Though Rob Halford is known as one of the heavy metal greats, the singer is no stranger to diving into other genres. To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, Halford will be releasing a festive-themed album, Celestial, out Oct. 18 via Legacy Recordings.
The album blends holiday favorites with new composition “The great thing about heavy metal is it’s got these kinds of multiple dimensions,” Halford said in a statement. “I think when you look at it from an outside point of view – if you’re not really familiar with the metal scene – it can look pretty intimidating. And it is a very strong, powerful experience. But it comes at different levels. I think the music that we’ve made on Celestial, for example, gives a display of that. Metal maniacs – as we call ourselves – are just as ready for the holidays as everybody else. And what we’ve tried to do with this music is to reach out to as many of those metal dimensions as we possibly can.”
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Celestial also taps into the holiday spirit by including family, with his brother on drums, his nephew on bass, his sister on bells, and the twin guitar tandem of Robert Jones and Jon Blakey.
“I think the holidays for any family are a mixture of fun and excitement and apprehension of the whole event,” he continued. “The magic of it more than anything else. It’s just a beautiful time of year – which a lot of us wish would be for every day of the year. It’s a beautiful thing as far as bringing families together. So, what better way to celebrate it than with your family, friends…and music. You must have music at Christmas time.”
Fans can pre-order the album here, and check out the opening song, “Donner & Blitzen” below.