Having been discussed publicly by co-director and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello for some time now, and having been announced as a feature at the Berlin International Film Festival, a clip from the new Judas Priest documentary, ‘The Ballad of Judas Priest’, has finally surfaced.
The clip showcases a conversation about Priest’s enduring classic ‘Breaking the Law’ between leading figures in rock, including Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Morello and others. It also features Priest vocalist Rob Halford’s thoughts about the track, calling it a “revolution song” about the strife of the industrial working class at the height of Thatcherism.
Morello himself in discussing the film has linked the documentary to the political situation referenced in the clip, declaring in Berlin that “the band’s existence is very political”, as quoted in Deadline. While never explicitly discussing political themes, issues or figures, the song describes the dehumanising feeling of unemployment in early 1980s Britain, when joblessness reached over 3 million. Halford added that “I try my best to avoid that type of explicit message, but it’s there. It’s there, and that gives me some comfort that I’m not letting myself down consciously on subjects that mean a lot to me and piss me off.”
The film, the first that Morello has directed, will be playing at the Berlin festival until February 22, and little has been disclosed about a wider release in the months following.
Co-directing is Sam Dunn, who, with his company Banger Films, has been active for over two decades, releasing the widely-acclaimed 2004 film ‘Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey’, the 2009 tour documentary/concert film ‘Iron Maiden: Flight 666’ and 2014’s ‘Super Duper Alice Cooper’. Dunn also directed the comprehensive ‘Metal Evolution’, a documentary series detailing the birth and transformation of metal since the days of Black Sabbath.
Discussing the Priest documentary, Dunn said that he is “beyond excited for all our German metalheads to get the first look”, Morello declaring that he is “so excited for the world to see this amazing project”.
As well as a detailed look at the music, the film will also document the ‘Metal Gods’ in their rise to international headline status, Halford’s journey with drugs and his sexuality, and where Priest stand today.
The last few years have been eventful for the Black Country’s riff masters, releasing their latest album Invincible Shield in 2024 to an almost uniformly positive reception and touring extensively behind it, going to number 2 in the UK Album chart and number 1 in the UK and US rock charts, as well as number 1 in Germany, Austria and Sweden among others. Priest will headline Bloodstock later this year alongside Russian deathcore juggernaut Slaughter to Prevail and American groove metallers Lamb of God, as well as fellow British metal legends Saxon.
