Halford needs more surgery

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has revealed he needs hernia surgery, after he underwent an operation on his back last year.

The 62-year-old was seen in a wheelchair in May 2013, and admitted: “I’m in agony right now – but it’s just a back injury and it’s going to be fixed. The Metal God will be bouncing back.”

Now he’s reported he’ll receive medical attention to his stomach before Priest tour in support of upcoming album Redeemer Of Souls.

Halford tells ABC News Radio: “My doctors always said, ‘If it’s not giving you any discomfort you should leave it as it is,’ but it’s not very appealing to look at, is it? It looks like an alien just burst forth!”

He accepts spending more time with doctors is part and parcel of getting older. He says: “That’s life – the wonderful thing about heavy metal is that it’s immortal. But the creators are not bestowed with that attribute.”

Redeemer Of Souls, which Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton has described as a “miracle”, is released on July 14 in the UK.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.