I’m not sure if blogging technically counts as “work,” but it hasn’t stopped me from requesting a WMMR workforce block of Judas Priest, which the great Pierre Robert honored on Tuesday afternoon:

Awesome. A bucket list type of item. I was just getting in the car and heard You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ and the acoustic version of Diamonds and Rust, which was written by the great Joan Baez back in 1975. The Priest version appeared on the 1977 album Sin After Sin and has been performed live in various arrangements ever since.

As you know, Judas Priest is the best band in the world. I’ve seen them nine times and emptied my FanDuel account a few years ago to buy the 50th anniversary box set. They’re going on their 6th decade now and just released an album called Invincible Shield, which I think is their best disc since Painkiller. It’s a face melter. It’ll make you wanna pancake Nick Bosa through the Earth’s crust. And regardless of whether you like heavy metal or not, you have to admit that seeing these dudes do it in their 60s and 70s is nothing short of incredible. Take any band, really – the Stones, AC/DC, Dead and Company, Earth Wind and Fire – you gotta respect the longevity and determination and consistency.

What would you rather do at 72 years old – tour the world with your heavy metal band, or play pickleball at the Boyertown YMCA? That’s why Rob Halford is the greatest to ever do it.

I’m partial to the Flyers because they still play the heavy shit at the Wells Fargo Center. Megadeth, Pantera, etc – you’ll still hear that stuff over the loudspeakers. Heavy and guitar based music isn’t as popular as it used to be, but that’s what WMMR is for, to keep the torch lit. To keep the flame burning. Heavy Metal is forever. Priest! Priest! Priest!

MMR ROCKS!