There's plenty of room for all you headbanging whippersnappers on Rob Halford's lawn.

The Judas Priest frontman expressed his enthusiasm for younger metal acts during a recent interview with the New York Post, name-checking a blend of new and veteran artists when asked to name some "current" bands he enjoys: "I like Avenged Sevenfold and Five Finger Death Punch, with whom I did a single. I love my dark metal: Phil Anselmo’s work with Down, the new Slipknot."

Of course, that doesn't mean he's ready to hang up his metal god crown -- or that he thinks any of his currently rocking peers need to consider retirement either. "What’s interesting is that the old guard -- Priest, [Iron] Maiden, [Black] Sabbath, AC/DC, Metallica -- still has a tremendous amount of things to say and do," he pointed out. "Some of us guys in our 60s are still going out there."

It should surprise no one that Halford's particularly proud of Priest's current work. As he told the Morning Call, after four decades, the band "can still deliver the goods." Looking back over the reactions to their new 'Redeemer of Souls' album, he noted approvingly, "We haven't disappointed people."

"It feels great -- it feels really great. I think we've made a really solid expression of where the band is in 2014. It's just a great statement to make, 40 years later, from Priest," he mused. "Who'd have thought that 40 years later, Judas Priest would still be relevant and significant and still have all this activity going on? But nothing's diminished -- I think the most extraordinary thing for the band is we're still picking up new metalheads. I'm sure when we play your venue, there'll be new Priestheads coming to see us for the first time, as well."

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