Confess

The Autobiography

Contributors

By Rob Halford

Read by Rob Halford

On Sale
Sep 29, 2020
Publisher
Hachette Audio
ISBN-13
9781549130175

The legendary frontman of Judas Priest, one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time, celebrates five decades of heavy metal in this tell-all memoir.

Most priests hear confessions. This one is making his.

Rob Halford, front man of global iconic metal band Judas Priest, is a true “Metal God.” Raised in Britain’s hard-working, heavy industrial heartland, he and his music were forged in the Black Country. Confess, his full autobiography, is an unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll story-a journey from a Walsall council estate to musical fame via alcoholism, addiction, police cells, ill-fated sexual trysts, and bleak personal tragedy, through to rehab, coming out, redemption . . . and finding love.

Now, he is telling his gospel truth.

Told with Halford’s trademark self-deprecating, deadpan Black Country humor, Confess is the story of an extraordinary five decades in the music industry. It is also the tale of unlikely encounters with everybody from Superman to Andy Warhol, Madonna, Jack Nicholson, and the Queen. More than anything else, it’s a celebration of the fire and power of heavy metal.

Rob Halford has decided to Confess. Because it’s good for the soul.

Named one of the Best Music Books of 2020 by Rolling Stone and Kirkus Reviews

  • "For nearly half a century, Halford has been the voice of Judas Priest, screaming for vengeance against nonbelievers."
    Rolling Stone
  • "Rob Halford though is one of the few metal musicians who actually has a story worth hearing....Confess, true to its title, doesn't hold back....Confess manages to be both dark and at times endearing. Halford's openness, despite some dark themes, allows for his humor to shine through....It may have taken a while for Halford to tell his story, but it was certainly worth the wait."
    New Noise
  • "Raw and searingly moving, Confess will delight metal heads and music fans alike."
    GQ
  • "Confess can't be reduced to a collection of salacious gay encounters, cocaine binges or romanticized rock'n'roll horror stories. It's a cautionary tale that offers redemption through courage and the changing of times. It's a treasure-trove of heavy metal nuggets and anecdotes that any rock-blog dork would lose their mind over. But most importantly, it's a beautiful exploration of the human condition and one man's capacity for love and self-love."
    Forbes
  • "[Halford] didn't pull any punches and he didn't leave anything out. I thought that was very courageous...very heartfelt and very real."
    Buzz Osborne, Melvins
  • "Rob Halford led Judas Priest, and heavy metal itself, out of the Midlands and into the bigtime."
    The Guardian
  • "Deliciously readable...Confess is a warts-and-all rock'n'roll confessional."
    Esquire
  • "Confess is no hyperbole: Halford bares his soul."
    Revolver Magazine
  • "[Halford's] language is vivid and personal...and his tale is compelling. As he tells the story of Judas Priest...he weaves in any number of funny, heartbreaking, and interesting tidbits about the obstacles he encountered and the many famous people he has met along the way."
    Rolling Stone
  • "Confess is a must-read for Judas Priest fans as it is written from a place of honesty and passion while done with integrity....a page-turner."
    Sonic Perspectives
  • "Essential reading for any fan of hard rock."
    Jewish Journal
  • "Whether guiding the reader through the highs and lows of the Judas Priest machine, or through harrowing struggles with his sexuality and cocaine addiction, Halford's ability to let his humble working-class British upbringing and a wisecrack poke through the events depicted in his autobiography, Confess, gives an uplifting aura to even the darkest parts of his life story....It's that sense of introspection that drives what ends up being the most compelling, and inspiring parts of Halford's story....It's the introspective -- and brutal honesty -- of Halford's off-stage struggle that truly lifts his autobiography from a library checkout to a must-purchase."
    Blabbermouth
  • "Confess digs deeper... and provides useful context."
    AllMusic.com
  • "Rob Halford has written one of the most candid and surprising memoirs of the year. . . Confess is a riproaring tale, a funny, often shocking and genuinely emotional story."
    The Telegraph
  • "The Metal God shares stories from a life like no other, spending over 50 years in the heavy metal bubble, facing adversity head-on but always with a wry smile and horns held firmly aloft."
    Kerrang
  • "A unique and deeply revealing insight into the extraordinary life he has led."
    Metal Talk
  • "When it comes to metal memoirs, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford's aptly titled and long-awaited Confess: The Autobiography certainly has enough sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll to satisfy voracious readers of, say, Motley Crüe's The Dirt or Keith Richards's Life. But a great deal of sorrow also permeates the just-released page-turner."
    Yahoo! News
  • "The Metal God has written his bible."
    The Oakland Press
  • "A must-read for pop-culture lovers and metalheads alike."
    The Baltimore Sun
  • "With its courageous, truthful delivery and the depiction of Halford truly rising above difficulties, perhaps the greatest aspect of Confess is the book's ability to inspire readers to rise above their challenges and come out on top. 10/10."
    Audio Ink Radio
  • "His memoir recounts the highs and lows of his history in a medley of comical, candid, and heartbreaking stories about obstacles and experiences...Confess is a fascinating portrait, dripping in Halford's polite yet brutally honest demeanor and personal slang: equal parts legendary metal icon and every-day humble Walsall lad."
    Phoenix New Times
  • "Confess...takes readers on a unique journey... Halford is candid and direct."
    Media Mikes
  • “A powerful, often shocking read.”
    Vintage Guitar

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$31.99

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Rob Halford

About the Author

Rob Halford is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy award-winning heavy metal band, Judas Priest, which will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. The band have released twenty albums to date and continue to tour together today. Halford lives between The Midlands in the UK, and Arizona in the US.
 
Ian Gittins has written about music for over three decades for publications such as Melody Maker, Time Out, Q, and the Guardian. He is also the co-author with Nikki Sixx of The Heroin Diaries and with Rob Halford of Confess.

Learn more about this author