"People have been trying to kill heavy metal now for about 35, 40 years" — Judas Priest's Ian Hill on the importance of “patience and persistence”

Ian Hill, the legendary bassist of Judas Priest, made a resounding statement about the enduring resilience of heavy metal music. On April 24, 2024, in an interview with music YouTube channel Metal Oda, the English musician shared insights on the band's remarkable journey and the challenges faced. He suggested that people are trying to "kill" heavy metal —

"We've had a lot of stuff thrown at us over the years. I mean, people have been trying to kill heavy metal now for about 35, 40 years, so it's always been a bit of a struggle against the establishment if you know what I mean."

He further suggested that "patience and persistence" is more than anything to keep going.

Ian Hill is an English musician from West Bromwich, UK. He is best known as the bassist and the sole continuous member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest since its formation in 1970.

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music traditionally characterized by loud guitars, dense bass, vigorous vocals, and emphatic rhythms.

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Ian Hill discusses heavy metal's resilience

Ian Hill shares insights on heavy metal and new album (Image via Getty)

In a recent interview conducted last month, Ian Hill expressed that heavy metal music has faced significant opposition and criticism over the past several decades, with many people trying to discredit heavy metal from the rock genre. He emphasized that Judas Priest had faced several issues over the years.

Right after this, Hill candidly addressed the personal and professional challenges the band has encountered throughout its tenure. He recounted instances where individuals attempted to initiate legal proceedings against the band for financial gain. Later, the band Judas Priest faced personal level damage with Richie, the guitarist, almost dying on stage a few years ago.

"We have always sort of managed to survive and come through it. And then we have had court cases with people trying to screw us out of a lot of money for absolutely no reason whatsoever."

He continued,

"And then the personal struggles of the members of the band. I mean, Rob had cancer scares, Richie almost died on stage a few years ago. And, of course, Glenn's problems with his Parkinson's disease."

The artist suggested that the group still "get up" and perform despite facing challenges. Reflecting on the new album's name, Invincible Shield, Ian Hill said the strength was an "invincible shield" in front of the band.

"Even that, he can still get up on stage and play a couple of the encores. It's almost like having an invincible shield out in front of you."

Turkey's Metal Oda asked the sole member of the band, Ian Hill, what advice Hill would give himself if he could go back in time to the beginning of his career. The artist suggested that success is a combination of "patience and persistence."

"Oh, I don't know. I mean, back then, you hope you're gonna make it and hope you're gonna get on in the world and become popular. You don't ever believe it until it happens [laughs], but you just keep on, and it's really just patience and persistence more than anything."

He further acknowledged that today, it is comparatively more difficult for new artists to establish names, but he suggested persistence and self-belief are important to break through in this era.

"Although it is a little bit more difficult getting on today. Not that it was ever easy, but it's a little bit more difficult today because the system has changed beyond all recognition from when we started. But, yeah, it's persistence and keep at it and self-belief," Ian Hill added.

The interview further delves into the insights of the band's new album, Invincible Shield. Ian Hill was asked about the strategy behind their latest album, as according to Prisma, the album charted number one in Germany. The artist suggested that there was no plan but a "fortunate situation" as their fans are loyal and trust them.

"I wouldn't say plan. We are actually in the fortunate situation that our loyal fans trust u,s and we can do what we want. The influences from previous albums are, of course, there. But the goal is always further development."

Invincible Shield is a studio album by Judas Priest, released on March 6, 2024. It is the band's nineteenth studio album with fourteen tracks.

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Judas Priest will begin its 2024 concert on May 7, 2024, covering the USA and Europe. The Invincible Shield tour will end on October 13, 2024. Tickets for events can be purchased from the official website.