In a 1984 interview, Rob Halford called Judas Priest “defenders of the faith.” But what was threatening heavy metal—and why did he feel responsible for protecting it?

Robert revisits that interview during the Defenders of the Faith tour, alongside Halford’s later reflections and K.K. Downing’s memories of making the album. It’s a story about following Screaming for Vengeance, getting a second chance after Point of Entry, and recognizing what the music meant to the people who listened to it.

Robert also shares a memory from his first Judas Priest concert, a viewer’s account of finding rock records in the Soviet Union, and Halford’s thoughts on what a band owes the person who bought a ticket.

What does Defenders of the Faith mean to you? And where does it rank among Priest’s albums? Let us know in the comments.

IRON MAIDEN VIDEO REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE - https://youtu.be/WphjpWaRdP8

* LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AUDIOMOVER THAILAND TRIP - audiomover.com/adventure
* MEET WITH ROBERT JOHN HADFIELD OVER ZOOM - https://scheduler.zoom.us/robert-hadfield/audiomover-meet-with-robert



Chapters
0:00 What was Judas Priest defending?
0:56 AudioMover Rock Trivia Challenge
2:32 Halford’s mission to take metal around the world
3:48 A fan’s story from the Soviet Union
5:15 Why heavy metal means so much to its fans
8:36 Revisiting Defenders of the Faith
10:01 K.K. Downing on the album’s opening songs
11:15 What “Defenders of the Faith” meant to Halford
13:20 The pressure to follow Screaming for Vengeance
14:49 What Priest learned from Point of Entry
20:54 The bond between metal bands and their fans
25:33 How Priest kept the band together
28:32 Judas Priest and the rise of MTV
30:06 Why every audience deserved Priest’s best
31:22 A T-shirt from Robert’s first Priest concert
31:44 How much longer did Halford think Priest would last?
36:10 Trivia answers
38:05 The AudioMover Thailand and Cambodia adventure