Judas Priest’s Rob Halford Calls ‘Fun’ State Farm Commercial a ‘Heavy Metal Bonus’
Metal may not always get TV's spotlight, but odds are you've gotten your fair share of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" cranking out over the airwaves in a recent, heavy rotation State Farm commercial. Speaking with Detroit's WRIF Meltdown show, Rob Halford, one of metal's greatest ambassadors, says it's a "heavy metal bonus" seeing his band's usage in the spot.
The commercial is part of a continuing State Farm series featuring NFL star Aaron Rodgers, his fictional sports agent Gabe Gabriel and actual State Farm agent Patrick Minnis. This spot promotes State Farm's safe driving app, with Gabriel stating that his client doesn't know how to play it safe, urging Rodgers to get lead-footed to the sounds of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law." But alas, the discount double-checking QB is not going to blow his discount on that yellow light.
Sharing his thoughts on the spot, Halford admits he wasn't initially aware of the usage until being tipped off. He went on to explain, "I'll tell you what's so beautiful about that — the way that Priest is in American culture. You have to be really embedded in this great country, as a nation, to have that opportunity. Your music, for that to be on a TV commercial across this vast landscape of the United States, and there's a guy doing the drum thing to 'Breaking the Law' ... What a great song to choose. It was a blast, man. It's a lot of fun, and that's cool. It's a bonus — a heavy metal bonus."
With Judas Priest set to celebrate 50 years as a band on the road in 2020, you can bet "Breaking the Law" will turn up in sets during the run. Halford has also suggested that Priest rarities may find their way into sets, including material from the band's "Ripper" Owens era.
Meanwhile, Judas Priest are expected to start writing and recording for their next album early next year, though Halford has suggested that there likely won't be any new music arriving in 2020. Stay tuned to see what the new year brings.
State Farm Commercial With Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law"
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