Of all the heavy metal acts to have existed across the history of rock, very few if any, have the kind of longevity that Judas Priest has. In 2024 the band released their 19th studio album, “Invincible Shield.” That marks fifty years between the release of their first record to their most current. That itself is an accomplishment for any artist, regardless of genre. With a legacy that extends that far and with that much breadth, it’s about time that someone tried to chronicle that history in a documentary, and that’s what Tom Morello is seeking to do.
If you’re a music fan then you recognize Morello as the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine. The man knows metal and he knows music. There’s also Sam Dunn. The filmmaker and musician is an experienced documentarian especially on the subject of hard rock; “Iron Maiden: Flight 666,” “Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage,” and “Super Duper Alice Cooper,” among others. The two of them are working together to co-direct the upcoming documentary “The Ballad of Judas Priest.”
The title is a direct reference to the inspiration behind the band’s name. When they formed in the late 60s, they pulled their name from the Bob Dylan song “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.” If folk music seems like an unusual place for a heavy metal band to use as a muse, it actually falls right in line with the band’s tastes. This is after all, the same group that did a rocking cover of the Joan Baez classic, “Diamonds and Rust.” Beyond this, their history includes making leather and studs an iconic fashion image for metal, their front man Rob Halford coming out as gay in 1998, and unfair accusations of subliminal messages in their music leading to two young men shooting themselves.
There is a lot to unpack in the history of this band. Judas Priest are legitimately one of the most iconic bands in music history.
“Tracing their incredible 50-year journey, this film will capture how Judas Priest both defined the sound and look of metal, but also made it a more inclusive place along the way,” Dunn and Morello said. “We are grateful to the band for allowing us such intimate, unfiltered access to their lives and look forward to bringing this film to the metal masses around the world.”
No current release date is set for the film but we will let you know when one is announced. Until then, we can’t advocate that you pass the time “Breaking the Law,” but we’re all about partying it up and “Living After Midnight.”
