JUDAS PRIEST's IAN HILL Says 'Illegal Downloading' Has Made It 'Difficult' For Younger Bands To Make It

In a brand new interview with the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, bassist Ian Hill of British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST was asked how the music business has changed in the four decades since the band's inception. "It's strange times at the moment," he replied. "It has changed completely since we started 40-odd years ago. Record companies would be prepared to wait for their return on their investment. Now you take some of these pop bands, a guy can be an overnight sensation. In the old days, you would be prepared to work. They would give you an advance, pay for the recording costs and keep the band from starving to death. Not so much these days. The big trouble is illegal downloading. Not so for a band like ourselves and other established acts; we're established enough to play large venues. It's hard for these younger bands to get on. The way things are, it's difficult to make it. Unless you know [former 'American Idol' judge] Simon Cowell."

Speaking to MTV's 'Headbangers Ball" in 2010, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about illegal music downloading: "I'm a big believer that you don't steal music. When you wanna listen to music, you should do it legitimately. The fact of the matter is, no matter who you are, that's how you make your living." He elaborated in a 2007 chat with Classic Rock Revisited, telling the site: "When the Internet was invented, I thought that it was going to be a blessing in one aspect and a minefield in another. To a certain extent, it is like when cassette recorders were invented. Next CD burners came about. When the Internet came along, everyone went, 'Oh God, now what are we going to do?' You are left with a dilemma and a massive problem."

Halford continued: "It is costing record companies and movie companies billions of dollars. At the end of the day, it is a moral issue. If you are real fan of the band, then you want to be associated with the original licensed material. You show your fanaticism by buying the CD and the official merchandise and going to the show. It is still prolific amongst the younger demographic. All of their mates have done it so they might as well do it as well… The choice is there for you to pay for it or not. The inclination is to say, 'Well, it is free.' It is wrong. It is confusing on an emotional level. Fans go, 'Oh, they have millions of dollars. They don't need more money.' That is not the point. You can't walk into a big grocery store and help yourself to everything and then walk out and not pay for it just because they have millions of dollars. There is a trickle-down effect; everyone gets affected by it."

JUDAS PRIEST's 17th studio album, "Redeemer Of Souls", sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's 2008 double-disc concept album, "Nostradamus", shifted 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at No. 11. This marked PRIEST's highest-ever chart position in the U.S.

JUDAS PRIEST's 2005 CD, "Angel of Retribution", premiered with 58,000 copies in the U.S. to debut at No. 13.

JUDAS PRIEST's most successful album to date is 1982's "Screaming For Vengeance", which spent 53 weeks on the Billboard charts, receiving gold RIAA sales certification on October 29, 1982, platinum on April 18, 1983 and double platinum October 16, 2001. The album included the band's only U.S. top 100 hit single, "You've Got Another Thing Comin'".

Other million-seller RIAA certifications for JUDAS PRIEST are "Priest Live" (October 29, 2001),"Turbo" (July 24, 1989),"Defenders of the Faith" (September 26, 1988),"British Steel" (August 9, 1989) and "Unleashed in the East" (November 10, 1989).

JUDAS PRIEST also has gold albums certifications (500,000 sales) for "Stained Class" (November 10, 1989),"Hell Bent For Leather" (November 10, 1989),"Point of Entry" (November 10, 1989),"Ram It Down" (July 18, 1988) and "Painkiller" (January 2, 1991).