

“At first, you might not know what you’ve got, but a little way into the creative process, the album takes on its own character. And once you recognize that character, you start to embellish it. At the end, hopefully you’ve got this monster that you can unleash on the world. It’s exciting. It’s scary, though.”

What was scary about making Invincible Shield? 

Faulkner: “Firepower was a really well-received record. It was a big success. Now, how do you follow that? They’ve done it before, but this was my first rodeo with that kind of situation – following up something that’s been really well received. That was a challenge, but it’s a good challenge to have because you have to up the bar on yourself.”

Can’t you make yourself crazy constantly trying to better yourself?

Faulkner: “Challenges are what make albums unique, and there’s always a unique challenge for every album. When I was younger, maybe it was financial constraints. You didn’t have enough time in the studio, or the studio wasn’t big enough, or didn’t work the way you wanted it to. There are always challenges you have to work around.

“With Angel of Retribution, I was getting my studio bearings. And then we couldn’t record during a pandemic. And then we had a tour, so we had to record during the gaps in the tour. That was another challenge. But the challenges always happen right up until the album is complete and you’re satisfied. Before that, you’re always thinking it could be better or it’s not quite right, so you work on it to embellish it or make it more interesting.”

Can you think of a particular challenge you faced with a song on Invincible Shield?

Faulkner: “The original version of Panic Attack had another slower part before the guitar solo. It was too long. It didn’t feel right, so we took it out. When it’s right, you know it’s right, but sometimes it’s hard to tell why it’s not right. One thing I always think about is if it’s not grooving, it’s not right. When it’s vibing, that’s when you know you’ve finally gotten it.”

Glenn, you’ve been upfront about how you can’t play the way you used to because of Parkinson’s disease, which must be terribly frustrating. Did you change the way you worked as a band to accommodate your condition?

Glenn Tipton: “No, the three of us all worked together the same as normal. However, it is hard for me to give 100 percent now due to my Parkinson’s so Richie took more of the load. But I always try to look forward and ahead and be optimistic – that’s how I go about my guitar playing.”

Faulkner: “Writing-wise, when we were in the room together, and when Glenn had an idea, but he couldn’t play it, he would communicate the idea to me and tell me what to do. That might trigger a new idea from me, so there was a lot of back and forth. There were other ideas he had that he could play, and he played those.”

Tipton: “I have to take each day as it comes. Some days I feel strong, so I have a good day and I can play more. And others I feel weak so I can’t really play much.”

Halford: “Yes, but Glenn – his input, his validity, the reference points that he makes with his hands – are all over this album. So, as far as what this man stands for in the life of Judas Priest, the relationship hasn’t changed a bit. The only thing that’s changed is the way Parkinson’s has robbed him of his articulation on the guitar.

“So, he has very, very carefully passed over certain feelings toward the guitar passages to Richie. You’re hearing guitars that make you think of Glenn because that’s the way Glenn would perform. But it’s Richie playing a lot of it. So Glenn is all over this album. He’s playing on a lot of the songs, but those moments where he wasn’t able to, Richie is picking up and carrying that metal torch for Glenn.”

Glenn, do you sit or hold the guitar differently when you play, or play a lighter guitar?

Tipton: “No, I do everything the same and I still use my same guitars – the Hamer Phantom Signature Model and my Hamer Signature GTX. But I have to work very hard to get the sounds I want these days. I did come up with some guitar parts on my own, but when Richie was involved, he took the ideas I put forward and improved on them.”

Richie, when you came in with a song, did Glenn work with you on it or did you just record what you wrote? 

Faulkner: “Glenn knows exactly how to make something sound like Priest. I might come in with an almost complete song, and Glenn would suggest a little turnaround that was totally out of my school of thinking, and it made the song better. And then there are a couple of songs on the record, Sons of Thunder and Escape From Reality, and those were primarily Glenn’s ideas, and he had more to do with them.

“Obviously, it was a challenge to make everything work, but I think we knew how to handle it and we all worked together in a way that was really rewarding.”

Halford: “What’s interesting about Richie is the way I’ve watched him transform from the guitar player that he was when he first became the lead guitarist for Judas Priest for Redeemer of Souls, to the creative and empathetic musician he is today.

“Glenn mentored Richie, and Richie loves Glenn so much that the understanding of everything Glenn has done with Priest has become a part of who Richie is. And that understanding has been very profound.

“Over the past 10 or so years, Richie has matured and blossomed as a guitarist so he has his own identity ­– his own distinctive way of playing – and at the same time, he’s been able to move to another place to pick up for another guitar player.

“There are very few people that can do that and do it so well and with such love and such care and understanding, so that you get an extraordinary performance whether Richie is playing something he wrote or playing something for Glenn.”

Richie, did you play all the leads on the album?

Faulkner: “Not all of them. Glenn could manage Sons of Thunder, Vicious Circle and a couple others. But if he couldn’t play something, I took the helm.”

Did you try to play those leads in Glenn’s style?

Faulkner: “As a player, I’m so heavily influenced by Glenn anyway, but I don’t play as much legato as him. I come from the Zakk Wylde school of picking, and Zakk picks every note. I can’t do that, but I pick most of the notes. There’s a little bit of legato in my style, but there was definitely more legato going on before.

“But having said that, I did kind of take on that role of playing a lot of Glenn’s parts. If he couldn’t do it, I’d take on that role. There’s stuff I played on that’s unmistakably Tipton, both in the composition and guitar technique. But that’s why he’s such a vital and important part of Priest.”

What guitar sound were you shooting for on Invincible Shield? It sounds very Priest, but as you said, there’s something about the sound that makes it very relevant today.

Faulkner: “Well, it’s a good old Marshall JCM800 with a Tube Screamer-type pedal in the front. It’s a tried and tested approach when it comes to the way we EQ my sound. I’m quite a mid-heavy player, anyway. I think it gives the guitar extra presence and character.

“But after I recorded everything with my setup, I sent the tracks to producer Andy Sneap, and he re-amped them in his studio because I’ve got no time for microphone placement, and Andy is a real authority on that. So I sent him the DI tracks and he put them through cabinets and amplifiers that he’s got. He was using 800s and plexis to find that good, old Priest sound.

“There aren’t many effects there, but there’s a bit of reverb and delay that was done post-production. But at the heart of it, it’s that Marshall sound through a Gibson Explorer and one of my Flying Vs.”

An Ibanez Tube Screamer is a go-to for blues and other kinds of rock, but when you play it through a tube amp it tightens up the low-end and provides extra texture. 

Faulkner: “You ramp up the distortion on the JCM800 and that’s the main sound. The Tube Screamer wasn’t an Ibanez – it was a clone of a clone, a [Wampler] Tumnus [overdrive] that I have in front of my amps on stage.”

Would Invincible Shield be a good swan song for Judas Priest, or will there be another album?

Faulkner: “Who knows? If this one’s well received and there are enough ideas creatively to do another one, then it’s possible. We’ll have to wait and see, really. At this moment, I’m out of ideas. I’ve got nothing left. That always happens with me, and then I start coming up with things. But where are these ideas going to come from? I don’t know.

“But somehow, somewhere along the line, you start building up ideas and songs. They come from somewhere. After Firepower I was out of ideas and then we somehow created Invincible Shield. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Halford: “I think Richie is an endless well of guitar ideas, and Glenn has vaults of riffs we’ve never used, and a good riff will last forever. It’s all about perspective and presentation. When you’ve got all that sorted out, why stop? There’s a fire that’s really burning right now and it has been even before Invincible Shield left the launch pad. Right now, we’re focused on touring for the album, but when we finish touring, what are we going to do?

“Well, Priest has always maintained its relevance and importance in metal by showing you what we can do next. And the other thing is, I don’t like 19. It’s an odd number. I’m an ‘even number’ kind of guy. I like 20.

“But the bottom line is it’s absolutely glorious that we’re still out there. Glenn’s still thriving as a musician, and so is Richie after what he went through with his heart condition. I’m thriving after what I went through with my cancer condition. If that isn’t the embodiment of metal never dying and metal never surrendering, then I don’t know what is.

“There’s this importance in our lives as musicians to never give up and never give in, to also keep pushing ahead and going toward the metal torch on the horizon. That’s what drives us.”

• Invincible Shield is out now via Epic.

Describing the characteristics of a classic Priest riff to us as “fast and furious, interlaced with very melodic passages”, Glenn Tipton is understandably proud of the group’s collective achievements on their latest recordings, it now being Faulkner’s third full-length within their ranks. 

As for his health, his general outlook seems to mirror that of the band’s lyrics thematically. It’s a case of soldiering on and powering though.

“I played what I could and am very proud of the whole album,” Tipton tells TG. “Richie helped a lot. I think his strongest attribute is his ability to adapt to different styles whilst maintaining his own very strong character. Priest require a guitarist who can shift from out-and-out metal to more melodic tracks. 

“Obviously the drawback for me now is Parkinson’s, and I’ve had to pass a lot of work onto his shoulders. I keep pushing myself because I believe in ‘no surrender’. This disease won’t beat me and I will continue writing and playing for as long as I can.”

Having mainly been seen with Hamer signature guitars since that partnership began in the mid-’80s, Tipton is also famous for using Gibson SGs and humbucker-equipped Fender Strats early on in his career. More recently he has played a double-horned GT-600 signature released through ESP LTD.

“I don’t know how many guitars I own in total, but I’m not really a collector, because to me they are tools of my trade,” he continues.

“If I could get my hands on one of Rory Gallagher’s old Strats, that would be a prized possession! I use the Phantom GT mostly, so I’d say that is my favourite on stage and in the studio. The advantage of Hamer was that it was my own design to my own specifications. 

“I was able to make even the smallest changes, such as the long tailpiece on the [Explorer-shaped] Custom GT fitted the inside of my leg when I played stretched riffs. That allowed me to find the most comfortable playing positions, particularly after jumping around!”

Like Faulkner, Tipton tends to stick with an Engl backline for live performances, however in the studio it’s more a case of anything goes. As for when we’ll next see him on stage, he wants us all to know the will is very much there…

“Engl are quality amps which I can adjust audibly to suit the sound I require for stage,” he notes. “In the studio I will use anything that gives me the sound I need. As for joining the band at any point on this next cycle of touring, you will have to wait and see. If I’m well enough, I’ll be on stage with the boys… loud and proud!”

• Invincible Shield is out now via Epic.

There are certain things to be expected from a Judas Priest album. When it comes to mid-tempo, palm-muted minor riffing, screaming harmonised leads and distorted tones that feel hotter than the sun, you know you’re in safe hands. 

But even by their own standards, the heavy metal pioneers are truly going for gold on this year’s 19th studio album Invincible Shield – rammed with explosive fretwork, from the rapid-fire brilliance of opening track Panic Attack to the biker blues of finale Giants In The Sky.

It will undoubtedly be one of the finest metal albums you’ll hear this year, and more impressively manages to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with classic Priest albums such as Stained Class, British Steel and Screaming For Vengeance.

The road to this point has not been easy, however. In 2018, guitarist Glenn Tipton, a member of Priest since 1974, revealed he’d be stepping down from touring after an ongoing struggle with Parkinson’s, forcing the band to rope in their producer Andy Sneap as a touring guitarist.

And in 2021, Richie Faulkner, who replaced K.K. Downing a decade prior, suffered from a near-fatal aortic aneurysm while Priest were performing on stage at Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival.

After a 10-hour open-heart procedure in which five parts of his chest were replaced by mechanical components, Richie lived to tell the tale and to continue playing a vital role in this legendary band…

This new album feels extra special, given everything that’s happened. Like the lyrics from Priest’s 1982 track Electric Eye, you are now actually made of metal!

“Literally, because there are metal parts in my chest! Part of the healing process was getting back out there and finishing this record. I got back on the horse and rode on. As you say, all of this may never have happened and that does put a different perspective on things. You never know what’s around the corner. 

“I don’t know if Rob [Halford, vocalist] was referring to that when he came up with the title Invincible Shield. It’s a reference to the metal community in general. We’re proud metal fans and this music is like an invincible shield.

“We all go through challenges. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Glenn’s had his struggles, I’ve had things, Rob’s been through it as well, but we live to fight another day!”

Maybe that’s why the latest material ended up being such a masterclass in technicality? The solo sections feel more orchestrated, with light-speed diminished sweeps and alternate-picked ideas…

“Priest have been through many stages, from proggy stuff like Sinner and Tyrant [from the late ’70s] to straight-up metal. Because we had more time to develop our ideas after the pandemic, we came up with sections that felt like the stuff that Randy Rhoads did with Ozzy Osbourne. 

“Moments that are a song within a song. The music goes somewhere else before coming back. You have to be careful, though – it can become a bad thing if you go too far! As for the diminished stuff, some of it’s definitely from Glenn after 13 years of playing together…”

It’s only natural that you’d end up inheriting some of these technical nuances, right?

“If you do your best to recreate what’s on the record, you can’t help Glenn and K.K.’s solos becoming a part of your style. As for sweeping, I’ve never swept. I’m good at sweeping the floor, that’s about it! I’m still learning, to be honest. I find it helps if the angle of my picking hand changes when I’m coming back up, though I only just realised! I’m discovering all the time. 

“I’ve been doing the Painkiller solo ever since Glenn couldn’t play with us, which works out as a lot of Painkiller solos! You have to nail that starting lick as faithfully as you can. I try my best not to mess up. 

“Doing that night after night helps build the technique. Some of these new solos called for a similar approach, maybe sweeping half the strings, a few notes in the middle and then sweeping through the remaining ones. I’m getting better at it, but I’m also blagging half of it!”

How do you go about splitting the parts? Do you divide everything in half and taking turns?

“We ask ourselves if the song feels like it needs to go somewhere else, in a new direction. If not, we stick to one solo and get back to the vocals. Obviously, with Glenn’s situation, he wasn’t playing as much lead as before. But that’s okay, we didn’t want that to impede the process. If Glenn was having a good day, he’d play the part. If he couldn’t, I’d do it. 

“We didn’t want him to worry. He brought songs to the table like Sons Of Thunder which is a classic three-minute track in the style of [Priest anthem] Hell Bent For Leather. Glenn is the master of that stuff. He was as involved as he could be and it was important for us to involve him.”

So what do you think are the characteristics of a classic Judas Priest riff?

“It’s hard to say; they’re so diverse. From You’ve Got Another Thing Coming and Painkiller to Victim Of Changes and Killing Machine, they’re all vastly different, you know? That’s the beauty of Priest. Because of that diversity, a lot of ideas can go on the table and most of them will be appropriate. 

“I definitely think a great riff should make you bang your head and hit you in the face. Classic Priest riffs have to be simple enough to be accessible but complex enough to be fucking great. If it makes you pull a mean face, it’s a good one!”

The large majority of these riffs live in the Aeolian minor world rather than, say, Dorian minor with the major 6th. Do you think much about the building blocks and the maths behind it?

“Not at all. I wish I knew what you’re talking about with all that Dorian and Aeolian stuff! But I know that there’s a minor sound, a major sound, a diminished sound.

“If you asked me to play those scales, I wouldn’t know. If you showed me, I’d say ‘Oh yeah, that’s the same as The Sentinel or whatever!’ But I’m just not that way inclined. It’s too mathematical for me. Sometimes what doesn’t work theoretically can be powerful, too. There’s been some major stuff in the past, but you’re right, it’s usually minor.”

There’s that minor legato line built around the 12th to the 15th and 19th frets, similar to some classic Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads runs…

“I don’t normally construct solos. I’ll go into the studio and play a few back-to-back. Certain motifs will jump out. If they stick, you’re subconsciously telling yourself that’s what needs to go there. But this time I actually had that stretched part you’re talking about first, and then constructed the rest around that. Later, Andy Sneap asked if I could harmonise the end bit.”

Songs like The Serpent And The King and Sons Of Thunder have some challenging picked runs. Do you play strict alternate or is there some economy in there?

“I don’t quite know what I’m doing half the time, but it’s definitely not strict alternate. I don’t pick everything, I can’t do that! There’s a lot of down-up-down-down moves with me. Your right hand is as valuable as your left. It’s all well and good flying around with your fretting hand but the picking hand is the machine that drives the attack. It’s the engine, whether we’re talking about Priest or James Hetfield’s right hand in Metallica. 

“And actually it’s a part of metal guitar playing that often gets neglected. Zakk Wylde is a major influence, he picks everything incredibly. I’m somewhere in the middle: I love Michael Schenker and Dave Murray from Iron Maiden; the latter of whom is a legato player. The downstroke is the law in metal, at least in a lot of people’s minds, but I play some riffs starting on the up.”

Devil In Disguise and Gates Of Hell typify the more bluesy side of your playing. A lot of heart and soul with some flat 5ths, for good measure…

“Sometimes we don’t know when to shut up when we’re younger, but as you grow you realise that the slower, more melodic ideas connect more. You can stand there and do a million notes a second, but it won’t work as well as stuff like [Pink Floyd’s] Comfortably Numb or [Queen’s] Killer Queen. 

“I was playing covers in pubs for years, learning different styles. I don’t feel like I’ve ever been a shredder. I’m never going to out-do Yngwie Malmsteen or Eric Johnson. I’m more from the Schenker and Ritchie Blackmore school. 

“Devil In Disguise felt like a Blackmore kind of thing. There’s a time for the fast stuff, but if you want to connect emotionally, it’s almost always better slower. I try to find different ways of saying unique things. That’s a lot harder than it sounds, taking your favourite notes and discovering new ways to use them.”

You’ve stuck with Gibson Les Pauls, Flying Vs and Explorers over the years. Is that what we’re hearing on the record?

“There were three guitars: one of them was a prototype for last year’s Pelham Blue Flying V signature. I had an old black Les Paul Custom from 1976 which I painted white when I joined Priest. It’s the most sonically balanced guitar I’ve got.

“I used it for all the rhythms on the Firepower album. The highs are all in the right place and it’s well balanced tonally. That one still has the EMG 81/85 set. An Explorer I use live is on the record, too.”

You rely on Engl and Wizard guitar amps on stage. Is it the same for recording?

“I ended up recording at my place. I’d run my Quad Cortex into the desk and keep the DI, because I’m not technical when it comes to mics and speakers. That’s more for producers and engineers. So I’d send the DIs to Andy who would then re-amp through JCM 800s and newer EVH heads.

“I don’t know what pedal went in front, but there definitely would’ve been something. For shows I’ve started using the Wampler Tumnus, which I think sounds better than the original Klon!”

So what is the hardest track on this album to nail?

“The songs have only been out a couple of minutes and some players have got it down already, probably better than I ever could! I’ve seen covers where everything’s picked and sounds proper.

“The title track is a challenge with all the different parts, and As God Is My Witness is another, because it involves fast picking from the get-go. They’re both challenging, but if you’re anything like me, it’s all good fun!”

• Invincible Shield is out now via Epic.

Back in 2018, Glenn Tipton announced he’d be stepping down from his formal touring duties with Judas Priest owing to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Tipton has remained a key part of the Priest lineup, albeit with a slightly altered role, and has continued sharing electric guitar duties with Richie Faulkner, whom Tipton has lined up alongside since K.K. Downing’s departure in 2011.

Speaking in a new interview with Total Guitar, Tipton discussed just how crucial Faulkner has been in allowing him to transition into a more accommodating role that still sees him record and perform.

“I played what I could and am very proud of the whole album,” Tipton explains of the band's newest record, Invincible Shield. “Richie helped a lot. I think his strongest attribute is his ability to adapt to different styles whilst maintaining his own very strong character. Priest require a guitarist who can shift from out-and-out metal to more melodic tracks.”

As well as piling praise on his fellow guitarist – who previously suffered an onstage aortic aneurysm during a set in 2021 – Tipton also touched on how he’s been juggling his Priest duties with his own medical battles thanks to a “no surrender” mindset.

“Obviously the drawback for me now is Parkinson’s, and I’ve had to pass a lot of work onto his shoulders,” Tipton goes on. “I keep pushing myself because I believe in ‘no surrender’. This disease won’t beat me and I will continue writing and playing for as long as I can.”

As mentioned, Tipton is still a key figure in the Judas Priest lineup. Andy Sneap was recruited to help share the workload, but Tipton still writes, records and, when circumstances allow it, performs live.

For example, in the past Tipton has reunited onstage with his Priest bandmates at Barcelona’s Rock Fest in 2022, and for Judas Priest’s shows in Oakland and Las Vegas.

In his own interview with Total Guitar, Richie Faulkner dove deeper into the process behind sharing six-string responsibilities with Tipton, giving greater insight into just how well the two guitarists work together.

“With Glenn’s situation, he wasn’t playing as much lead as before,” he said. “But that’s okay, we didn’t want that to impede the process. If Glenn was having a good day, he’d play the part. If he couldn’t, I’d do it.

“We didn’t want him to worry. He brought songs to the table like Sons of Thunder which is a classic three-minute track in the style of [Priest anthem] Hell Bent For Leather. Glenn is the master of that stuff.

“He was as involved as he could be and it was important for us to involve him.”

Tipton previously discussed his ever-evolving role in an interview with Guitar World, during which he asserted his riff writing remained in fine working order.

“I went into it with the understanding that I had to adapt,” he reflected of his changing Judas Priest role. “I have to realize my limitations. Basically, you just have to deal with what life throws at you and make the best of it.

“I don’t try to set the mark too high now because, obviously, my condition means I can’t play guitar like I used to. But I can still build songs and I can still get a mean riff out.”

The Gibson Custom Shop has confirmed the arrival of the Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom – a limited-edition signature guitar for the Judas Priest and Elegant Weapons guitarist. 

The new Custom V will be limited to 100 units and houses a few notable features, many of which were inspired by his original Epiphone Flying V Custom Outfit signature model and teased in a post from brand president (and now interim CEO) Cesar Gueikian on Instagram back in 2021.

The most immediately noticeable of these is the full-face pickguard – essentially, adding a pickguard above the strings and around the pickups to create a symmetrical arrow shape. 

Look a little closer, though, and you’ll see a Floyd Rose vibrato and a simplified control setup. Traditionally, Flying Vs feature a three-knob arrangement (though its layout depends on the decade of production) – here, Faulkner reduces it to just a single volume control and a pickup selector switch. 

In Guitar World’s recent interview with Faulkner, the Judas Priest man justified his seemingly paradoxical approach in creating a utilitarian Custom V.

”For me, it's about taking away the things that I don't need,” says Faulkner. “It's a blessing to have the opportunity to be able to modify my instrument to my liking. So, if there's something on my guitar that I feel I don't need, I either take it off or modify it into something that I do need. 

”I wasn't using the tone controls or the extra volume knob, so I took them off. But as I said, I felt I needed the Floyd Rose to do what I do, so I added one. Being fortunate enough to take liberties in changing and modifying my guitars for my own use and to present them to others as a signature model has been a blessing. I'm very thankful for it.”

Less obvious tweaks include a tailored neck profile and a set of Faulkner’s signature EMG pickups – an interesting addition, given the originals appear to be out of production currently. 

Then there’s a rather stunning Pelham Blue nitro finish, which is not found on any other current V model, alongside some smaller aesthetic flourishes, like the custom triple-ply binding, a Judas Priest logo on the headstock and Faulkner’s Falcon logo on the 12th fret inlay.

“This guitar has become a good friend of mine over the past couple of years and is the latest evolution of my main guitar with Priest for the past 12 years,” says Faulkner in the press release. 

“It’s something that has evolved as I have both on stage and in the studio, in looks and in sound. Whenever I see that double pickguard and Pelham blue, I know that that is my guitar. With the Floyd Rose, signature EMG pickups and striking appearance I know that armed with my faithful Flying V, I will be able to deliver every night. Beautiful yet deadly, elegant yet sonically powerful it is the number one guitar in my arsenal.”

There’s no official word yet on whether we’ll get a USA Standard or Epiphone version of Faulkner’s V, but we’d say the chances of some kind of production run are good. Not least because Gueikian’s 2021 post actually teased a standard Gibson build – clearly differentiated from this model by the gold hardware and lack of the Custom ‘split diamond’ headstock decal. 

In addition, the fact that the original Faulkner Flying V (now discontinued) was previously an Epiphone-only model suggests that Gibson’s budget brand may also get a look-in down the line. 

The firm’s current marketing strategy seems to be to unveil a limited high-end Custom Shop option to get mouths watering, before rolling out other options in order of descending price. 

Finally, we’re told the first dealer-exclusive run of the new Flying V Custom (which was available via Sweetwater) reportedly sold-out in under an hour, suggesting there is no lack of demand from Faulkner/Gibson fans. (The model is still available direct from Gibson and other retailers at the time of writing, though given the limited production run that might not remain the case.)

To hear more from the guitarist himself, including his thoughts on developing the signature V, his supergroup Elegant Weapons and his work with Judas Priest, check out our full Richie Faulkner interview.

The Gibson Custom Shop Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom retails for $6,999. Faulkner – who suffered a rare aortic aneurysm onstage in 2021 – will be sharing the proceeds from his Flying V Custom to the John Ritter Foundation the American Heart Association.

Head to Gibson for more information.

06/27/23: This article was updated to clarify that the instrument had sold-out its first Sweetwater preview run and other stocks are available.

When Richie Faulkner stepped in for legendary metal shredder K.K. Downing in 2011, he couldn't have possibly known what was in store for him. And he certainly couldn't have imagined that 12 years later, he'd still be holding down the fort as one of Judas Priest's two lead guitarists.

“When I first joined Priest, they were at a point in their career where it would be their last tour,” Faulkner tells Guitar World. “And I remember having a conversation with Glenn Tipton when I joined the band about the fact that Judas Priest weren't going to be around in 20 years [Laughs]. Fortunately, that was 12 years ago, and Priest is still rockin' and rollin'. But when I replaced K.K Downing, that wasn't the plan. And since then, it's always been on my mind that I'm going to have to do something after Priest.”

While Faulkner might not have been able to fathom the task ahead, with blonde locks, a leather-clad frame, and hyper-charged licks for days, he sure did his best to make the heavy metal faithful forget K.K. Downing.

Then there's the matter of his first tour being intended to be Priest's last. If we look back, when Downing departed, most thought Priest akin to a zombie stumbling toward its grave. But with Faulkner on board, the veteran band felt re-energized, as evidenced by continued touring and some of the finest studio material they've summoned since their late '70s and '80s heyday.

Impressive as he's been for Priest, Faulkner was a young man amongst a legacy act's ranks. And if we fast forward to the present day, at 43 years of age, time is still on his side. Sure, he's logged more miles than many his age could possibly dream of, but if you were to ask Richie Faulkner, his most creative roads have yet to be traversed.

“I think that anything I've ever done – even before Priest – has always had the same mindset,” Faulkner says. “It's about doing what I'm doing and putting my stamp on it until I'm doing something else, something happens, or whatever it might be. Even if I had never been a part of Priest, I still would have been doing the same thing.

“I'd be playing in cover bands on the weekend, and I'd be working to get my own band off the ground,” Faulkner continues. “That's what's in my DNA. That's what I'm programmed to do. This is no different, you know? If Judas Priest hang it up and retire, this is what I will be doing. I didn't put Elegant Weapons together to be experimental – I put this together to be my band going forward.”

Having survived a sudden heart surgery, along with the knowledge that Judas Priest's time in the sun is ending, Faulkner is looking ahead. Be it through the “privilege of putting together a signature guitar” or the rewarding nature of making music he can call his own, the veteran guitarist is prepared to grab life by the horns and take what comes his way with grit and grace.

In support of Elegant Weapons' hard-hitting debut LP, Horns for a Halo, Richie Faulkner dialed in with Guitar World to discuss the influence of the blues on his riffing and soloing, stepping out of the shadow of K.K. Downing, the latest on his signature Gibson Flying V, and how his heart surgery affected his outlook on life.  

Tell me about how Elegant Weapons came together.

“It's always been a conscious thing for me to think about my life after Judas Priest. I was always putting stuff down and writing songs, riffs, melodies and ideas. So, Elegant Weapons is a collection of songs I have put together over the years since I joined Priest. But what really got the whole thing focused was the COVID lockdowns and being unable to tour. 

“Priest finally had some time where we weren't touring, and the Priest record had already been written, so this was a chance for me to finally focus on getting these ideas together and see what I had. I had to find out if this was an EP, a one-time album, or a full band. And I fully believe it's a band.”

How did the outlook of Horns for a Halo being the start of your life after Priest aid in shaping these songs?

“In many ways, it was the same sort of process that I use when I'm writing for Priest. I don't put on a different hat when doing Elegant Weapons or anything like that. This style of music is what comes naturally to me. But I think it's got a different character than the Priest stuff I've done. 

“I think it's a bit more bluesy than the heavy metal stylings of Judas Priest, and that's where Elegant Weapons really stand on their own two feet. And ironically, early Priest was more progressive blues than heavy metal, and I think Elegant Weapons have a lot of that going on.”

Does your songwriting and guitar style naturally lean more bluesy, then?

“I think so. You'll hear more Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and early Priest with this stuff. But still, it was the same kind of process that I go through with Priest, where I sit down, strap the guitar on, flick on the amps, and see what comes out. I'm a riff and melody guy, first and foremost. I just start playing and see what comes out, and then I'll try and put a song around that.

“I guess I'm saying that the riffs and melodies come first, rather than the lyrics. And that's how a lot of Horns for a Halo came about. I'm always putting things down. If I go and put something down this afternoon, you never know – it might end up on an album a few years from now. You never know when a good riff will be needed, so it's best to bank them as you can.”

To my ears, those blues influences are most present in your phrasing and less so in your tone. Would you agree?

“I would say so. You know… what I think as a guitar player and what I pick up as part of my playing is usually totally different from how the listener perceives it. And that's fantastic. But in this instance, I believe you're right. 

“When people think of my playing, they often hear Zakk Wylde, Michael Schenker, and Dave Murray, which are more metal, I would say. And then, as you said, you've picked up on the blues phrasing, which is great. But by and large, the listener always picks up something different from the player. I think there's beauty in that.

“I grew up with the blues a lot, and I was always a massive Hendrix nut rooted in the blues, too. And a lot of heavy metal was born from the blues, and, as I said earlier, Priest came from a place of progressive blues. So, the seeds of metal were sewn through the blues – that's the true heritage of heavy metal. It's all connected, and I draw from both influences. The blues is a massive part of my playing and always will be. I still go back to Hendrix for inspiration and take from the heavy metal pile, too.”

Did you bounce any of your ideas off Rob [Halford] or Glenn [Tipton]?

“I showed Rob a few of the songs once they were nearly completed. But in terms of asking for guidance or, as you said, bouncing ideas off them, I didn't do that. The first time they heard them was after I'd completed them. 

“This was really something that I wanted to do as my own thing. And at the time, the Priest record that we were writing was done, so I could fully draw a line in the sand between the two and focus on my record. 

“For the first time, I could throw all my new ideas into this project, which made all the difference. But I will say that once I showed Rob, he was interested and wanted to hear more when it was done. And when I showed him later, Rob really dug it. But apart from that, when it comes to creative input, Elegant Weapons is entirely my own thing.”

How does working with Ronnie Romero compare to working with Rob?

“All the music was written before Ronnie came on board, so it was different in that respect. With the Priest stuff, and all the songs I've written with them, the music was written while Rob wrote the lyrics. But, hopefully, as we begin working on the next Elegant Weapons album, Ronnie will be a big part of the process. 

“That aside, Ronnie was obviously the perfect guy for the job. For me, it was a no-brainer that Ronnie was the right guy. It was just whether he wanted to do it or not. Fortunately, he did. As soon as I called him up and showed him the music, he totally got it. It also helps that we come from legacy bands and have that shared mindset. Ronnie plays with Rainbow and Michael Schenker, so his philosophy is the same. 

“We both know that the older guys aren't going to be around forever, so we have to do what we need to do to carry the torch and the DNA of these classic bands forward toward the next generation. Hopefully, what happens is that the band grows and evolves together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.”

Do you have a favorite guitar solo from Horns for a Halo?

“That's a good question. I think one of my favorites is [on] a song called Bitter Pill. It's a very simple guitar solo, but it's one of those solos that suits the song, you know what I mean? It's not a technical assault solo, and it's not a flash guitar solo, but it suits the song perfectly. I like solos where you can almost sing them, and the solo for Bitter Pill is like that.”

Which solo proved to be the most challenging for you to execute?

“There's a song called Do or Die, which was quite challenging. It's a fast song, like a rip-roaring ride. It's a quick song, and there are some fast guitar parts in there, which is always a challenge. But I like a challenge. As a guitar player, it's always fun to play challenging parts. And Do or Die was a bit of a challenge for sure.”

Considering you replaced K.K. Downing, I'd wager you're used to challenges.

”That's for sure! The interesting thing about taking over for K.K. was that I was playing all his solos and songs. I was playing them his way, or, at least, in a way that was very similar to how people remember them. But when I play my own guitar solos, both in Priest and Elegant Weapons, it's about me thinking, 'What am I going to say as a guitar player?' 

”That's the challenge, rather than the literal technicality of it all. I am constantly trying to decide what I want to say with my guitar that's going to be memorable or how I'm going to leave my fingerprint on things.”

What combination of pedals and amps did you deploy on Horns for a Halo?

”It's a bit of a boring answer: one guitar, one amplifier, and no pedals. I stuck with a direct approach – I had a guitar that I loved and an amp sound that was perfect. That was it, that was all I needed. Any effects like delay or reverb came about during post-production and were handled at the desk by Andy Sneap. But the amp I used was like a Marshall Plexi, and I only used one channel. It's a famous amp we all know and love and with good reason. It does that thing we all know, and it does it very well.

”As far as the guitar that I used, it's my signature model that I've been working on with Gibson. I love that guitar. It ticked all the boxes and did everything that I needed it to do during the album. I considered using a few other guitars, but there was no need at the end of the day. I thought to myself, 'Why bother? I don't need another guitar.' 

”That guitar, along with a very direct approach through the Plexi, made sense for this record. It might be different on another record, but I took that approach on this one.”

You mentioned your signature Gibson Flying V, which you've referred to as ”the most metal-sounding guitar you've ever heard”. Can you expand on that?

”I think maybe I was trying to be a bit funny with that line [Laughs]. But obviously, I play in one of the world's most legendary heavy metal bands, and my Flying V handles that music quite well. I see it as a classic Flying V design, really. But it's got some appointments that I've used and expanded on over the years, like active EMG pickups. But, my signature guitar is very stripped down in many senses. Instead of multiple volume and tone knobs, it's set up with one volume knob and one pickup selector.

”It's got a Floyd Rose, which is essential to what I'm doing. So, it's stripped down in some senses, but in others, it's got some deluxe appointments. I've had my guitar set up this way since I joined Priest, and in that time, it's taken on some appointments over the years in the guitar that we're releasing today. It's been out on the road with me for the last few years, and it's on the new Priest record. It's very much part of who I am today as a guitar player. It's a special guitar to me.”

Why do you prefer a stripped-down guitar as opposed to a hot-rodded one?

”For me, it's about taking away the things that I don't need. It's a blessing to have the opportunity to be able to modify my instrument to my liking. So, if there's something on my guitar that I feel I don't need, I either take it off or modify it into something that I do need. 

”I wasn't using the tone controls or the extra volume knob, so I took them off. But as I said, I felt I needed the Floyd Rose to do what I do, so I added one. Being fortunate enough to take liberties in changing and modifying my guitars for my own use and to present them to others as a signature model has been a blessing. I'm very thankful for it.”

With Horns for a Halo in the can, what's your outlook as you move forward?

”I love playing live and look forward to playing these songs live. I think the true evolution of a band happens when you play live, the songs evolve when you play live, and the relationship between band members evolves. That's where you grow as a band and, as I said before, become something greater than the sum of your parts. I want the characters in the band to become one unique character that changes, evolves, and grows as we look to the future.

”It was essential for me to look ahead with Elegant Weapons. I didn't want to be a band that makes one album and then fades into obscurity. I want to release many albums, grow, and play live and tour. And that's what excites me most. The idea of this band growing and evolving over the years, from album to album, is enticing. I have no idea what will happen or how the style of what we'll do will be influenced, but that evolution is what I'm looking forward to the most.”

How did your sudden emergency surgery alter your perspective on music and life?

”It made me think that if there's anything I need to do, I better do it. If there's a book to write, something to say, or an album to write, I realized that I better get out and do it. There's no time like the present, because the reality we all face is that we might not be here tomorrow. 

”I know that's a bit of a dramatic thing to say, but nothing in life is promised. And in my case, when it happened, I was only 41 years old. I was healthy, and surely, I thought, everything was fine. So, you never know what's around the corner.

”So, when it happened, that's when all that hit me. I realized I needed to get out and do what I wanted to do to the best of my ability. It's not a new philosophy by any means – it's been said before, and here I am, saying it again. But the thing is, all of that became very real to me, and it was a major motivator and a sort of medicine for me when it happened. 

”Getting back out with Priest, making the new Priest album, and doing Elegant Weapons were all medicine for me. It focused me on returning to being who I am and doing what I do. I'm glad I'm still here to be able to do that, and I plan to continue doing it for as long as I can.”

• Horns for a Halo is out now via Nuclear Blast.

Chances are, if you got a message from Tool guitarist Adam Jones inviting you to get up and play with them in front of 20,000 people, it wouldn’t take very long for the word ‘Yes’ to come out of your mouth.

And then, a few seconds or maybe even minutes later, you might realize you’ve potentially set yourself up for a most spectacular failure – unless of course you make sure to do your homework. It’s the kind of the opportunity that screams for intense and watertight preparation.

That’s exactly what happened to Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, who guested on the song Jambi with the progressive metal titans at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on January 29, 2020.

The second track from Tool’s 10,000 Days album packs all kinds of creative twists and turns in its sprawling seven-and-a-half minutes – enough to throw even a well-drilled diehard or seasoned veteran off-course.

As well as incorporating Jones’ trademark pull-through technique, where he pulls off from a fretted note to his open low D string and allows his left hand to quickly ring out the adjacent open A string, there are some head-twisting polyrhythms that start appearing from the third verse, roughly two minutes in.

Look at the charts to any number of Tool songs, Jambi included, and it should be easy enough to see why they’re often labeled math-metal...

Speaking to Guitar World three-and-a-half years after that historic moment, the Judas Priest guitarist looks back on the experience fondly and describes Tool as a band with the utmost integrity. “It was pretty daunting... let’s just say it wasn’t like jamming some AC/DC,” he laughs, talking to us from his home studio close to Nashville. 

“What happened was I got a phone call from Cesar Gueikian at Gibson [then CMO, appointed to Brand President in 2021 and recently promoted to Interim CEO]. He knew Adam, but I didn’t at the time. And he basically told me that Adam was a big fan of my playing, amazingly, and asked if I would be up for getting up to jam through Jambi with them when they next came through. 

“I said, ‘Of course, I’d be honored!’ without really thinking. I put the phone down and then it dawned on me, like, ‘Hold on a minute, what have I done?!’ I knew the song but didn’t know it well enough to get up in front of 20,000 people [laughs].”

Faulkner spent the next week or so religiously learning the track from the confines of his home studio, rehearsing its various cues and changes so that he could keep up with Jones and his cohorts, as well as add his own icing on the cake as a lead guitarist.

And while he jokes that some of these practice sessions saw him “almost throw up because of how technical the song is”, on the evening of January 29 that year, he brought another level of pentatonic shred to the Tool masterpiece. At one point, the two guitarists even harmonize with each other, adding new layers to the dramatic octave bends heard on the original recording’s lead section.

“Adam was so gracious,” smiles Faulkner. “I only had to play half the song and I still messed it up at one point. After the set, I told him I thought I’d made a fuck up and he said, ‘Oh no, I think that was me!’ He was just being nice. Of course it was me that messed it up [laughs]. They were great to play and hang out with. That production and the way they connect with their fans is unreal...

“You can’t film their shows until the very end, there’s a rule about not getting your phones out until they allow you to. And everyone abides! No-one abuses that rule. They want their shows to be special and not just passed over the internet. It’s about the fans and the band building on this very special moment together.”

As well as the once-in-a-lifetime chance of joining Jones and the progressive metal masterminds in front of an arena crowd – which, let’s not forget, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has done on two occasions – Faulkner also struck up an ongoing friendship with the fellow Les Paul devotee and Gibson signature artist. Who knows, maybe we might even see him pop up in Nashville with Tool again.

“Adam’s great – I just spoke to him last week,” adds Faulkner. “He’s become a good buddy of mine. He’s a great artist and awesome to bounce ideas with, always happy to share advice. I’ve got a lot of time for him!”

You think you know somebody and then they do something that is so out of character it all but makes you question physical laws. Take Richie Faulkner. The Gibson Flying V is to Faulkner what the luxuriant mustache is to Tom Selleck, and yet, today we learn the Gibson superfan crossed the great electric guitar divide to pick up a Fender Telecaster when recording clean tones for Judas Priest’s leather-studded 2018 face-ripper, Firepower.

Speaking to Ultimate Guitar, he revealed what we are actually hearing on the record, and indeed how he added an MIJ Telecaster Custom to his arsenal.

“I used a Telecaster on all of the clean guitars on Firepower,” he said. “It was a Japanese Telecaster through a Roland JC-120 and that was what I used for all of the clean guitars.”

But before Cesar and the gang cancel Faulkner's keycard pass for the Gibson HQ, let’s all just hear him out. We want to hear how he came into possession of such contraband. As it turns out, Hatsune Miku by way of Korg made him do it.

“Do you remember, there was a pedal called the Miku pedal? I think Miku was a Japanese anime character and she has a distinctive voice,” said Faulkner. “So when you play notes through the pedal, it sort of speaks in this character's voice. It’s ridiculous, but it’s hilarious.

“I found one of these pedals in a store in Amsterdam, and I needed a guitar to test it out with. So they had this beautiful black Telecaster Custom, with a Bigsby type tremolo on it and I used that to play this pedal. Long story short, I bought both of them because the Telecaster was beautiful, and the pedal was ridiculous.”

Faulkner was asked about the Fender Stratocaster, which for Elegant Weapons, the band he put together in 2022 with Rex Brown on bass and his fellow Priest Scott Travis on drums, makes sense.

Described by Faulkner as “a mix of Jimi Hendrix, Judas Priest, Sabbath, solo Ozzy and Black Label Society – heavy, catchy, and with melody”, Elegant Weapons could perhaps use a Strat the in mix to complement the full meat of the humbuckers that have defined Faulkner’s sound with Priest.

Well, funnily enough, Faulkner did use a Strat during the sessions for Elegant Weapons’ debut album, Horns for a Halo. But the song he used it on didn’t make the cut. Maybe next time.

In the meantime, you’ll probably find him on-brand, with a Gibson in hand, and most likely a Flying V, having started out his Judas Priest career with a white Gibson Les Paul Custom equipped with a set of active EMGs for extra juice and fire. 

He tells Ultimate Guitar that having used them all these years, and having put his name to various signature guitars with the Nashville-based brand, that is what he still reaches for when it’s time to go to work.

“The guitar on the record is a Gibson Flying V,” he said. “The guitars that I end up using are Gibsons. They’re my guitars of choice. That’s the guitar that I put my name on… they’re the guitars that I turned to… I gravitated towards Gibson because that was the sound that was enabling me to play the songs that I wanted to play. That was the sound that was in my head.”

Elegant Weapons’ Horns for a Halo is out now via Nuclear Blast.

Jared James Nichols recently invited three guest stars onstage for a shred-heavy rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Free Bird. 

Among the onstage talent was Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, Shinedown’s Zach Myers and guitarist Marty Schwartz (of the Marty Music YouTube channel). 

The 10-minute set closer is initially relatively faithful to the original, with Nichols showcasing some tasty slide in between vocal lines. The blues rocker then takes the first of the lead sections – with a sharp shred section – before handing over to Faulkner who adds a bit of speed metal flavor. 

Myers and Schwartz are then invited – via the age-old nod of the head – to give their contributions, which land more in the traditional rock ’n’ roll vein, before all four get together for an explosion of unison bends and guitar stank faces. But in the best possible way.

Skynyrd’s original Free Bird solo sections have become some of the most iconic leads in rock history. Guitarist Gary Rossington once told Guitar World that the solo section was partly invented to give vocalist Ronnie Van Zant time off during long sets.

“Ronnie said, ‘Why don’t you do something at the end of that so I can take a break for a few minutes,’” said Rossington, in a 2009 interview.

“So I came up with those three chords at the end and Allen [Collins] played over them, then I soloed and then he soloed. It all evolved out of a jam one night. So we started playing it that way, but Ronnie kept saying, ‘It’s not long enough. Make it longer!’”

Due to its length and challenging nature, it’s also become a long-running joke for audience members to request rock bands play Free Bird – a challenge Nichols and co seem to have met with enthusiasm.

Judas Priest reunited with K.K. Downing at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the guitarist's first performance with the band in 13 years.

The group of musicians – also including vocalist Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill, guitarist Glenn Tipton, drummer Scott Travis and former drummer Les Binks – were all inducted into the Rock Hall after receiving the Musical Excellence Award, bar guitarist Richie Faulkner, who replaced Downing in the British heavy metal institution in 2011. Late drummer Dave Holland was also inducted.

During the performance, which took place at LA’s Microsoft Theater on Saturday (November 5), and for which touring guitarist Andy Sneap sat out, the band played a medley of three of their biggest songs, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight.

In a social media post following the event, Faulkner described sharing the stage with Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing at the same time as “an experience I’ll never forget”.

“One life, I’m gonna live it up,” he wrote. “What a night! I’m sure it was a flood of emotions for everybody involved and for all the fans, but to be up there with both [Glenn Tipton] and K.K. [Downing] as part of a guitar trio with Judas Priest was an experience I’ll never forget. A huge congrats to all the guys and to all the amazing artists who got inducted last night. It was truly surreal to be there.”

Said Alice Cooper, who inducted the British metal titans into the Rock Hall: “[Judas Priest] defined the sound we know of heavy metal and their sound is unmistakable. And what can you say about Rob Halford’s voice? Never have screams covered such a range. Is there any emotion that he can’t express?

“They’re electrifying on stage and one of the hardest-hitting live bands in the history of rock and roll. Priest [have] carried the flag of hard rock and heavy metal proudly for something like 50 years, never wavering or following trends or pretending to be anything but exactly what they are. They are flying high tonight. Much deserved and long overdue.”

In his acceptance speech, Rob Halford addressed the subjects of inclusivity in heavy metal, and the band’s 50 years in the game.

“I’m the gay guy in the band,” he said. “We call ourselves the heavy metal community which is all-inclusive, no matter what your sexual identity is, what you look like, or what you believe in or don't believe in. Everybody's welcome.”

He continued: “We should get out another 50 years, but the joy about music is that it lives forever. And that's the reason why we're here. We live for heavy metal. We live for music. And we're living for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.”

Other inductees into the Rock Hall this year included Eminem, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Carly Simon.

It’s unclear yet whether Downing’s appearance with Judas Priest at the Rock Hall induction ceremony was a one-off, or whether it will spark future collaboration.

Last month, in conversation with the Detroit Metro Times, Ian Hill said that while “time is not on our side” for any such projects, Downing’s appearance at the 2022 Rock Hall induction ceremony “might kickstart something”. “On the other hand, he might pull us apart,” Hill joked.

In another interview with Ultimate Classic Rock last month, Downing described the thought of getting on stage with his former Judas Priest bandmates as “almost like cracking a beer, let alone riding a bike”.

“It’s embedded in me,” he said. “It’s what I do. So it’ll be quite something to look forward to, just to get up there and crank the amps up and just do it once again, for that short moment in time.”

Downing’s performance with his former bandmates was a landmark occasion, following years of tension. In a Guitar World interview back in February, Glenn Tipton fired back at K.K. Downing, saying: “His accusations have gotten sillier and sillier – and I deserve to respond.”

“I never wanted to get into a public argument after KK left,” he said. “I never said a word and I stuck to my guns for over 10 years, but there comes a point when you read things that have been said that are just crazy. It's time to say something, really because he's saying things that he really shouldn't be saying. They aren't fair.”

“He's insinuated that he was the driving force of the band,” he continues. “It just isn't true. Priest [is] made up of five guys working together. [There's] not just one person driving the band. He's said all these things that, I think, are meant to upset us and get us to say something in response and for a long time we didn't. But I've got a lot to say and enough's enough.”

Judas Priest electric guitar hero Richie Faulkner and Pantera bass guitar titan Rex Brown have joined forces to create a new metal supergroup, Elegant Weapons.

Also featuring longtime Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis and former Rainbow frontman Ronnie Romero, Elegant Weapons will release their first album, Horns for a Halo, in spring 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band's music, Faulkner says, is "a mix of Jimi Hendrix, Priest, Sabbath, solo Ozzy and Black Label Society – heavy, catchy, and with melody."

Elegant Weapons, Faulkner says, stemmed from his desire to make an album outside of Judas Priest with Scott Travis. "[Adding] to that Rex Brown’s unmistakable tone and attitude," Faulkner added in a press release, "is something special. 

"Having those guys as the rhythm section is a guitar players dream. The icing on the cake was Ronnie Romero. One of the new breed of instantly classic vocalists, Ronnie brought a character and a swagger to the songs that is instantly iconic, making these songs his own."

Horns for a Halo was produced by Andy Sneap, who has served as a touring guitarist for Judas Priest since 2018, when Glenn Tipton retired from touring with the band due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. Sneap also co-produced Priest's most recent studio effort, 2018's Firepower.

Horns for a Halo, Faulkner says, is "Sort of old school and modern at once if that makes any sense, and actually down-tuned a whole step." 

The Marshall Plexi guitar amp, the guitarist says, played a significant role in the LP's modern-with-a-vintage-twist sound. 

"It [the Plexi] basically does one thing, but you’ve got to crank it to 11 for it to have that distorted sound," he explains. "It hasn’t got a lot of bells and whistles on it or different channels and effects. It basically does one thing and does it very well. But again down-tuning creates more of a modern sound, and by using the classic sound of the Marshall Plexi, you get that juxtaposition, that contrast. 

"All told," the guitarist adds, "there are a lot of guitar solos and the songs are on the heavier side. And even though there’s a lot of melody, it’s still going to shake your bones.”

For more info on Elegant Weapons, keep your eyes on the band's social media accounts in the coming weeks and months.

Richie Faulkner has updated fans on his health, explaining he underwent a second open heart surgery in August.

The Judas Priest guitarist had previously been put out of action following an onstage heart attack with the band at Louder Than Life festival on September 26, 2021. Fortunately, he was recovered, following life-saving surgery at the nearby Rudd Heart and Lung Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Faulkner marked the one year anniversary of the event by updating fans on Facebook alongside a clip from Louder Than Life. In the accompanying post, which you can read in full below, the guitarist, known affectionately as ‘Falcon’, revealed that he underwent a second heart procedure back in August. 

“One year ago today. Less than an hour before my life changed forever. It's crazy how one minute you're listening to the crowd singing war pigs- everything normal, everything seemingly fine- the next it turns out that it was almost the last time I ever heard it. Unbeknownst to me there was stuff going on under the surface that was about to literally explode.

“I’m fortunate and grateful to be here a year later typing this. My support system at home, the hospitals and of course from all you metal maniacs has been second to none and I thank you all.

“I’m not completely out of the woods yet. Just before we toured Europe, scans showed a hole in one of the connections between the synthetic graft and my own aorta that was causing a leak. The blood from the leak was forming an 8cm sack that was surrounding my heart. The doctors were okay for me to tour Europe, but as soon as I got back I had to go under again for another open-heart surgery. So 3 days after we played Belgium, they went in, removed the sack and fixed the leak.

“So I'm now six weeks post the 2nd open heart surgery, feeling well and strong and Looking forward to seeing you all again on the next leg of the US #50heavymetalyears tour starting in a few weeks. My surgeons were always confident that it was enough time for me to recover and get back out on the road and it seems like they were right. We had to lose @aftershockfestival in order for me to recover, but it looks like it's still gonna be a Kick-Ass festival.

“Look after yourselves and your loved ones, you never know what's round the corner. Stay safe and see you all soon. Much love, Falcon x RHRF DOTF.”

Faulkner recently told Guitar World that the experience had helped him to develop a new sense of perspective in his career and personal life. 

“I want to just be myself and do what I do and play with Priest and play guitar and be a dad,” said the guitarist. “But I have more of an awareness now of what can happen to anyone at any time. That’s scary, but it puts things in perspective and makes you appreciate what you have. 

“It was such an emotional moment when I put my foot back on the stage in Peoria, Illinois, for the first date I played after my incident. To get up there and hear the fans cheering and showing their appreciation was like a celebration of everything I’m so lucky to still be involved with. So I know I have a lot to be thankful for.”

All the way back in January, Tool electric guitar player Adam Jones raised eyebrows when he used a mysterious Gibson Flying V with a split headstock onstage at the band's tour opener at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon.

With the launch of the Gibson USA version of Jones' signature Les Paul Standard in March, and the continuous teases of his seemingly imminent signature Epiphone Les Paul Custom, though, you'd be forgiven for letting the V slip your mind in the face of the Tool guitarist's other recent Gibson activity.

Recently though, Jones took to Instagram to give viewers a closer look at what he calls "the most BAMF Flying V ever" (we'll let you Google what that stands for if you don't know already), a gorgeous custom guitar that apparently was designed with assistance from Kirk Hammett, Richie Faulkner and Jim Root.

"This is now one of my top favorite guitars of all time," Jones says in the video's caption, "A stellar Custom Vintage Aged reverse Silverburst Gibson Flying V with a beautiful Murphy Lab finish. My dream guitar made true by my good friend Cesar Gueikian – thank you amigo!"

"I always loved the 1958 Futura headstock & [asked] if [the] Gibson team would be willing to pull it out of retirement. I believe it’s one of the heaviest Flying V‘s Gibson has ever made to date.

"The overall tone – lows/mids/highs – are amazing," the Tool six-stringer continued, "and the heavy body weight also helps me control feedback and sustain just like my vintage LPCs [Les Paul Customs]. I played this epic instrument on stage during the last 2022 Tool tour and it sounds and performs killer!"

The guitar, Jones revealed, is one of only three of its kind. Jones owns numbers 1 and 3, and Gibson's Cesar Gueikian owns number 2.

Furthermore, Jones rounded out the post by thanking Kirk Hammett, Richie Faulkner and Jim Root, among others, for "help/input/support and consulting." Custom Vs do take a village...

Jones' relationship with the Gibson Custom Shop hasn't just resulted in Les Pauls and Vs of late, either. Earlier this year, the firm made a one-off double-neck Silverburst EDS-1275 model for him as a gift.

For Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, September 26, 2021, started out like any other gig day. The band was scheduled to play support to Metallica on the fourth and final night of the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Faulkner was a little tired, but after two and a half weeks on tour, that was hardly unusual.

He poured himself a vodka and Red Bull and downed it. Combined with the adrenaline of playing to a sold-out crowd, he soon perked up and was excited to take the stage dressed in trademark studded black leather vest and black leather pants, and wielding a Gibson Flying V. 

Judas Priest opened with One Shot at Glory from 1990’s Painkiller, then launched into Lightning Strike from 2018’s Firepower. By the third song, the 1982 anthem You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, they were locked in and celebrating career-spanning songs on their long-delayed (due to Covid) 50th Anniversary tour.

The hour-long set flew by, and as Judas Priest played the last song of the night, the hyper-charged Painkiller, Faulkner continued rocking out, shaking his leonine locks and alternating between joyful smiles and metal grimaces. 

Halfway through the song, the grimaces became real. Faulkner felt his chest tighten. Moderate pain and pressure swept through his midsection. He felt disoriented and short of breath. Even so, he was driven by devotion and managed to play a dextrous whammy bar-enhanced solo and even raised his guitar to the sky. As vocalist Rob Halford delivered the final vocal salvo, Faulkner exited the stage and collapsed into a chair.

“I needed to finish the song, but I had the presence of mind to come back from the edge of the stage just in case I passed out from fatigue,” Faulkner says in a Zoom interview six months after the Louisville show. 

“Luckily, Metallica was headlining that night or we would have played a full set and I probably would have dropped dead onstage.” 

Paramedics urged Faulkner to go to the hospital. But the guitarist felt constricted in his tight leather and wanted to remove his stage clothes before figuring out what to do next.

“If I had known my heart had split open and I was bleeding into my chest cavity, I might have handled it a bit differently. But I had no idea,” Faulkner says. “I got my jeans and T-shirt on. I didn’t think it was anything really serious and I didn’t want to make a fuss. I probably would have kept going if we did an encore.”

When he got back to the medics and his girlfriend Mariah Lynch (daughter of Dokken star George Lynch), Faulkner said he thought he was just exhausted and instead of going to the hospital, he wanted to drive two and a half hours back home to his place near Nashville.

“The original plan before the show was to drive home and have a few days off at the house to spend with our new baby,” Faulkner says. “Then I was going to fly to Denver to meet the band and carry on with the tour. I figured I could still do that. I’d been healthy before the show, so I was like, ‘Obviously, it’s not a big deal. Let’s just get in the car and go back home. It’s going to be okay.’ There’s no question I would have died in the car on the way back home if I even made it to the car.”

At the insistence of the medics, Lynch convinced Faulkner to get into a waiting ambulance. As it turned out, his aorta couldn’t have exploded in a better location. The Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center is five miles from the Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health– Jewish Hospital, which has one of the best and most well-equipped cardiac units in the country.

With six months of hindsight, the guitarist fully recognizes that he nearly lost everything on September 26 and now he has more appreciation for his family, friends and band. At the same time, he says it seems like the incident in Louisville happened so long ago it has little bearing on his life today.

“It’s so weird because I’m feeling good. I’m feeling strong,” he says. “It feels like a lifetime ago when I was onstage in Kentucky dancing with the Reaper. I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be here. I know that. But it’s still hard to believe it really happened.”

During a lengthy, revealing Zoom call, Faulkner talks about being completely blindsided and disoriented by his aortic dissection, the extent of damage to the arteries around his heart, how surgeons rebuilt him with powerful metal, and his post-op struggle to regain the strength and stamina he needed to tour again with Judas Priest. 

He also addresses the announcement that the band was going to tour as a four-piece, the unique writing relationship Faulkner has with Glenn Tipton, the follow-up to Firepower, and plans to work on a side project beyond the realm of Priest.

Ironically, at 42, you are the youngest member of Judas Priest and your bandmates are elder statesmen. Yet, despite various illnesses and accidents some of the other guys have suffered since you joined, you’re the only one who has come so close to dying. Did you have any personal or family history of heart ailments?

“No, nothing. It came right out of the blue. I think there was high blood pressure pounding on the walls of my aorta, and over time it weakened the walls without anyone knowing. And then, finally, it just burst.”

That’s terrifying. Were there any warning signs?

“Not that I could tell. They say people who are having heart problems sometimes have backaches, but I’m 42 and I’ve been running around onstage forever. So my back has been hurting daily since I was about 35. 

“In February 2020, I had a physical in England and the doctor checked my blood pressure and said it was a little high, but she said it was okay and there was nothing to worry about. The Kentucky show was in September the following year, and there was never any indication of any problem before I got halfway through Painkiller.”

What do you remember from the time you got into the ambulance?

“Everything was a whirlwind. You’re on a stretcher being walked down the corridor and you’ve been pumped full of adrenaline because you’re going under and you might not come out of it. And you have no idea what’s going on. Then, if you’re lucky, you wake up in a recovery room.”

What did doctors do when you were on the operating table?

“They knew I needed open-heart surgery and thought they were going to have to do a four or five hour operation. So they opened me up and saw I had an aortic aneurysm [a ballooning of the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso].

“It had ballooned and ruptured [causing blood to flood through the tear with such force the inner and middle layers of the aorta split]. So it was a lot more severe than what they anticipated, and the procedure took them 11 hours. I had to have four blood transfusions.”

Were they confident they could fix the damage and stitch you back up?

“Honestly, they weren’t sure. Partway through, they had someone come out and tell my other half to call for my family to come to the hospital because they didn’t know if I was going to make it out. 

“When my aorta dissected, the artery split all the way to my waist. And then there are the arteries that go up to your brain and it split and dissected all the way up there as well. So the whole thing just exploded. It’s really amazing they were able to bring me back.”

Did they fix everything?

“They repaired the rupture and the aneurysm. There was no heart attack to fix. My heart was completely fine. It was the aorta that burst, so they repaired it with a mechanical valve. And they repaired other parts of my heart with bits of metal since the dissection caused a lot of damage. I’m more metal now than ever. I like to joke that I’ve literally got a heart of metal.

“But I know how serious it was and I know I would have died if I didn’t have these miracle doctors. But they couldn’t repair everything. The bit [of artery] that goes down to my waist is still dissected. It’s just not life-threatening. Nothing’s going to happen in the short term.”

Why didn’t they repair that during the operation?

“They couldn’t keep me under anesthesia any longer. Otherwise, I might have suffered brain damage. So they had to stitch me up and now doctors keep an eye on it. If you monitor your heart rate and your blood pressure, it can scar over and you can be fine. But if it gets bigger over time, they can operate on it and fix it then.”

Considering your aorta split onstage and you were bleeding out, it’s amazing you were able to get to the hospital in time.

“One question I had for the doctors was how I was able to go on for so long, because, yeah, once these things rupture you’ve usually got minutes and you’re gone. They think that maybe my adrenaline was so high because we were playing and that my heart was pumping hard enough and fast enough to keep me going long enough to get pumped up with more adrenaline and keep me going to the hospital. So I can literally say the power of heavy metal kept me alive long enough to save my life. I was literally, possibly saved by metal.”

Do you remember waking up in the ICU?

“I opened my eyes and there were tubes sticking out of me everywhere. That was really weird. But I realized I was still here. I was in the ICU for four days and I made a gradual, day-by-day recovery.”

Can you explain the recovery process?

“I was in [the] hospital for 10 days, which they said was really good since a lot of people with my condition are there for a month. But it was hard. I had to stand up not long after they cut me open, and that wasn’t fun. They made me walk, and I couldn’t because your muscles atrophy and you’ve got no strength left in your legs or arms. I had to relearn how to walk.”

“After a few days, you can do 10 steps with the walker and you’re exhausted. It’s awful but you’ve got to do all these things to gradually build up your strength. And you have all these breathing exercises as well because your lungs deflate when you’re lying down and you’ve got to do them to prevent pneumonia. That was the most painful because your chest cavity hurts like hell. 

“You have a big scar up there that they sewed together and every time I breathed in, even a little bit, it hurt. For these lung exercises, I had to breathe as hard as I could. And then, hopefully, you don’t sneeze or cough, ’cause that’s just the end of the world.

Were you going stir crazy while you were in the hospital?

“I was determined to get out, but they obviously won’t let you go until they’re satisfied with your recovery. After 10 days, they said I could leave and I continued my recovery at home. I’m sure the combination of my stubbornness and determination helped me heal faster. And I think my youth was on my side. 

“I’m relatively young for this kind of thing. I’m not a smoker, I’m not a big drinker. But at the end of it all, I’m the luckiest man in the world. Some people who have aortic dissection lose their arms or legs or they don’t make it. I’m the most fortunate person that’s ever lived. I’ll be on medication for the rest of my life, but that’s a small price to pay.

Did you have a guitar with you in the hospital or was playing again not even a concern at that point?

“I didn’t have a guitar and there’s no way I could have played it while I was in hospital. But one of the first things I worried about was whether I would still be able to play. When I woke up in the ICU I think one of my first questions was, “What’s happening with the tour and what are we going to do?”

What did they tell you?............

“They told me I was in the ICU and obviously the tour wasn’t still going on. It’s kind of funny that my first concern was about the tour, but I think a large part of anybody’s recovery is pushing yourself to get back to who you are. I wanted to recover for my family and my daughter. Getting back home and getting the guitar back in my hands was part of what I needed to do to get back on track and to give me the strength to keep going.”

How long did it take you after you got home to pick up a guitar again, and were you able to play right away?

“About four days after I got home, I tried to play. That was two weeks after it happened and that was hard. You want everything to be exactly the way it was, but you’ve been through this intense trauma. You don’t know if you’ve lost too much blood to your brain and if your fingers will ever be able to function like they did. I was determined but I was also worried.”

When was it clear you could play again?

“It took a little while. I’d work at it and sometimes it would get a little bit easier, and that made me feel a bit better. And sometimes I was tired or just not focused and it was hard and I got frustrated. But I kept going and it got to a point where it kept getting easier. That gave me this sense of accomplishment and kept me going because I realized there was a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Have you had to change your lifestyle or diet since your brush with death?

“The good thing is my heart is fine. So the most important thing is to keep my blood thin enough to pass through the mechanical valve. I’ve had to cut out broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach – all leafy greens. 

“But I can have meat, carrots, potatoes and ice cream. That works just fine for me. I have to watch my salt levels and keep an eye on my blood pressure and heart rate. And I’m on the blood thinner, Coumadin, which prevents blood clots. As long as the blood doesn’t get too thick and start to clot, they said I can even have a couple of drinks every now and again.”

Before the tour resumed, the band issued a statement that mentioned the 50th Anniversary shows would continue with you as the sole guitarist. That surprised a lot of people, including second guitarist Andy Sneap.

“Andy has been fantastic standing in, but I think we’ve never really thought about who is going to either replace Glenn, or who is going to be the permanent road guitarist. Obviously, Glenn is still in the band. But the question we were asking ourselves was, can we have a permanent stand-in or will we do something else?”

Was a tour without a second guitarist going to be a test for the latter?

“Well, Rob called me one day and he said, “Falcon, would you be able to handle all the guitars?” I think he had mentioned something like that on the socials a few days earlier. I said, 'Yes, I think so.' He said, 'It might be cool if we went to being a four-piece like we did in the beginning because then we wouldn’t be replacing Glenn. That might be the solution.' 

“I said, 'Well, whatever you want to do, Boss. If that’s what everyone wants, I’m up for it.' I really thought it would have sounded great. We all did. I went out and bought four harmonizer pedals to try to build up the sound. We didn’t need any of them in the end.”

Were you surprised how fans reacted to the initial statement? Even Andy issued a statement suggesting he was surprised by the decision.

“It just shows how passionate people still are about Priest. If they didn’t care, we would’ve really been in trouble. But they cared an awful lot, and they expressed how they felt – and we listened. It was the only way to go. And, at the end of the day, I think Andy wants to be a part of it and wants to help out wherever he can. 

“So he was disappointed but respectful of the original decision to tour as a four-piece. And he was happy when we changed our minds. He has always said he’s a big fan of the band and he’ll do whatever we need.”

Glenn said the band wrote some new material for the next album before Covid hit. Sadly, he has Parkinson’s and can’t play like he used to, but he can still write music. When you work together now, does he explain how he wants you to play a riff or a part? Or does he demonstrate what he wants by playing it as well as he can and then having you further develop it?

“Both, really. It depends if he’s having a good day or a bad day. He’s always got parts in his head and will try to communicate by telling me how to do it or showing me an example. Sometimes, he does stuff on his own and then presents the idea after he’s worked on it for a bit. 

“If we’re doing something together he might say, 'Try this or try that.' Glenn’s challenges have affected him, but as long as you’ve got his creative spark and ideas, and he’s involved, that’s all you can ask for – that excitement from him and his input.”

Are you taking more of a writing role now with the band than you did on Firepower?

“I think it will be the same. Before the pandemic, me, Rob and Glenn did a session together and we got down some great ideas. But then during the shutdown, because of the separation, I think we’ve done more on our own. Usually we’re more collaborative. So it will be interesting to see how this one comes out because of all the individual ideas that have come up.”

When will you re-enter the studio?

“We’re still looking for a window to get together. We’ve got songs in demo stages so we’re off to a good start. There’s definitely enough material for a record – probably more than enough. Now we have to get them all to the next stage.”

Do you have more potential Priest riffs to bring to the table than you had when you started the album?

“Yeah, I’m always writing bits and pieces and putting stuff together. Sometimes they’re Priest-like and sometimes they’re not. It’s funny because sometimes you write stuff you think would never work in the band, but then you put it forward in a session and it becomes Priest. 

“Glenn puts a little twist on and Rob adds his ideas and there you go. On Redeemer of Souls, Crossfire was something I didn’t think would work, but I showed it to the guys anyway and it became a pretty cool track.”

Despite the care you took with social distancing and immunizations, you caught Covid shortly before returning to the road for the 50th Anniversary tour. Were you in an immuno-compromised state because of your aortic dissection?

“I’ve been working on building a studio with a friend of mine. We were both isolating with our families and I had my immunization shots and my booster. But yeah, I somehow got Covid. 

“I think I got the [Omicron] variety because it didn’t last too long. I didn’t lose my taste and smell, but I had a bad cough. I had one bad night and then three or four nights when I felt like I was getting rid of it. But we’ve got a 19-month-old baby in the house and we wanted to protect her. She got it, anyway, but she was fine.”

Has your daughter shown a gift for music?

“Guitar runs in her family. Grandpa is George Lynch so she loves guitar. She loves Def Leppard’s Hysteria and now she loves Pyromania, so she has gone up a level further toward metal. She’s so much fun and she’s got an attitude on her.”

Do you and George get along well?

“He’s based in California so he comes over when he can, which is great. He’s great with the baby. George has always been there at the top of the guitarists I liked. I first got into Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica. Then there was Eddie Van Halen, Vai, Satriani and Paul Gilbert. 

“But George had this unorthodox way of playing. Everyone else tried to be everyone else, but he had a weird way of playing that you could identify right away. When he comes around and plays, he’s still got a weird style that’s really unique and you can’t copy it.”

Have you jammed with Grandpa George?

“We did a couple of live jams – the Instagram live thing. We thought we’d talk for a couple hours, but he loves guitar and gear. We talked all night. But we didn’t write anything together.”

Do you want to do a solo album?

“Yeah, but I’d like to do it more as a band thing. I wouldn’t want it to be called Richie Faulkner’s Rainbow. I worked on a project with a few people during the pandemic and we’re in talks at the moment with labels. I don’t want to give too much away, but when the pandemic hit I thought maybe it’s time to get a batch of songs and get them into shape and put them out.”

Will it be a metal album?

“It’s always hard to talk about your stuff without crawling up your own ass. I think it’s heavy, but it’s not as 'metal.' It’s a bit more bluesy. You can hear that it’s coming from a guitarist in Priest, but it’s enough of a departure to sound like something outside of the band. There’s some Hendrix references in there and stuff that’s a bit more groove-oriented.”

Has being on tour again and planning for future albums put you in a better mindframe than you were in before the aortic dissection?

“Yes and no. I want to just be myself and do what I do and play with Priest and play guitar and be a dad. But I have more of an awareness now of what can happen to anyone at any time. That’s scary, but it puts things in perspective and makes you appreciate what you have. 

“It was such an emotional moment when I put my foot back on the stage in Peoria, Illinois, for the first date I played after my incident. To get up there and hear the fans cheering and showing their appreciation was like a celebration of everything I’m so lucky to still be involved with. So I know I have a lot to be thankful for.”

• Reflections – 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music is out now via Legacy Recordings.

Last year, Judas Priest electric guitar hero Richie Faulkner suffered a major aortic aneurysm in the middle of the band’s set at the 2021 Louder Than Life music festival in Kentucky.

In a series of subsequent updates issued to the general public, the severity of Faulkner’s medical emergency soon became more and more apparent. After undergoing a life-saving open heart surgery at the nearby Rudd Heart & Lung Center, the guitarist took to social media to say that “people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive”.

Not long after, though, Faulkner was back in the saddle, shredding on Instagram live just 10 weeks after his surgery and linking up with Demon Hunter in the studio to track a guitar solo.

In the latest issue of Guitar World, Faulkner sat down to discuss his miraculous road to recovery, and revealed the key force that kept him alive in the aftermath of the emergency – the power of heavy metal.

As Faulkner explained, “One question I had for the doctors was how I was able to go on for so long, because, yeah, once these things rupture you’ve usually got minutes and you’re gone. 

“They think that maybe my adrenaline was so high because we were playing,” he continued, “and that my heart was pumping hard enough and fast enough to keep me going long enough to get pumped up with more adrenaline and keep me going to the hospital. 

“So I can literally say the power of heavy metal kept me alive long enough to save my life. I was literally, possibly saved by metal.”

Elsewhere, Faulkner discussed his extensive road to recovery, reflecting he first reunited with his guitar four days after he came home from hospital – a mere two weeks after being hospitalized – as he harbored fears that his fingers wouldn’t work like they used to pre-accident.

“One of the first things I worried about was whether I would still be able to play,” he admitted. “When I woke up in the ICU I think one of my first questions was, ‘What’s happening with the tour and what are we going to do?’”

As for reacquainting himself with the six-string, he commented, “You want everything to be exactly the way it was, but you’ve been through this intense trauma. You don’t know if you’ve lost too much blood to your brain and if your fingers will ever be able to function like they did. I was determined but I was also worried.”

Progress was slow and steady, interrupted by periods of tiredness and frustration, but Faulkner was constantly buoyed by a “sense of accomplishment” and the prospect of reaching the “light at the end of the tunnel”.

It’s an amazing feat, given just how severe Faulkner’s medical emergency was. Without going into too much grisly detail, the guitarist was on the operating table for 11 hours after his aorta – the main artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso – ruptured.

According to Faulkner, the aortic aneurysm proved to be “a lot more severe than what [the doctors] anticipated”.

“Partway through, they had someone come out and tell my other half to call for my family to come to the hospital because they didn’t know if I was going to make it out.”

He did make it out, though, and now has some serious battle scars as a result of the emergency. As Faulkner explained, parts of his heart have been patched up with metal plates, since the invasive surgery “caused a lot of damage”.

“I’m more metal than ever,” Faulkner offered. “I like to joke that I’ve literally got a heart of metal. But I know how serious it was and I know I would have died if I didn’t have these miracle doctors.”

For those of a strong disposition, the whole in-depth conversation with Richie Faulkner about his triumphant comeback – including some eye-watering surgery detail – can be found in the latest issue of Guitar World, which is available now from Magazines Direct.

Glenn Tipton joined Judas Priest for the encores of two shows last weekend at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California on Saturday (March 12) and the Zappos Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday (March 13).

Having previously suggested that Tipton would join the band for select dates on their ongoing 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour, frontman Rob Halford brought Tipton out to roaring crowds on both dates to play through Metal Gods, Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight.

Tipton stepped back from touring duties with Judas Priest in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but remains hellbent on not letting the condition stop him from playing. Watch as he blazes through three Priest classics, and serves up the solo in Living After Midnight, in the footage below.

Despite taking a step back from official touring duties, Tipton is set to play guitar on the next Judas Priest album, Halford confirmed late last year.

“He can play, so he'll be on this next album,” Halford told Spain's Mariskal Rock. “Whatever work he does, he's valuable – really important.”

“He's a member of Judas Priest,” the frontman continued. “He's still there. He's still an important component of this band and what this band represents, particularly in the writing sense. He made a massive contribution to the songs that we have so far. And we'll still keep writing – we'll still keep putting together the ideas. Because you can never stop writing.”

"So, yeah, he's good, man," Halford added. "He's still a fighter. He never lets anything stop him. He's a great force for people that are living their lives actively and productively with Parkinson's. So he's still very much [like] that No Surrender song – a heavy metal hero."

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner appears to be back into the swing of things, too, after suffering an aortic aneurysm onstage with the band at Louder Than Life in September last year.

In a remarkable recovery following the incident, Faulkner was shredding on Instagram Live just 10 weeks afterwards, and back in December, he revealed he was back in the studio recording a guest solo for Demon Hunter's next album.

Priest's full-time guitar tandem is currently completed by Andy Sneap, who produced their 2018 album Firepower, and has filled in for Tipton ever since. Back in January, the band announced that they would go forth touring without Sneap, but following fan backlash, his place in the group's touring lineup was reinstated.

The band's setlist was the same in both Oakland and Las Vegas. Check it out below.

1. One Shot at Glory
2. Lightning Strike
3. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
4. Freewheel Burning
5. Turbo Lover
6. Hell Patrol
7. The Sentinel
8. A Touch of Evil
9. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
14. Painkiller
15. Electric Eye
16. Hell Bent for Leather
17. Metal Gods
18. Breaking the Law
19. Living After Midnight

Judas Priest's 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour continues tomorrow (March 15) at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.

Judas Priest have kicked off a series of rescheduled dates on the North American leg of their 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour, marking the return of guitarist Richie Faulkner, who suffered an aortic aneurysm onstage with the band back in September. The tour was postponed following the incident.

Taking to the stage on Friday night (March 4) at the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, Faulkner appeared to be back firing on all cylinders, helping the band rattle through a discography-spanning selection of their greatest hits, including You've Got Another Thing Comin', Turbo Lover and Painkiller, before concluding with fan favorite, Living After Midnight. Check out footage below.

Judas Priest's touring lineup currently consists of frontman Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis, while Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap make up the band's guitar tandem.

Back in January, the band announced their intention to resume the 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour as a four-piece. This meant the departure of Andy Sneap, who produced the band's 2018 effort, Firepower, and had assumed live duties since. At the time, Sneap said he was “incredibly disappointed”, but respected the band's decision.

However following fan backlash, Priest reversed the decision, announcing that Sneap would indeed join them for the remainder of the tour. They also confirmed that longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton – who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2018 – would join them “whenever he's able”.

Richie Faulkner has made a remarkable recovery since suffering an aortic aneurysm onstage at Louder Than Life in September. Just 10 weeks after the incident, he was shredding on Instagram Live, and back in December, he revealed he was back in the studio recording a guest solo for Demon Hunter's forthcoming album.

Faulkner joined Judas Priest in 2011, replacing longtime guitarist K.K. Downing. To date, he has appeared on two of the band's albums: Redeemer of Souls (2014) and Firepower (2018).

K.K. Downing's relationship with Judas Priest has soured in recent years. In 2018, he released a memoir titled Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest, which delved into the reasons behind his departure. He noted his relationship with Glenn Tipton as a major contributing factor.

“I never found Glenn to be particularly easy to get along with,” Downing wrote (per The Guardian). “Very early on, I was fully aware of the limited conditions under which he operated. If you were going to relate to him, you would do so entirely on his terms.”

And in the new issue of Guitar World, Tipton fires back, stating why he feels much of what's been said by Downing is untrue and unfair.

“He's insinuated that he was the driving force of the band,” he says. “It just isn't true. Priest [is] made up of five guys working together. [There's] not just one person driving the band. He's said all these things that, I think, are meant to upset us and get us to say something in response and for a long time we didn't. But I've got a lot to say and enough's enough.”

The North American leg of Judas Priest's 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour will make stops in LA, San Antonio, Philadelphia and more, before wrapping up April 13 in Hamilton, Canada.

The band is then scheduled to head to Russia to begin the European leg of the tour in May, though the status of their Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kyiv shows remains up in the air following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

See below for the band's full setlist from the Peoria Civic Center on March 4.

1. One Shot At Glory
2. Lightning Strike
3. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
4. Freewheel Burning
5. Turbo Lover
6. Hell Patrol
7. The Sentinel
8. A Touch Of Evil
9. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Invader
14. Painkiller

Encore:

1. The Hellion / Electric Eye
2. Hell Bent For Leather
3. Breaking The Law
4. Living After Midnight

Judas Priest man Richie Faulkner appeared on Ryan Roxie’s In The Trenches podcast recently and revealed that he has been building a stockpile of solo material.

“I haven't really spoken much about it publicly,” says Faulkner. “But there is something I've kind of been [putting] together during the COVID period… I've used that time to kind of get [together] some songs I've been working on… polish them up, get some people together that I respect in the music business and record some stuff.”

Faulkner revealed that the material – thought to be a solo album – is now in its final stages of preparation and he’s now looking at how he can get it out there. “We're looking for deals at the moment,” says Faulkner. “We’re looking for record labels, so I don't wanna get too far ahead of myself.”

Faulkner joined Priest in 2011 following the departure of KK Downing, while Roxie joined Alice Cooper in 1996, so the guitarists share something in common, having both joined later lineups of established heavy acts. 

Faulkner says that his warm welcome and loyalty to Priest is what has prevented him from paying attention to his solo material before. 

“When I joined Priest, I didn't wanna sort of get the gig and then, straight away, 'Oh, now listen to my solo thing.’” says the guitarist. 

“‘Priest, they welcomed me in, they gave me a voice, they gave me an opinion, and I felt like this was my band. They've made me a part of it and I gave back a thousand percent. So I didn't wanna sort of then do my own thing and abuse that opportunity… But 10 or 11 years in, I feel that fans know that I'm not gonna abuse that opportunity.”

Faulkner says of the material: “You can hear where the roots are, from Priest, but I think it's different enough to be its own monster.”

In the same interview, the guitarist also discusses the incredible ordeal and treatment relating to his 2021 onstage aortic rupture.

“If the odds were stacked slightly differently, dude.. I don’t know how I even made it to the hospital,” says Faulkner.

“My other half was out there waiting for me and the surgeon came out and told her ‘You better call family to come and be with you. He’s not coming out…’ [In the end] they gave me four blood transfusions, I’ve got five mechanical valves. They’re miracle workers. I don’t know how they did it – Rob’s jealous, I’m made of metal now – but all joking aside, the doctors, nurses, the support system I’ve had is miraculous. I shouldn’t be here.”

Watch the full interview above and keep an eye on Richie Faulkner's Instagram for more information on his solo material.

Richie Faulkner recently invited Demon Hunter to his home studio to record a guest electric guitar solo for the Christian metal band’s upcoming album, Exile.

The band’s official Instagram page posted a brief clip, which shows a healthy-looking Faulkner track the solo at The Falcon’s Nest studio with the support of Demon Hunter’s Jeremiah Scott, who built the studio for Faulkner after he moved to Tennessee in 2019.

“Richie Faulkner of the mighty Judas Priest laying down a guest solo on our next album, Exile, coming in 2022,” an accompanying caption read.

And, if the quick-fire clip is anything to go by, it’s going to be a cracking guest effort, loaded with wah-tinged bends and tasty melodic musings aplenty.

It’s believed to be Faulkner's first piece of studio action since the Judas Priest guitarist suffered an onstage aortic aneurysm and had to undergo life-saving open-heart surgery.

And, though he did say in a recent update that he hoped to be playing guitar as soon as possible – and that his physiotherapy comprised lots of shredding – his transition from recovery bed to recording studio is nothing short of miraculous.

The appearance comes only nine days after Faulkner streamed an hour-and-a-half live video of himself shredding on Instagram, itself just 10 weeks after his surgery. This, paired with the stint in the studio, shows that Faulkner’s recovery is headed in the right direction.

Faulkner’s medical emergency occurred in the midst of Judas Priest’s set at Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival on September 26, following which Faulkner was rushed to Rudd Heart & Lung Center – only four miles from the festival site – for surgery.

At the time, doctors informed Faulkner that “people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive”, with the guitarist promptly commenting that “just being able to type this [update] to you all is the biggest gift of all”.

In a following update, Faulkner wrote, “My incisions have healed very well and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm walking well and moving freely, I'm pretty active and I'm starting cardiac therapy very soon.

“I'm playing guitar everyday and with the love and support of my family, the continued support from you guys and the inspiration that I get from the guitar, I'll be back on stage in no time!" he added. "My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show.”

Judas Priest postponed the remainder of their 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour following Faulkner’s medical emergency, though they plan to play the remaining dates from March 2022. 

Though there has been no official word whether Faulkner will be fit enough to play, the guitarist looks to have well and truly placed himself in contention for returning to the stage alongside his bandmates when the time comes.

It's been 10 weeks since Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an aortic aneurysm during the band's set at Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky. The aneurysm – which landed him in 10-and-a-half-hour open-heart surgery – subsequently resulted in Judas Priest postponing the remainder of their 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour.

But despite the seriousness of the incident, and the relatively short period of time since, Faulkner is back tearing up the fretboard, as seen on his latest Instagram Live jam session.

The hour-and-a-half livestream – which took place on Sunday (December 5) – sees Faulkner explore almost everything in his creative arsenal, as he serves up rapid-fire lead licks, thunderous powerchord lines and spacey arpeggiated passages aplenty. Check it out below.

In the days following his hospitalization at the Rudd Heart and Lung Center in Louisville, Kentucky, Faulkner said that doctors had informed him that “people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive”, adding that five parts of his chest have now been replaced with “mechanical components”.

“Today just being able to type this to you all is the biggest gift of all,” he wrote back in October. “As I watch footage from the Louder Than Life Festival in Kentucky, I can see in my face the confusion and anguish I was feeling whilst playing Painkiller as my aorta ruptured and started to spill blood into my chest cavity.”

Offering an update on the status of his recovery last month, Faulkner wrote: “I was able to return home from hospital 10 days after my surgery to continue recovery at home. It has now been seven weeks since the night it all happened and I'm feeling very strong and positive.

“My incisions have healed very well and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm walking well and moving freely, I'm pretty active and I'm starting cardiac therapy very soon.

“I'm playing guitar everyday and with the love and support of my family, the continued support from you guys and the inspiration that I get from the guitar, I'll be back on stage in no time! My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show.”

Judas Priest are set to play the remaining shows of their postponed 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour from March 2022. At present, it's unclear whether Faulkner will be fit to join the band for the run, though given he's still sharp as ever on the fretboard, we'd say the chances are pretty good.

Prior to the original tour's postponement, Andy Sneap had been filling in for longtime Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2018.

Regarding how he views both Sneap and Tipton in a Guitar World interview earlier this year, Faulkner said: “There's no difference of admiration, really – Andy is up there, he's doing his bit, and he's taking the challenge on, when we asked him to fill in for Glenn.

“Andy is a very take-the-bull-by-the-horns type guy, and he's getting more comfortable with the songs and being up there. All credit to him. Obviously there's a difference, but they have the same tenacity and drive to do their best. You can only give them respect for that.”

Richie Faulkner has issued an update on his recovery, saying he’s feeling “very strong and positive” after receiving life-saving open-heart surgery less than two months ago.

The Judas Priest electric player, who suffered an aortic aneurysm onstage during the band’s Louder Than Life Festival set on September 26, was recently discharged from hospital, and revealed in a statement that he’s “walking well and moving freely”.

And, in a show of just how well his recovery is currently going, Faulkner also says he’s “playing guitar everyday”, and speculated he’ll be back on stage in no time thanks to everyone’s support and “the inspiration that I get from the guitar”.

In a post to the Judas Priest social media account, Faulkner said, “Hello there maniacs! I just wanted to post, and I’ve had many of you asking for an update on how my recovery is going. 

“I was able to return home from hospital 10 days after my surgery to continue recovery at home. It has now been seven weeks since the night it all happened and I’m feeling very strong and positive,” he continued. “My incisions have healed very well and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

“I’m walking well and moving freely, I’m pretty active and I’m starting cardiac therapy very soon. I’m playing guitar everyday, and with the love and support of my family, the continued support from you guys and the inspiration that I get from the guitar, I’ll be back on stage in no time! 

“My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show. It’s Thanksgiving this month, and whether you celebrate it or not, I have a lot to give thanks for this year; Including all of you for your patience, your love and your support."

After suffering the onstage aneurysm, Faulkner was rushed to a hospital that was only four miles, with cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Siddharth Pahwa saying, "Mr. Faulkner is alive today because the stars aligned.

"He had an outstanding emergency care team, he was close to a world class heart center, and he was quick to recognize he needed help."

At the time, Faulkner was told that "people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive”.

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner has been discharged from the Louisville, Kentucky hospital where he had been convalescing after undergoing 10-and-a-half hours of open-heart surgery last week, and is now resting at his home in Nashville.

While performing with Priest at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 26, Faulkner suffered from “an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection.” 

After being taken to the Rudd Heart & Lung Center at the University of Louisville, Faulkner was taken to surgery, where – according to the guitarist – five parts of his chest were "replaced with mechanical components." Faulkner said that surgeons informed him that people who suffer from similar cardiac events "don’t usually make it to the hospital alive."

The Louder Than Life festival took place just four miles away from the hospital where Faulkner was taken, and Priest happened to be second on the bill to Metallica on the evening of the 26th, rather than scheduled for a full set. 

“He was only four miles away, but miles equal minutes and he did not have many to spare,” Dr. Siddharth Pahwa, a cardiothoracic surgeon at University of Louisville Health, said in a statement. “Mr. Faulkner is alive today because the stars aligned. He had an outstanding emergency care team, he was close to a world class heart center, and he was quick to recognize he needed help.”

Following Faulkner's hospitalization, Judas Priest postponed their 50 Heavy Metal Years tour indefinitely. Though Faulkner mentioned that he has "a recovery road ahead of me," he added that "as soon as I’m able to get up and running again, you’ll be the first to know and we’ll get back out there delivering the goods for you all!" 

Richie Faulkner has issued an update regarding his health, after the Judas Priest guitarist was hospitalized in order to receive major emergency heart surgery last week.

In the statement, Faulkner revealed he suffered “an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection” during the middle of Priest’s set at Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival on September 26, and said doctors informed him that “people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive”.

Faulkner underwent a 10-and-a-half hour emergency open heart surgery after being taken to Rudd Heart & Lung Center – also in Kentucky, four miles from the festival – and said that five parts of his chest have now been replaced with “mechanical components”.

Judas Priest announced the postponement of their 50 Heavy Metal Years tour following the onset of Faulkner's heart issues, and though the guitarist has spoken of his upcoming recovery road, he's voiced his eagerness to resume his duties when he's "able to get back up and running again".

Faulkner’s full statement can be found below.

“I’ve always been grateful for the opportunities I’ve been presented with. I’ve always considered myself the most fortunate man ever – to be able to play my favourite music – with my favourite band – to my favourite people around the world.

“Today just being able to type this to you all is the biggest gift of all. As I watch footage from the Louder Than Life Festival in Kentucky, I can see in my face the confusion and anguish I was feeling whilst playing Painkiller as my aorta ruptured and started to spill blood into my chest cavity.

“I was having what my doctor called an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection. From what I’ve been told by my surgeon, people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive.

“I was taken to nearby Rudd Heart & Lung Center and quickly went into what turned out to be a 10-and-a-half hour emergency open heart surgery. Five parts of my chest were replaced with mechanical components. I’m literally made of metal now.

“It could have all ended so differently – we only had an hour set that night due to Metallica’s performance after us – and it does cross my mind if it was a full set, would I have played until total collapse? If it hadn’t happened in such a high adrenaline situation, would my body have been able to keep going long enough to reach the hospital?

“The amazing Heart & Lung Center was 4 miles away from the gig site – if it had been further away…

“We can always drive ourselves crazy with these things but I’m still alive thankfully. Whatever the circumstances, when watching that footage, the truth is, knowing what I know now, I see a dying man.

“I’ve been moved to tears and humbled by friends, family, my fantastic band, crew and management and also you guys sending me videos and messages of love and support during the last week.

“I thank you all so much and although I have a recovery road ahead of me, as soon as I’m able to get up and running again, you’ll be the first to know and we’ll get back out there delivering the goods for you all! 

“One last thing, maniacs, this came totally out of the blue for me – no history of a bad heart, no clogged arteries etc…My point is I don’t even have high cholesterol and this could’ve been the end for me. If you can get yourselves checked – do it for me please.

“Lots of love and see you down the front again soon. Richie.”

Richie Faulkner is in a “stable condition” after he was hospitalized earlier this week following major medical heart conditions.

The Judas Priest guitarist underwent “emergency major heart surgery”, with Faulkner’s partner Mariah Lynch confirming on social media that the operation had been successful.

“Thank you to everyone for all your messages,” Lynch wrote on Instagram. “I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.

“Richie underwent major emergency medical heart surgery. He is stable and resting,” she continued. “If you know him, you know how tough and strong he is. So tough that he finished the show and kept the hair flips coming. There’s no one like him.”

Judas Priest – who were in the midst of their 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour – confirmed earlier this week that they had been forced to postpone the remainder of the US schedule after Faulkner’s emergency heart condition “landed him in hospital”.

The band noted in a post on social media that they will look to reschedule the tour following updates from Faulkner’s doctors, and added that “we are all sending love to our Falcon to wish him a speedy recovery”.

Priest’s most recent performance came at the Louder Than Life festival, for which the metal gods recruited a Greeny-wielding Kirk Hammett for a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown).

Since news of Faulkner’s health issues broke, many have flocked to social media to voice their support, with Gibson tweeting, “The Gibson family joins Judas Priest and guitarist Richie Faulkner’s loved ones in wishing him a fast and healthy recovery, so he can return to the stage, where he belongs."

Zakk Wylde, meanwhile, wrote, “Prayers of strength and light to our Jedi brethren o’shred – Father Richie Faulkner. Love you Father Richie, I’ll be checking in on you. Get better my brother.”

Faulkner originally joined the Judas Priest family back in 2011 as a replacement for the outgoing KK Downing. 

The Gibson Flying V-wielding guitarist’s own health issues come off the back of Priest’s 2018 announcement that Glenn Tipton – the band’s long-serving six-string stalwart – had retired from touring, though would continue his involvement in songwriting duties.

Speaking to Guitar World in a recent interview, Faulkner labelled Tipton a “50-year veteran and a rock star”, and that the guitarist elevates Judas Priest’s “rock star level another 50%”.

Judas Priest have postponed the remainder of their current US tour as guitarist Richie Faulkner is experiencing “major medical heart condition issues” that have “landed him in hospital”.

In a new statement published to social media by their publicist Chipster PR, the band write: “It is with deep regret that we have to postpone the rest of our US tour. Richie Faulkner has major medical heart condition issues which have landed him in hospital where he is being treated.

“In the meantime, we are all sending love to our Falcon to wish him a speedy recovery.”

The statement concludes: “As soon as we have any updates from his doctors on when we can reschedule the dates, we will of course announce them – tickets will be valid...”

The trek – dubbed 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour – commenced September 8 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and was scheduled to wrap up Hamilton, Ontario on November 5. 

The metal giants' latest show was at Kentucky's Louder Than Life music festival last weekend (September 26), where they recruited Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett for a performance of Fleetwood Mac's The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown).

For the track – which was originally written by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, and later covered on Judas Priest's 1978 album Hell Bent For Leather – Hammett played his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, affectionately dubbed “Greeny” after its original owner, Peter Green.

Richie Faulkner joined Judas Priest in 2011, following the departure of longtime guitarist KK Downing. In a recent interview with Guitar World, Faulkner spoke of finding his voice upon joining the fold.

“I remember when I joined the band, my influences were – and still are – very much on my sleeve. You know, there's Zakk Wylde, Michael Schenker, and Dave Murray – it would be silly to try and hide those influences. But when I joined the band, it became about ‘What am I going to say? These guys have got their voice... what's my voice going to be?’”

Faulkner's heart-related health issues follow the 2018 announcement that long-serving Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton had retired from touring due to Parkinson's disease.

In the same GW interview, Faulkner called Tipton a “50-year veteran and a rock star”. “Glenn just being there elevates the ‘rock star level’ another 50% in my opinion,” he said. “I had Glenn in my cassette collection, I had Glenn's picture on my wall with KK [Downing].”

Prior to the tour's postponement, guitarist Andy Sneap had been filling in for Tipton.

“There's no difference of admiration, really – Andy is up there, he's doing his bit, and he's taking the challenge on, when we asked him to fill in for Glenn,” Faulkner continued.

“Andy is a very take-the-bull-by-the-horns type guy, and he's getting more comfortable with the songs and being up there. All credit to him. Obviously there's a difference, but they have the same tenacity and drive to do their best. You can only give them respect for that.”

Before the pandemic hit, Judas Priest had grand plans for 2020 – particularly, celebrating a half-century of their existence with a global jaunt, dubbed the 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour. However, like all other performers, they had to scrap their plans and wait it out. 

But their break finally came to an end on August 15, 2021, when Priest performed a headlining set at Bloodstock Festival in the UK, with a full-on tour of the US starting on September 8th, and a Euro tour kicking off in early 2022.

One half of Priest’s guitar tandem, Richie Faulkner, spoke with Guitar World shortly before the launch of the tour.

Priest’s first performance in two years occurred recently at Bloodstock – how did it feel to finally get back on stage?

“It was an incredibly emotional experience for me, personally. From not being on stage for two years, from all the uncertainty that we’ve all had to deal with in the last 18 months, two years. For it all to come to a head in that setting – with 20,000-plus metal maniacs, a new setlist, and new production... and hopefully turning a corner in the way that all this is going with live music – it was just an incredible emotional moment, really.

“I won’t spoil it for anyone, but there were some songs that the band have never played before – or haven’t played in a very long time. Powerful songs for me as a fan to be up there playing after so long off and so much uncertainty, was just an emotional experience. 

“I had a pair of sunglasses on, and it was a good thing I did, really – because I shed an emotional tear underneath those sunglasses. Because it was a powerful, coming together of fans, music, and a celebration for live music and heavy metal. It was a big deal.”

How was the setlist determined? Because I give Priest a lot of credit – unlike some veteran rock/metal bands, Priest reintroduces rarities for each tour.

“We look at what we’ve done on the previous tour or the previous leg – whether it’s an album or live show, there’s an unwavering priority on ‘How do we make it a bigger, better, new, unheard of experience for the fans that have put the band there for the last 50 years?’ 

“So, we look at what we’ve done on the last tour or tour leg, what we haven’t done in a while, what we haven’t done ever or what the band haven’t played in a long time, new stuff, old stuff. And then, ‘Are there any landmarks that we need to hit?’ – in terms of albums and stuff like that. 

“There’s a dynamic in the set – there’s a ‘party dynamic’ and there’s a ‘serious dynamic,’ and there’s a ‘moody dynamic’ and there’s a ‘fast dynamic.’ So, we’ve got to get that journey through the set right. 

“And then, we throw out ideas. Literally, me and Rob [Halford] write all the songs down in a big list of about 50 contenders, and we cut them out. We put them in lists. It’s kind of old-school, but you can see them in front of you and you can move them around. 

“Once we’ve got a ballpark set, we try it out in rehearsals, and if it works, we go with it. But usually, we have to move a few things around – for the dynamic. And we go from there. Again, not spoiling anything for anyone, but the setlist we put together for Bloodstock in the UK seems to be getting some real strong, positive feedback from the fans on the internet, so I think we may have got it almost right.”

How do you compare playing with Andy [Sneap] to playing with Glenn [Tipton]?

“Glenn is a 50-year veteran and a rock star. [Laughs] Glenn just being there elevates the ‘rock star level’ another 50% in my opinion. I had Glenn in my cassette collection, I had Glenn’s picture on my wall with K.K. [Downing]. I didn’t have Andy’s picture on my wall. 

“But there’s no difference of admiration, really – Andy is up there, he’s doing his bit, and he’s taking the challenge on, when we asked him to fill in for Glenn. He’s risen from strength to strength, really. So, the admiration for Andy is there, as well – just a different one. I didn’t have Andy on my wall as a kid. 

“But Andy is a very take-the-bull-by-the-horns type guy, and he’s getting more comfortable with the songs and being up there. All credit to him. Obviously there’s a difference, but they have the same tenacity and drive to do their best. You can only give them respect for that.”

What is your current guitar setup?

“On one hand, it’s very simple. I’ve always been an amp head and stompbox type of guy from playing in the pubs, and that’s carried on to the Priest world. 

“So, I’m playing Wizard heads, and I’ve got an MXR Carbon Copy Delay, an MXR Chorus, a wah pedal, and that’s it. All the high-tech stuff goes into the switching. 

“To be honest with you, I’ve got no desire to know anything about that – as long as I can put the patches on that I want. But it basically controls the amps and the effects speaking to each other as I kick them in and out, and switch amps and stuff throughout the show. Again, that’s my tech’s world, really. But at the heart of it, it’s amp and pedals.

“And I’ve been using – exclusively with Priest – Gibson guitars. I’ve been using Flying Vs and Explorers the last couple of years. And Les Pauls – I’ve always been a Les Paul player. And we’re working on a signature Flying V with Gibson at the moment. So, I’ve got a couple of those prototypes out with me with signature EMG pickups in there, which I’m looking at releasing with EMG. 

“But they’re all based on guitars that I’ve used and modified and grown with over the last 10 years. So, the V has a double pickguard, it’s Pelham Blue, ebony neck, block inlay, Floyd Rose. And the Explorers I use, they’ve all been customized in some way or another. But it’s all Gibson guitars and EMG pickups. I’m a ‘cable guy’ – I don’t like radio wireless systems. It’s a pretty simple arsenal. It’s just the switching that gets a bit complicated.

“I’ve always been about Gibson guitars. Gibsons do the job – since I was introduced to them. It will really never be anything other than Gibson for me. Whereas amplifiers, I’m not as committed. I don’t know really what goes into them. 

“I think there are four KT88 power tubes. And apart from that, it’s a heavy-sounding amp, but the Wizards, there is a midrange quality which I really like. A midrange ‘bark’ – it’s not really that scooped. I like mids in your face. 

“If you imagine that old Metallica curve – where you have tons of bottom end, the scooped mids, and the high treble – mine is the opposite. I boost the mids the other way. So, there’s tons of mids and it’s right in your face. Sometimes it makes it a bit harder to play, but I think it cuts through and is really in your face. 

“All the tone controls are on 10 – treble, middle, bass, everything on 10. Gain is around half and volume is up loud. It’s pretty simple – there’s not really a lot of magic going on with them. They’re just good, solid, loud amplifiers.”

How is work coming along on Priest’s next studio album?

“Obviously, we faced some challenges with schedules due to the pandemic. We wanted to keep it the same dynamic as [latest album] Firepower – as we all got together, played the songs in pre-production before recording them. Obviously, we haven’t been able to do that in the last 18 months because of the pandemic. 

“So, we’ve got a ton of stuff written and a ton of songs almost ready to go. We just need to get together and start playing them together and ‘trimming the fat,’ as they say. 

“You get a sense of that when you play them together – you get a feeling for ‘we need an extra bit here’ or ‘we need to trim that bit there.’ Just to sharpen those songs up and give them the last 20 percent.

“So, once we are able to do that, we can get in a room together, play them, trim the fat, and record them, we will. But we’ve got a bunch of songs that are pretty ready to go and they sound fantastic. We just want to put them down properly and release them to the world. So, I can’t give you a date, but as soon as we can, we’ll get in there and start work on that.”

If you had to pick a favorite solo on a Priest album you’ve played on, what would it be? 

“I think Rising From Ruins from the Firepower record was one of my favorites. Traitors Gate from the same record. And why? I don’t know. Sometimes, they resonate with you, or you accomplish everything you wanted to say with that guitar solo. 

“I remember when I joined the band, my influences were – and still are – very much on my sleeve. You know, there’s Zakk Wylde, Michael Schenker, and Dave Murray – it would be silly to try and hide those influences. But when I joined the band, it became about, ‘What am I doing to say? These guys have got their voice... what’s my voice going to be?’

“So, I think those solos are some of my favorites because they contain what I think is my voice. Now, someone else could think completely different and they sound like Michael Schenker solos, and that’s fine. But I think they’re my favorites because they contain what I think is my voice in there somewhere. So, I’m going to go with those two.”

Which Priest classics are most fun for you to play? 

“My favorites are Victim of Changes, The Sentinel, Freewheel Burning, One Shot at Glory, Painkiller is always a blast. Purely because of the history of those songs and how much they mean to me and all the fans. And from a guitar point of view, the dynamics – the soft passages, the fast passages, the harmonies. They’re just a rollercoaster for a guitar player.”

What are the band's future plans?

“As you know, we’re just about to embark on our first American tour in two years. So that’s the immediate future. We’ve all been out of work facing struggles because of the pandemic. So, to be back out in the US taking this production out is incredible. 

“Also, as I said, we want to try to get some time soon to start putting down songs for the new record. And then hopefully, we will tour that, as well. Nothing is set in stone, but if we start the next tour cycle now, it will go on for the next 18 months, get in the studio, put it out, and do it again. 

“The future for Priest is looking quite bright at the moment. Just get out on the road and start getting some shows under our belt.”

Why do you think Priest has not yet been admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

“I don’t know. And I don’t think it means much, anyway. It’s my own opinion – it’s not the opinion of the band or anyone specific in the band – but I just think if you have an institution called ‘The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’ and bands like Priest and Iron Maiden aren’t in there, it almost means more to not be in it. 

“And I think to be carrying on and blazing forward with new music and new tours after 50 years, loved by the fans and being given that lifeblood by the fans for 50 years, I think that is more of an accolade than any ornament on a shelf. We’ll see what happens, but it doesn’t really mean much to me.”

• Judas Priest tour the USA throughout September and October – head to the band's official website for full dates.

After a new Gibson revival of his Epiphone Flying V signature model was revealed by CMO Cesar Gueikian earlier this week, Richie Faulkner has taken to social media to “set the record straight.”

While the initial photo – shared to Instagram by Gueikian – appeared to show a dark blue-finished, dual-humbucker design with a Floyd Rose-style tremolo and locking nut, this is – apparently – not the case at all.

In a short video posted by Faulkner in response to Gueikian's reported reveal, he says, “There's been some rumors lately about a supposed signature-edition Flying V from Gibson, so I just thought I'd set the record straight here. 

Holding up two bright pink mini Flying Vs, he continues, “I've got a couple of examples here. Here we have two examples. This is the Starfish Pink, and the Faded Starfish Pink, after Patrick from SpongeBob [SquarePants]'. One's got an EMG, and one's got a Gibson pickup here.

Explaining the guitars' small-scale design, the Judas Priest guitarist reasons, “Most heavy bands these days, they tune down – drop B and drop A. I've actually tuned up to A, 'cause I think that's a lot heavier.

“So I just wanted to dispel some of the myths out there. These are the ones that I will be pushing through, and these are the most metal-sounding guitars I've ever heard. So watch this space.”

Check out Cesar Gueikian's Instagram post below for the real Richie Faulkner Flying V signature model prototype...

After the discontinuation of Epiphone's Richie Faulkner Flying V signature model, Gibson looks to be reviving the design.

While little has been revealed as of yet regarding specs, a new Instagram post by Gibson CMO Cesar Gueikian allows us to make some assumptions on the Judas Priest guitarist's new axe.

By the looks of it, the new model retains several of the same features as its Epiphone predecessor, including its dual-humbucker pickup configuration, Floyd Rose-style tremolo and locking nut, single volume knob and symmetrical pickguard.

The guitar's 12th fret falcon inlay – inspired by Rob Halford's nickname for Faulkner – also makes a return. However, there appear to have been several aesthetic changes, including the relocation of the Judas Priest logo from the face of the headstock to the truss rod cover, as well as a new dark blue finish.

As the model teased is only a prototype at present, no official specifications have been released yet. But stay tuned, as we'll bring you details as soon as we know more.

Damon Johnson will headline A Tribute to Thin Lizzy, a live event taking place on September 25 at 7 PM CST from Nashville. 

Johnson, who has played guitar in recent iterations of Thin Lizzy, will be joined by his current band the Get Ready, as well as Judas Priest electric guitar player Richie Faulkner, for the show. 

In addition to Lizzy tunes, Johnson will be debuting the title track from his upcoming solo album, Battle Lessons, at the end of the show. The new track will be available on all streaming/download platforms the same day, and he has an Indiegogo fundraiser running to help support the recording.

Battle Lessons was produced and mixed by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains) and is due out later this year.

“I’m beyond thrilled to have my old friend Richie Faulkner join us on guitar as we pay tribute to Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, a band that has meant so much to all of us for so long,” Johnson said. “Plus we’re going to perform our new single for the first time anywhere.”

Added Faulkner, “Damon is a good friend of mine and Thin Lizzy is part of my DNA as a guitar player, so it was an honor to be asked to rock some Lizzy classics with him and the Get Ready.“

To purchase tickets, head to DamonJohnson.com.

In recent months, Judas Priest electric guitar player Richie Faulkner has been posting online “riff challenges” in an attempt to have some interactive fun with fans online.

But apparently some fans have taken things too far, with Faulkner claiming that one even attempted to copyright an original riff.

Faulkner took to Twitter to unload on online trolls and the offending copyrighter, posting, "I love creating content and interacting with you all, but I'm over the negativity and trolling on Instagram and Facebook etc and looking into other platforms. There would be a fee depending on tier level but it would create more of a community for maniacs who want to be there.”

He continued, "It's not about getting me down, it's about ruining the experience for the rest of you maniacs that actually like to hang out, dig PRIEST and learn stuff.

“Also looking into tiers where the proceeds can contribute to Glenn [Tipton]’s Parkinson's foundation.”

In a further post, Faulkner wrote: “I've dealt with trolls in bars all my life, as I said it's not that they are getting to me, it's that they take away the experience from you maniacs.

“Someone actually tried to copyright a riff I did as part of the riff challenge. It's things like that that ruin it for everyone.”

Here’s hoping Faulkner continues the riff challenge in new environs. And for those who want to get closer to the guitarist’s style, might we suggest forgoing copyrighting one of his riffs and instead checking out the Epiphone Limited Edition Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom Outfit.

Gibson TV has unveiled a new “thoroughly epic and unique” online series, Riff Lords, featuring iconic artists using a variety of Gibsons and Epiphones to demonstrate how to play their classic songs.

The new series kicks off with episodes featuring Bon Jovi and Phil X & the Drills electric guitar player Phil X and Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner.

In Phil X’s episode, he breaks down Bon Jovi classic like Wanted Dead or Alive, Bad Medicine and You Give Love A Bad Name, as well as Drills tunes like Kiss My Troublemaker and Talk You Off the Ledge, using a Custom Shop 1964 SG Standard Reissue with Maestro Vibrola and Custom Shop 60th Anniversary ‘59 Les Paul Standard.

Faulkner, meanwhile, grabs an Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Flying V and other guitars to blast through Priest anthems like Electric Eye, Painkiller, Hell Bent for Leather, You've Got Another Thing Comin’ and more.

Riff Lords and all Gibson TV shows are streaming for free on Gibson.com and Gibson TV’s official YouTube channel.

We’ve seen a lot of quarantine video collaborations over the past few months, but former Machine Head electric guitar player Phil Demmel may have just won the collabo-prize with his Collab-A-Jam #1.

The new video sees the former Machine Head guitarist take on Thin Lizzy’s Bad Reputation with a lineup consisting of Judas Priest shredder Richie Faulkner, Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, Sacred Reich drummer Dave McClain and, on vocals, “Thin” Lzzy Hale.

In addition to turning in a killer performance, the rendition features a good two-and-a-half minutes or so of Faulkner and Demmel trading off positively ripping licks on their respective Epiphone and Jackson signature guitars.

It’s a more-than-satisfying performance, though it also raises as many questions as it answers. In particular, is Faulkner’s home actually outfitted with a full wall of Marshalls? We can only hope so.

You can check out the Collab-A-Jam #1 above, and Demmel promises there are more to come.

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner recently sat down with Gibson to discuss the company’s new "Original Collection" Flying V. You can check out the interview, as well as Faulkner playing some Priest licks, in the video above.

The new “Original Collection” Flying V boasts a mahogany body with an Antique Natural finish, slim taper neck and rosewood fingerboard. There’s also a set of calibrated Burstbucker 2 (neck) and Burstbucker 3 (bridge) pickups, as well as an aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge, Grover Rotomatic tuners and a white three-ply pickguard.

Says Faulker, who has his own Epiphone signature V model, “If someone pulled up with a Flying V you were like ‘Okay, it’s on,’” Faulkner says. “They were either good or not but they were making a statement.”

As for what he likes about the design, “It’s unique and I think it’s a sign of innovation. And every player that I was a fan of—Schenker, Hendrix, James Hetfield—they all had Vs. When you talk about unique and innovation, every one of them was unique and innovative.”

The "Original Collection" Flying V is available for $1,699. For more information head to Gibson.

A few days back, a video surfaced of Judas Priest rehearsing "Rapid Fire" live in the studio. You can check it out above.

The video's a great opportunity to see the metal legends up-close-and-personal, preparing for their upcoming North American tour. 

If you like what you see, feel free to also check out Speed of Flight, the set of Guitar World lesson columns by the band's guitarist, Richie Faulkner.  

For more on Judas Priest, head on over to judaspriest.com.

“Throwing Shapes” is an expression many guitarists use to describe solo phrases and melodic forms. The term is fitting because rock and blues players will commonly apply a specific rhythmic syncopation to a repeating sequence of notes or shifting note sequence, and these multi-note forms are often referred to as “shapes,” or “cells.”

We all have our own “go-to” shapes that we play instinctively. These patterns are burned into our muscle and auditory memory and, when applied properly, can serve as a tool box when developing solos or song riffs. I have a few of my own comfortable go-to phrases and forms, and what’s nice is that I don’t have think much about them. I can use these forms to get my musical ideas out without anything getting in the way of expressing creative ideas.

For me, many of these forms are derived from the minor pentatonic scale, which is the melodic bedrock of blues and rock music. FIGURE 1 illustrates a few ascending and descending shapes that are based on a combination of 16th-note triplets and 32nd notes. To play these patterns fast, I’ll try to keep both hands as relaxed as possible and use the minimum amount of fret-hand pressure needed to sound each note and then move on to the next. The pick-hand motion is primarily alternate (down-up) picking, but I’ll incorporate economy picking (down-down or up-up) where it feels most comfortable. When I play these phrases more slowly, as in bars 4-6, I must apply a little more fret-hand pressure in order to get the desired musical expression from each note.

Slowing this down, I can play the sequence shown in FIGURE 2, which ascends in a slightly different manner but incorporates the same four-note descending shape at the top of the phrase as that in FIGURE 1. My preference is to consistently descend in three-note groups, as demonstrated in FIGURE 3, as I find this shape to be more interesting and less predictable. A nice twist is to move back down in a much less regimented fashion, as I do starting in bar 2, beat three and continuing through bar 3.

I can use the same notes to elaborate on the musical idea. Adding more space between notes will result in a very different musical expression. In FIGURE 4, I’m using the same notes, but I’ve applied a different, specific rhythmic syncopation to the line. A slower phrase like this offers more room to hang on a given note and articulate it with heavy vibrato or expressive string bending.

This is my last installment of Speed of Flight for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed these columns and found some musical inspiration in them. See you soon, RHRF DOTF!

Richie Faulkner has been a member of legendary U.K. heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011. Their 2018 album, Firepower, became the band's highest-charting album ever in the U.S.

Last month, I discussed some of the ways in which I might draw inspiration from my many guitar heroes when crafting an original solo. I have no problem wearing my influences on my sleeve and will always find great inspiration in the playing of Jimi Hendrix, Glenn Tipton, Randy Rhoads, Michael Schenker and others. I learned the language of guitar soloing from these great payers, and it is my job to find the way to use my acquired vocabulary to make personal statements of my own, as it is yours and every other guitar player’s, as well.

In learning from these players, I’ve discovered many specific techniques, some of which they share in common and others that are distinct to each of them. All of these things have helped me to discover my own voice. For me, touch and attack are as essential as phrasing, speed, economy and flash.

FIGURE 1 presents a repeating chord progression and rhythm pattern in the key of F# minor that I solo over in FIGURES 2 and 3. In FIGURE 2, the chords are allowed to ring and the approach to soloing is more melodic and less aggressive. In FIGURE 3, I ramp up the intensity by making the rhythm part more active and the soloing faster and more complex. In this way, a story is being told and continues to build throughout the course of the solo.

In FIGURE 2, I begin on on my guitar’s bridge pickup, with the volume turned down a bit. Through bars 1 and 2, my approach is to play as melodically as possible, akin to the way a singer would phrase a melody. The vibratos, bends and pull-offs add a lot of expression to the lines. In bars 3 and 4, the phrasing becomes just a bit more complex, with some quick 16th-note and 32nd-note triplets thrown in as melodic “ornaments.” These ornamental-type phrases straddle the line between a classical-like Ritchie Blackmore approach and the bluesier rock of Schenker. Through these first four bars, I remain within a one-octave range, and in bar 5, I open it up a bit by jumping up to the next higher octave, where I stay through the remainder of the eight-bar solo.

At the start of FIGURE 3, which represents the next eight bars of the solo, I play high bends and vibratos, followed by much more complex, note-y lines. Many of the phrases are built from different permutations of 16th-note triplets; play through them slowly and carefully, and once you have nailed them down, feel free to add your stamp and reconfigure them in your own personal way.

Richie Faulkner has been a member of legendary U.K. heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011. Their 2018 album, Firepower, became the band's highest-charting album ever in the U.S.

When I’m faced with performing solos either in the studio or onstage, I can’t help but think back to all of the players who have inspired me the most, like Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore and Michael Schenker. These references to my guitar heroes serve me well, because each of these legendary players knows how to draw the listener in and to tell a story with a solo. Just like when I’m speaking, my solo should be a clear statement in four parts: 1) I will first establish where I’m coming from 2) I’ll then take a moment to embellish the point a bit; 3) I’ll bring in some technical wizardry to dazzle you; and 4) I’ll wrap it up with a reference back to the opening statement and leave you wanting more. 

The concept is to present a solo as a mini composition within a composition. All of my favorite rock guitar solos cover each of these different aspects of musical communication.

In this regard, to my way of thinking, I like a solo that doesn’t open with a barrage of notes. With fewer notes, there’s more room for expression and interpretation. Blackmore and Schenker both built on the blues approach of Hendrix, but also incorporated classical elements, making their solos emotional but also unpredictable and musically adventurous.

Blackmore might play a line like this (see FIGURE 1). The phrase, which is based on the G minor pentatonic scale (G Bb C D F), begins with a gradual bend from the minor, or “flatted,” seventh, F, up a whole step to the root note, G, which is picked in a rhythmically unpredictable way and culminates with an aggressive bend vibrato. In bar 2, the repeating index-finger half-step bends give way to the whole-step bends in bar 3, after which the melody resolves, via a quick shift down through the scale. FIGURE 2 reflects the same approach, in terms of the use of gradual bends, unpredictable rhythms and bluesy vibratos.

If I add some speed, flashiness and complexity to the licks, as in FIGURE 3, I can steer the line in the direction of the style of Michael Schenker. It may sound more aggressive and intricate, but that bluesy feeling is still at the core of the musical statement.

There are so many creative ways in which a guitarist can grab the listener’s attention at the beginning of a solo. I might use a “guitar noise,” like a whammy-bar dive, an aggressive pick slide or an intense unison-bend vibrato, all of which are effective ways to say, “Listen to me and check out what I have to say!”

FIGURE 4 offers an example of how I might build a short, four-bar solo: Bar 1 establishes the mood and a general melodic and harmonic approach; bar 2 builds on that initial idea by fleshing it out and adding a “response” to it; bar 3, while borrowing from the rhythmic phrasing of bar 1, presents another angle, by moving higher up the fretboard; and bar 4 concludes the idea, via more complex areas of melody and harmony, with the inclusion of the second, G#, and slightly more intricate rhythms.

It will always come back to whatever works for you, and my preference is to listen and follow my natural musical path by staying attuned to what feels right. You will get to the point where you can press record and instinctively know you’re on the right path.

Richie Faulkner has been a member of legendary U.K. heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011. Their 2018 album, Firepower, became the band's highest-charting album ever in the U.S.

Judas Priest have announced a new North American leg of their ongoing Firepower world tour. The 32-date run, which kicks off May 3 in Hollywood, Florida, and wraps  June 29 in Las Vegas, will feature support from Uriah Heep.

Said Judas Priest in a statement: "Metal maniacs—Judas Priest is roaring back to the USA for one more blast of Firepower! 

"Firepower 2019 charges forth with new first time performances born out of Firepower, as well as fresh classic cuts across the decades from the Priest world metalsphere. Our visual stage set and light show will be scorching a unique, hot, fresh vibe—mixing in headline festivals, as well as the in-your-face venue close ups. We can't wait to reunite and reignite our maniacs... The Priest is back!"

Check out the new dates below.

Judas Priest 2019 tour dates:

May 03 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 

May 06 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium 

May 08 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre 

May 09 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage Resort & Casino 

May 12 - Washington, DC - The Anthem 

May 14 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount 

May 15 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount 

May 16 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena 

May 18 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre 

May 19 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre 

May 22 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater 

May 23 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater 

May 25 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre 

May 28 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at The Moody Theater 

May 29 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at The Moody Theater 

May 31 - Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory 

Jun. 01 - Little Rock, AR - First Security Amphitheater 

Jun. 03 - St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre 

Jun. 05 - Colorado Springs, CO - Broadmoor World Arena 

Jun. 08 - Saskatoon, SK - SaskTel Centre 

Jun. 10 - Lethbridge, AB - ENMAX Centre 

Jun. 11 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place 

Jun. 13 - Dawson Creek, BC - Encana Events Centre 

Jun. 14 - Prince George, BC - CN Centre 

Jun. 16 - Kelowna, BC - Prospera Place 

Jun. 17 - Abbotsford, BC - Abbotsford Centre 

Jun. 19 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Resort and Casino 

Jun. 21 - Kent, WA - Accesso Showare Center 

Jun. 22 - Portland, OR - Moda Theatre of the Clouds 

Jun. 24 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre 

Jun. 25 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre 

Jun. 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Microsoft Theater 

Jun. 29 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

An essential element in the learning process for every guitarist is to analyze how our favorite guitar players do what they do and figure out how to emulate those sounds ourselves. This can’t happen at a gig, while you’re doing your thing and playing to the best of your ability in the moment. It has to be a separate endeavor, to sit down, listen hard and aspire to work out what our heroes are doing by putting their playing under the microscope, or stethoscope, so to speak. Once you begin to scrutinize every element, it becomes even more fascinating — the way someone might change their picking approach for different phrases, switching between different pickups, string-bending techniques and whatnot. This type of study provided a great education for me in my own development as a guitarist.

For example, what was it about Jimi Hendrix’s playing that made me wonder, back when I was a teenager, “What was that?!” I still don’t know today! It was just a sound that I was attracted to and couldn’t get enough of. As I studied Hendrix more and more, I continually came across little things, technical and stylistic elements, that I had never thought about before.

One of the things I remember vividly about listening to Jimi is discovering his 1967 Monterey Pop Festival performance, particularly the way he began the show with his unaccompanied tour-de-force on “Killing Floor.” He was wearing a pink feather boa, embroidered vest, yellow shirt, headband, and his sound with his Stratocaster was just incredible. The whole spectacle of the man — I get chills thinking about it even now! Sonically, visually — the whole thing. Even when you break it down, the magic is still there.

FIGURE 1 is a guitar riff played in a manner similar to Jimi’s “Killing Floor” intro. It’s based on the A minor pentatonic scale (A C D E G) played in fifth position and is performed with constant 16th-note strumming across virtually all six strings. The riff centers mostly around alternating between the notes G and A on the D string’s fifth and seventh frets. I use my fret hand to mute the other strings in such a way that only the specific notes of my choosing are sounded, while the other strings, when strummed, sound as “dead-string” accents. 

The feel here is intentionally very loose and is pure electric blues. It goes straight to your heart and soul. The pick hand has to aggressively sweep across the strings, as shown in FIGURE 2. In bars 2 and 3, I employ a chord shape and voicing for A7#9(no3) that Jimi often used in various keys and positions to great effect on songs like “Foxey Lady” and “Stone Free.” I’m barring my pinkie across the top two strings at the eighth fret. To break this technique down, FIGURE 3 offers a slightly simplified version, played at about half speed. When you play through it at this tempo, it’s easy to identify all of the interesting rhythmic syncopations woven throughout the phrases.

The same approach should be applied to the lead break. FIGURE 4 offers a Hendrix-like solo example, complete with heavy, wide vibratos, expressive bends and over-bends, and a overall feeling of unpredictability, which is at the heart of all great blues guitar soloing.

Richie Faulkner has been a member of legendary U.K. heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011. Their 2018 album, Firepower, became the band's highest-charting album ever in the U.S.

All aspiring guitarists, in learning to play in the styles they are most interested in, analyze the solos of their favorite guitarists, and this is how each of us learns to “speak” in the musical language of our heroes. At a certain point, however, we must each take what we have studied and learn how to utilize it in a unique way, in order to sound like ourselves.

I, myself, am not very aware of the nuances of my own playing, while I’m playing. It’s only when I listen back to a recording of one of my solos that I will think, “well, that’s interesting,” because I’m articulating that line with a lot of subtle bends, or I’m picking hard to get pinch harmonics, or what have you. I consider it an essential part of the learning process to record yourself and then scrutinize the recording to listen to what you did and focus on how you can improve.

FIGURE 1 offers an example of a typical way in which I might improvise a short phrase. The line is based on the D minor pentatonic scale (D F G A C), with the inclusion of the major second, or ninth, E, which I like to use to bend up one half step to the minor third, F. I also like to bend the fifth, A, up a half step to the minor sixth, Bb. The addition of these two notes results in the D natural minor scale, also known as the D Aeolian mode (D E F G A Bb C).

In breaking down this three-bar passage, the basic notes in the first phrase are shown in FIGURE 2. Instead of fretting each note, I prefer to introduce subtle half-step bends throughout the line to give it more emotion and musical expression, as demonstrated in FIGURE 3. The first phrase is played with my guitar’s bridge pickup on and a strong pick attack, which yields a bold, aggressive feeling.

For the second half of the phrase, I switch to my neck pickup while backing off the intensity of my pick attack, in order to achieve a smoother articulation of the melody, as shown in FIGURE 4. That said, I’m still varying the pick attack, as well as my use of subtle bends, which serve to give the line character. It is these little variations and nuances that present your unique musical “fingerprint” and make your playing recognizable as your own.

FIGURE 5 offers another example of employing my bridge pickup with an aggressive pick attack, here with a lick based on the F# blues scale (F# A B C C# E). Again, I’m including the major second/ninth, in this case G#. If I were to transpose that lick back to the key of D minor, I get something along the lines of FIGURE 6.

Finger vibrato is, of course, one of the most expressive sounds on electric guitar, and you should experiment with different approaches to vibrato. FIGURE 7 illustrates subtle differences in vibrato, as associated with Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Dave Murray and Michael Schenker. Each is slightly different, so be aware of the sound of your own vibrato as compared to your favorite players!

Richie Faulkner has been a member of legendary U.K. heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011. Their 2018 album, Firepower, became the band's highest-charting album ever in the U.S.

The development of one’s own signature sound and style comes quite naturally from the inspiration and knowledge one gets from their favorite players. When I’m in the studio recording with Judas Priest, I’m tasked with the job of coming up with solos that feel and sound new and exciting, and, to me, will hold up to the standard I expect. But I can’t just recreate a solo that KK Downing played, or something Michael Schenker may have played during his “Lights Out” solo. I have to make my own, original statement. 

FIGURE 1 presents a 16-bar solo I improvised, with the goal of touching on different elements and ideas I have learned from my favorite players while recasting them into musical ideas of my own. If I blend all of the approaches and ideas in the right way, the statement that comes out will reflect my own musical personality.

I begin in bars 1-3 by laying down a hard-driving rhythm part in the key of F# minor, hammering on from the open low E string to F# in a syncopated rhythmic pattern, followed by accented D5, A5, B5 and E5 chords. In bar 4, I play a soulful lick based on the F# blues scale (F# A B C C# E). Licks like this, by the way, are in the vocabulary of such diverse guitarists as Eric Clapton, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Peter Green and Jimi Hendrix. When playing through this single-note phrase, I dig in hard with the pick in order to brighten up the sound and increase the aggressiveness of my note attack. 

Bar 5 restates the rhythm part, and in bar 6 I build on the idea introduced in bar 4 by moving up an octave and adding a few subtle twists, such as adding the major second, G#, to the F# blues-scale-based phrase. The lick in bars 6-8 stays on the middle four strings and within the scope of a single octave, lending a clear direction to the improvised melody. 

After returning to the rhythm part again in bars 9 and 10, with slight variation, I move up to F# minor-based licks in 14th position in bars 11 and 12, expanding on the blues scale sound by utilizing the minor, or “flatted,” sixth of F#, D, along with the major second, G#. Adding these notes to F# minor pentatonic produces the F# Aeolian mode (F# G# A B C# D E), the same one Randy used so effectively in his “Crazy Train” solos. I shift back down an octave in bars 13-15 and then, in bar 16, down another octave, back to second position.

As you can see, my approach here is to move freely through three different soloing positions, in a way that feels natural and full of feeling, all the while altering my pick attack to serve the development of the improvisation. 

Now that you have the concept, try utilizing some of these phrases and approaches in your own lead playing.

Judas Priest’s latest album, Firepower, has been a critical and commercial success, even as the band has struggled internally with guitarist Glenn Tipton's ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease. Onstage, the 70-year-old guitarist’s spot has been filled by producer Andy Sneap, though Tipton has also made a few surprise live appearances with the band. 

In a new interview with Musik Universe, Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill—the band’s sole original member—was asked if Firepower might turn out to be the legendary metal act’s final album. 

Hill responded: “We're not planning on that. There's no reason why there shouldn't be anything. Glenn can play for short periods of time—even on a bad day, he can do that. It's just that he can't handle a full set at the moment. That may change—there may be procedures coming along that will help him along—but there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to write new songs. And he's capable of playing for short periods of time on the album as well. So we're not planning on Firepower being the last album."

He added: "I think the Firepower tour is now booked through until next summer. So we'll take some time off and stand back and then see where we're gonna go from there—whether we're gonna carry on with Firepower or whether we're gonna do something else."

Whether or not there will be more studio albums, Priest will certainly be active for the foreseeable future. Frontman Rob Halford recently revealed that plans are underway to celebrate Priest’s 50th anniversary in 2019. 

As for how long Andy Sneap will remain in the guitar slot, Halford said in an interview on Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon, “He's committed to this band for as long as we need him.”

"I think I can safely say that Andy will be with us through what's left of the Firepower tour, which is gonna be [going] through the rest of this year and most of next year as well,” Halford continued. “Where we go from that, we can't even look and see. We're just very happy to have Andy with us. Glenn's happy to have Andy doing his parts on stage for him. Andy's carved out his own little kind of way of expressing himself, he plays the songs really well, and the fans have accepted him for doing something very generous. So it's a feel-good story, definitely."

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my new column for Guitar World. As a longtime fan of the magazine and someone who has learned a great deal from its pages, it’s an honor to join the ranks as an instructional columnist! I sincerely hope this series of lessons will prove useful to you.

Anyone who has heard me play can probably guess who my musical influences are because I wear them proudly on my sleeve. Zakk Wylde, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Murray, Randy Rhoads, Brian May, Michael Schenker, and, of course, Glenn Tipton—all of these brilliant players have influenced my approach to the instrument. Hopefully, as all of these sounds and approaches are distilled, something comes out in another way that represents my own musical personality. It’s a wonderful journey, and the further I travel in my career, the more I feel I’m forging my own distinctive musical voice.

When I was younger, it was more about how fast, flashy and impressive one could play. But the secret of it all, I think, is really the space between the notes. One’s own fingerprint has a better chance to shine through as a note is held, or in the way each phrase follows the next in the telling of a musical story. Speed is great, but it’s just one tool in the box.

Michael Schenker’s playing in UFO is a classic example of what I’m talking about here. His note choice, spacing, phrasing, technique and articulation offer a master class in expressive lead guitar playing. FIGURE 1 is an improvised example of soloing in Schenker’s style: the lines are based primarily on B minor pentatonic (B D E F# A) with the inclusion of the ninth, or second, C#. Throughout this demonstration, I follow a flurry of notes by lingering on one, adding expressive vibrato, and then leaving space between the phrases so that, like a good story teller, I’m “speaking” in cohesive sentences.

Articulation is tremendously important as well. I like to include pick scrapes, as in bar 2, on beat one; ghost-bends, or pre-bends, for which a note is bent first, then picked and released; gradual bends; fast or slow vibratos; quick hammer/pulls and slides; a sharp, staccato attack and whatnot. if I were to speak to you at a million miles on hour in a monotone voice, whatever I’m saying would fail to grab your attention. But if I speak expressively, in clearly defined phrases, I will be better able to get my point across. An effective guitar solo works the same way.

FIGURE 2 offers another example in Michael’s style, wherein I alternate between rhythm guitar and solo lines, played with a triplet-based 12/8 feel. As you listen and play along, keep in mind that a less-saturated/distorted tone will better serve the many articulation variables in your pick attack.

Judas Priest closed their show last night at the Bilbao Exhibiton Centre by bringing out Glenn Tipton for a four-song encore that included "Victim of Changes." You can watch their performance of "Victim of Changes" above.

This was the first time that Judas Priest had performed the Sad Wings of Destiny track during this year's Firepower tour. It also deviated from the band's usual performances with Tipton, who has been limited making only occasional onstage appearances with the band since retiring from touring due to his battle with Parkinson's. Throughout the Firepower tour, Tipton has typically only joined the band for three songs, usually "Metal Gods," "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight."

“I decided that it was really going to be too much for me,” Tipton told Guitar World back in March about his decision to step down from the Firepower tour. “With the medication and the time zone changes and everything else, I realized it was time to retire—from touring at least."

"I don’t ever want to compromise Judas Priest. It’s too big a part of my life.”

You can read our full interview with Tipton, in which he opens up about his struggle with Parkinson's, right here.

During their show Tuesday night, June 5, at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, Judas Priest decided to bring out a deep cut that they hadn't performed live in a very long time. Deep into their set, the band played "Night Comes Down"—from their 1984 album, Defenders of the Faith—for the first time in 34 years. You can watch the performance above.

This isn't the first time on the Firepower tour that Judas Priest have resurrected a long-dormant track from deep in their back catalog. Last month, at a show in San Antonio, they played "Tyrant"—a fan favorite from their 1976 album, Sad Wings of Destiny—live for the first time in 35 years.

Judas Priest are currently on the European leg of their Firepower tour. Later this summer though, they will return to the United States for a co-headlining trek with Deep Purple. You can check out the dates for that tour below.

For more on Judas Priest, head on over to judaspriest.com.

Deep Purple and Judas Priest North American Tour Dates:

8/21 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center

8/22 — Chicago, IL — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

8/24 — Detroit, MI — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

8/25 — Mt. Pleasant, MI — Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort

8/27 — Hamilton, ON — FirstOntario Centre

8/29 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre

8/30 — Quebec City, QC — Centre Videotron

9/1 — Wantagh, NY — Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

9/2 — Bethel Woods, NY — Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

9/5 — Darien Center, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater

9/6 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center

9/8 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

9/9 — Camden, NJ — BB&T Pavilion

9/11 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion

9/12 — Jacksonville, FL — Daily's Place

9/14 — Atlanta, GA — Verizon Amphitheatre

9/16 — Biloxi, MS — Mississippi Coast Coliseum

9/18 — Kansas City, MO — Starlight Theatre

9/20 — Welch, MN — Treasure Island Casino

9/21 — Council Bluffs, IA — Harrah's Council Bluffs

9/23 — Denver, CO — Pepsi Center

9/26 — San Diego, CA — Mattress Firm Amphitheatre

9/27 — Irvine, CA — FivePoint Amphitheatre

9/29 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheatre

9/30 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre

During their show Tuesday night, May 1, at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Judas Priest decided to change things up a bit. Deep into their set, the band played the fan favorite "Tyrant" for the first time in 35 years. You can watch the performance above.

According to setlist.fm, the track—taken from the band's 1976 album, Sad Wings of Destiny—had not been performed live since 1983. The band also closed the concert by performing three songs with former guitarist Glenn Tipton, who has been making occasional onstage appearances with the band since retiring from touring due to his battle with Parkinson's.

The group performed "Metal Gods," "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" with Tipton, according to setlist.fm.

You can watch the performance of "Metal Gods" below.

Judas Priest and Deep Purple will embark on a joint North American tour this summer. The month-long jaunt through North America will take place from late August through late September.

Tickets for the 25-show jaunt are set to go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 27 at 10am local time at LiveNation.com. You can check out the full itinerary below.

Deep Purple's latest album is 2017's inFinite, while Judas Priest's latest album, Firepower, was released last month. You can read our interview with the band about the album—taken from our May 2018 issue—right here.

For more tickets and information, head on over to judaspriest.com or deeppurple.com.

Deep Purple and Judas Priest North American Tour Dates:

8/21 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center

8/22 — Chicago, IL — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

8/24 — Detroit, MI — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

8/25 — Mt. Pleasant, MI — Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort

8/27 — Hamilton, ON — FirstOntario Centre

8/29 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre

8/30 — Quebec City, QC — Centre Videotron

9/1 — Wantagh, NY — Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

9/2 — Bethel Woods, NY — Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

9/5 — Darien Center, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater

9/6 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center

9/8 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

9/9 — Camden, NJ — BB&T Pavilion

9/11 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion

9/12 — Jacksonville, FL — Daily's Place

9/14 — Atlanta, GA — Verizon Amphitheatre

9/16 — Biloxi, MS — Mississippi Coast Coliseum

9/18 — Kansas City, MO — Starlight Theatre

9/20 — Welch, MN — Treasure Island Casino

9/21 — Council Bluffs, IA — Harrah's Council Bluffs

9/23 — Denver, CO — Pepsi Center

9/26 — San Diego, CA — Mattress Firm Amphitheatre

9/27 — Irvine, CA — FivePoint Amphitheatre

9/29 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheatre

9/30 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre

As embarrassing as it sounds, the first time I saw Richie Faulkner was on American Idol, where he and Judas Priest backed up one of the singing contestants who happened to be a huge fan of the iconic metal band. As I watched Faulkner rip through “Living After Midnight” and “Breaking the Law” with such fiery, youthful vigor, I had to ask myself, “Who the hell is this young guitar-slinging metal god?”

Well, I soon found out that Faulkner had replaced K.K. Downing, Priest’s legendary guitarist and founding member, when Downing decided to retire from the band in 2011. Since then, Faulkner has established himself as an incredibly gifted guitarist and songwriting force for the classic metal band, with their brand-new album, Firepower, becoming Judas Priest’s highest-charting album to date.

But I’m not here to praise the accomplishments of one of my favorite metal bands—or to criticize my unfortunate television-viewing habits. What I’d rather do is tell you about Faulkner’s new signature guitar, the Epiphone Limited Edition Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom Outfit, which also has made a stunning first impression on me as one of the finest Flying V guitars I’ve come across for pure metal shredding.

FEATURES
At first glance, the Epiphone Limited Edition Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom Outfit is a handsome combination of a traditional Flying V guitar with Les Paul Custom appointments like an ebony fingerboard with block inlays, multi-layer binding along its body top and headstock and a bound fingerboard. There are some cool personal touches, including a Judas Priest “Trident” logo on the headstock and a “Falcon” logo on the 12th fret, plus a custom three-layer pick-guard that nearly shrouds its entire mahogany body. The guitar also features a glued-in, deep-set mahogany neck design, 22 jumbo frets, a slim-C neck profile on its satin finish neck and a 24 3/4–inch scale length.

It’s immediately apparent Faulkner wanted a stripped-down V with premium components and electronics—the bare necessities—to play metal. And that kind of weaponry includes EMG active pickups (EMG-57 bridge and EMG-66 neck) in a smooth black nickel finish, a single volume control and three-way toggle switch, Floyd Rose 1000 Tremolo with R2 locking nut and Grover Rotomatic tuners. One thing to note is “Outfit” designates it as a complete package, which includes a deluxe gig bag and Faulkner’s hand-signed certificate of authenticity.

PERFORMANCE
After spending a great deal of time playing the Faulkner V, I find no expense was spared in making this guitar, because it feels like a high-end custom instrument. With its comfortable weight, the Faulkner Flying V feels perfectly balanced to achieve maximum density for hard rock and metal tones. The EMG pickups are a smart choice because they provide clarity and definition with high-gain distortion and never sound muddy. Clean tones sound equally cutting and crystal when you play this guitar at loud volumes.

The Floyd Rose also adds metallic zing to the guitar’s massive sound as well as being a superb locking tremolo. There is no mistaking the fact that Faulkner’s V is meant to be played standing up with fans below your feet; however, my only quibble is I wish the guitar’s output jack underneath its top wing was recessed for playing comfortably while sitting down. But that minor issue aside, the guitar is impressive in its out-of-the-box flawless setup and low action. The very flat 12–inch fretboard radius allows you to bend toward the sky without fear of fretting out, and the comfortably slim contour of the neck lets you glide unfettered across the fretboard.

STREET PRICE: $999
MANUFACTURER: Epiphone, epiphone.com

● The Faulkner Flying V comes with active EMG-66 neck and EMG-57 bridge pickups, which are extremely quiet and pump out detailed low-end and crisp highs for metal chugging and soloing.

● The Floyd Rose 1000 Series Tremolo with an R2 locking nut keeps the guitar locked in tune for dive-bombing flights and aggressive whammy techniques.

THE BOTTOM LINE
The Epiphone Limited Edition Richie Faulkner Flying V is a near-perfect, stripped-down metal machine made for precise metal tones; its low action makes shredding an effortless affair.

It was supposed to be a period of celebration, not turmoil, and Judas Priest seemed to be having a great time.

Vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Richie Faulkner had flown to New York to plug their newly completed album, Firepower, the first in which Faulkner played a major songwriting role. The band’s other guitarist, Glenn Tipton—who had not yet announced that he had been suffering for years with Parkinson’s disease and would not be joining Priest on the Firepower tour—was apparently still in England working on the final mixes with recording engineer Mike Exeter.

Whether they were ecstatic to finally be out of the studio or were simply holding their cards close to the vest, Halford and Faulkner didn’t give any indication that something was amiss. They were both upbeat and filled with enthusiasm, joking with label staff and reveling in the afterglow of their latest creation.

“I really love the song ‘Spectre,’ which has a real ‘Ripper’-esque breakdown that’s great!” Faulkner exclaims from a black couch in his record label conference room shortly after a press screening of the album. “From there, it goes into a guitar solo, and then another guitar solo and then a harmony solo. We weren’t shooting for radio play, so we weren’t bound by any formula. We just had fun with it and went where the songs took us.”

Unlike Faulkner’s recording debut, 2014’s Redeemer of Souls, nothing on Firepower feels formulaic. There’s an element of excitement and discovery throughout that Priest haven’t displayed in more than 10 years.

Faulkner admits he wrote his parts on Redeemer of Souls to fit a band template, and it’s noticeable. By contrast, on Firepower he just sounds like a skilled guitarist influenced by Priest, but also by numerous other hard rock and metal players.

From the muted, power-chord riffage and double-bass drumming of the title track to the delicate, atmospheric arpeggios and countermelodies of the cinematic near-ballad “Sea of Red,” Firepower is epic and enthralling—riddled with metal turmoil yet resounding with optimism.

“That’s the thing with Priest,” interjects Halford from an adjacent chair, unconsciously rubbing his well-groomed beard. “There’s always an element of hope within the chaos. It’s like with most great, passionate art. Whether you’re talking about Star Wars or Priest, in the end, hope wins. Love wins. In the end, the true core and essence of humanity survives, no matter how much shit you throw at it or how much you think it’s been destroyed. We emerge triumphant.”

Equal parts battle cry and victory march, Firepower resonates with the spirit of some of Priest’s most anthemic albums, including 1978’s Hell Bent for Leather, 1982’s Screaming for Vengeance and 1984’s Defenders of the Faith.

“We knew we had to record a very powerful album, and I think we achieved it,” Tipton says over the phone from his home in the Midlands, England. “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,’ ” Halford adds, pounding a fist on the table for dramatic effect. “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.”

That doesn’t mean Firepower is all power and no finesse. “Lightning Strikes,” “Firepower,” “Evil Never Dies” and “Flamethrower” go straight for the jugular, but the slow, doomy “Children of the Sun,” the spectral, balladic “Sea of Red” and the singalong rocker “Never the Heroes” showcase a less aggressive side of the band.

“There was a definite consensus to be heavy,” explains Faulkner, who was born in London and played in Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris’ daughter Lauren’s solo band before joining Priest. “But heavy means so many different things. It could be heavy lyrical content. It could have a heavy vibe. It could be something detuned and dissonant. And it was interesting to see things that maybe weren’t heavy in the beginning progress into these heavier songs.”

Back when Faulkner worked with Priest on Redeemer of Souls, he had only been in the band a few years and working with his childhood heroes still felt like winning a contest. On Firepower, Faulkner had an urgent need to prove himself—to show that he deserved to work alongside Tipton and Halford—and could inject his own style into the band as well as play note-perfect versions of their classics.

“This one definitely felt more serious for me,” he explains. “I felt a bit more, ‘Right, stop fanboying. You’ve been in the band seven years. Now, show ’em what you’ve got.’ ”

Over a six-month period, Faulkner spent many long nights with his white 1976 Les Paul Custom, laying down different riffs, licks and arpeggios. Many were brand new, but some came from other projects. “Sea of Red” started with a passage he wrote for a band he was in when he was 17, the foundation of “Guardians” was composed in 2008 but never used and part of “Spectre” came from the extended solo spot he played onstage when the band toured in 2011. While Faulkner composed at his home in South Florida, Tipton wrote in his own studio. The guitarists didn’t share any ideas until mid-2016 when Faulkner and Halford traveled to the Midlands, England, for the first of several writing sessions.

Even though he was well-prepared when he arrived, Faulkner was fidgety and anxious. When Tipton connected a pair of speakers to his mixing desk and switched on a hard drive filled with Faulkner’s new ideas, his anxiety turned to near-panic.

“I see Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton sitting there listening to my demos and I’m looking at the knobs thinking, What have I done? What have I done?!? What was I thinking!?! Faulkner admits, then smiles. “You’re stepping into uncharted territory and the amygdala in your brain kicks in, telling you, ‘No, stop!’ because you’re in fight-or-flight mode, but you’ve got to push through it. And dude, it’s the most intimidating thing.”

He needn’t have worried. Not only were Tipton and Halford receptive to his ideas, they were galvanized by his enthusiasm and amazed by his knack for writing parts that complimented Tipton’s riffs. “I find all of Richie’s ideas to be very in tune with my own, and that makes it a real pleasure to work together,” Tipton says. “And it was refreshing because I get to work with parts that I didn’t write and I wasn’t familiar with.”

“There was so much excitement going on in the room when we were writing,” Halford adds. “There were so many ideas and the chemistry was so good that I’d wake up in the morning and go, ‘I can’t wait to get to the studio today.” And that feeling was very prominent in all of us.”

With all the demos completed, Judas Priest returned to the Midlands in March 2017 to start recording. They wanted Firepower to have a vintage sound, so they recruited producer Tom Allom, who worked on every Priest album between 1980’s British Steel and 1988’s Ram It Down. They also wanted to work with a more contemporary producer, so they invited Andy Sneap (who is now filling in for Tipton for the Firepower tour). Finally, the band hired Mark Exeter—who produced Redeemer of Souls with Tipton—to engineer.

“We were struggling with who to use, and I think it was Glenn who said, ‘Let’s get them all,’ Faulkner says. “They each brought something great to the record and there were no ego battles at all.”

To track his rhythms, Faulkner used the same Les Paul he wrote with and played on the last two Judas Priest tours. He played the distorted passages through a combination of a Marshall JCM800, Marshall JVM, Peavey EVH 5150 and Engl Powerball. For clean segments and layering, he played a Telecaster through a Roland JC-120.

“I know a lot of people don’t consider that a metal guitar, but neither was a Stratocaster until Hendrix picked it up,” Falkner says.

Tipton mostly used a combination of his Custom ESP LTD GT-600 Viper signature series guitar in the shape of an SG, and his old Hamer customized guitars. He also used a variety of Fenders.

“You’re going to use a different guitar for a very slow and powerful song like ‘Children of the Sun’ than you’re going to use for ‘Lightning Strikes’ or ‘Firepower,’ which are much fiercer,” he says. “So, it’s just a case of hunting around like a mad professor in the studio trying different leads, guitars, amps until you get the sound you want.”

For amps, Tipton used an Engl Invader, but he also experimented with Marshalls and EVHs. “You’d think after 40 years it would be easy for us to get a guitar sound, but that’s not necessarily the case,” he says. “You can use the same guitar in the same room with the same amps, but if it’s a different song you might go, ‘Well, this isn’t quite right.’ You have to work at it again. And we worked very hard to get the right guitar sounds for this album.”

For Tipton, tracking his leads was simply a matter of following his instincts and loosely adhering to the formula that’s worked for years. He composed everything on the spot on his ESPs and sometimes his Hamers. “I always enjoy recording the solos more than any other part of the process,” he said. “It’s where the album takes on its final identity and shifts into place.”

Faulkner pre-wrote some of his solos but improvised others. He used his go-to Marshalls and Les Paul, as well as a ’79 Flying V and a ’63 Strat to provide extra tone.

It’s understandable that Tipton didn’t mention Parkinson’s when Priest were promoting Firepower. At the time, he still seemed to be managing his condition. He was far more affected by it than he had been when he contracted Parkinson’s 15 years or so earlier, but he played an abundance of fleet-fingered leads throughout Firepower and was planning to tour with the band until about a month before the first show.

Tipton’s inability to tour with Priest likely won’t prevent the band from playing exciting sets with Faulkner and Sneap (ex-Sabbat, Hell)—but it effectively marks the end of an era. When longtime Priest guitarist K.K. Downing quit in 2011, the band stumbled for a moment, then regained its footing after discovering Faulkner, who literally saved the group.

“Richie came in at a time that was very shaky,” Halford admits. “We really didn’t have a band to speak of as we went out on the Epitaph tour. None of us knew if this was going to work, Richie included. But of course, it did. And we’ve moved on ever since.”

For the next six years, Faulkner capably took the second guitar slot and Downing’s absence was hardly crippling. It didn’t hurt that Faulkner’s flowing blonde tresses, leather attire and natural showmanship resembled a young Downing. But now that Tipton is unable to tour, it’s clear that the team that pioneered the twin-guitar attack and harmony leads in metal is a piece of history. If, as Tipton hopes, Priest returns to the studio when they finish touring for Firepower, they certainly have the skill to create another bracing album. But those who view the glass as half-empty will point out that Parkinson’s gets worse over time, and in two years from now—about the time Priest could record another record—Halford will be 68 and bassist Ian Hill will be 69.

If age is genuinely a state of mind, hopefully Judas Priest have a few good years left in the tank, but, as they’ve pointed out repeatedly in lyrics and artwork, no one escapes the hands of time. “Until you actually get into the routine of writing for the next album, you can’t say how difficult it’s gonna be,” Tipton concludes. “But, certainly, Firepower has got so much energy and diversity, it’s looking good, you know? It does make us ready to try to promote some more Priest classics. So we’ve definitely got a lot of enthusiasm at the moment.”