We’ve got another rock doc coming, and this one’s going to be all about legendary UK metal group Judas Priest. A new, revelatory look at the NWOBHM favorites now 50-year career is currently in production, and will be co-directed by fan and Rage Against the Machine founder Tom Morello.
The forthcoming The Ballad of Judas Priest is being co-helmed by documentary filmmaker Sam Dunn and Morello. An official release date has yet to be proffered by the production team, but per Variety, the film is primed to explore the arc of Priest, from their early Seventies beginnings in Birmingham, UK, to the stories behind their rise in the metal world and the 19 albums that helped cement their legacy
“We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades, and finally in this documentary we are summoning our congregation to officially witness our lives uncensored, in a never-before-seen way,” the band said in a joint statement, adding of the film, “The cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!”
“While some may know Judas Priest for their huge hits that have shaped the heavy metal genre, there is so much more to their story,” co-directors Morello and Dunn added in their own joint statement.
“Tracing their incredible 50-year journey, this film will capture how Judas Priest both defined the sound and look of metal, but also made it a more inclusive place along the way. We are grateful to the band for allowing us such intimate, unfiltered access to their lives and look forward to bringing this film to the metal masses around the world.”
The Ballad of Judas Priest is being produced via Banger Film, and will be distributed by Sony Music Vision.
Judas Priest’s most recent album release was last year’s Revolver-favorited Invincible Shield. As previously reported, the group are set to take on another round of U.S. dates in support of the release, with the upcoming tour being a co-headliner with Alice Cooper.
You’ll find the show info here.