Judas Priest Announce Farewell Tour

Judas Priest will perform in a farewell tour that will take them around the globe in 2011, the band announced Tuesday. “After storming the world for nearly 40 years and taking their very special brand of heavy metal to all four corners of the planet, Judas Priest — one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, have announced this will be their final world tour,” they said in a press release. “With all guns blazing and amps cranked to 11, the band will be giving all their fans one last chance to witness the ultimate metal experience that is Judas Priest.” Only eight European dates for next summer have been announced, but many more should be coming.

Judas Priest Rock A Red-Carpet Anniversary Party in New York

Farewell tours are often complete shams. The Who, Phish, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Cher, Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand have all done them — only to return to the road just a few years later. Judas Priest’s last few tours haven’t exactly set box office records, even last summer when they performed their 1980 classic British Steel straight through.

Still, a farewell tour is the perfect to get fans into seats because they fear it’s their last chance — and it’s still likely to be a great show. Judas Priest have one of the best catalogs in metal and Rob Halford still has his signature booming voice, even though he’s pushing 60. Who knows, they might actually be one of the few groups to say farewell and mean it.

Ozzy, Motley Crue and Rob Halford Revive Ozzfest