Today, I’m reviewing the latest book by one of my favourite lead singers, Rob Halford. In Biblical, he takes us deep into the world of heavy metal.
Title: Biblical
Series: N/A
Author: Rob Halford
Genre: Heavy Metal, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Non-Fiction
Length: 336 pages
Release Date: November 7, 2023
The Metal God, himself, Rob Halford—lead vocalist of Judas Priest and author of the critically acclaimed and reader-beloved autobiography, Confess—delivers yet again, now with the bible of hard rock and heavy metal, all in his enlightening, hilarious, and one-of-a-kind voice.
Blurb: Rob Halford has long been known for his legendary voice. As the front man of Judas Priest, his vocals have been tremendous, and tremendously influential. In 2020, he brought his voice to the page with a glorious autobiography. Fans and readers loved Halford’s frank and open narrative, as well as his terrific insight and sense of humor. In an ideal follow-up, Halford runs his lively eye over all facets of the hard rock history and the heavy metal world. Biblical is an encyclopedia and manifesto in which Halford shares his opinions, memories, and anecdotes regarding every element of the rock and roll work and lifestyle from tours to tattoos, riffs to riders, and drugs to devil horns. In Halford’s relaxed and honest tone, the book mixes serious and in-depth pieces with whimsical reflections on lessons learned during his fifty years of a life in music. Biblical is a handed-down-from-on-high holy tome that transports fans behind the scenes and back into their record collections, to the almighty ways of rock.
Available at:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Google Play
Since the author is one of my fave singers, and after reading his autobiography, when I saw Biblical available to purchase, I snatched it up to read.
First, I enjoyed how Rob uses the stories in the Bible to start each chapter of the book. He confesses to being no expert, but I think he did a pretty good job. He takes us through the journey of heavy metal—read: Judas Priest’s journey of heavy metal.
I’m a heavy metal nerd and love reading everything I can get my hands on about rock ‘n’ roll and the music business. What Rob provides is right up my alley, since he shares about the beginnings of the band all the way to their worldwide success. He not only talks about becoming a singer, but also about how they landed their record deal, managers, touring, road crews, record executives, radio stations, etc. It was a great look into the music industry through the eyes of a singer in a heavy metal band.
Rob has the gift of gab. He always shares funny stories to keep the reader interested while informing them about the process of touring and what a tour manager does. He also shares about how royalties work, streaming services, etc. There’s also a peek into how the band came up with their album names. He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the band.
It’s a great read. Is it as good as Confess, his autobiography? No. But I didn’t expect it to be. Still, it’s well worth the read if you are a music fan or a Judas Priest fan. It’s fascinating how the music business works. Do yourself a favour and get a copy.
Maggie Blackbird 