Judas Priest’s Rob Halford recently spoke with Planet Rock’s Paul Anthony and talked a little bit about the band’s new album progress. He said that that they are not entirely “at the end” of the recording process, but the does “feel like [they’re] coming to some of the final moments.”

Here’s Halford’s full statement:

“Well, we’re still tracking. I won’t say we’re at the end [of the recording process], but we feel like we’re coming to some of the final moments. And it’s just great to watch how a record comes together, from those early, early days where there was just me and [guitarists] Glenn [Tipton] and Richie [Faulkner] sitting in the studio with a couple of guitars and just, you know, doing what we do. You start the day with nothing, and then at the end of day, potentially, you’ve got a really great, classic PRIEST song that may live forever.”

He continued:

“So we’re hard at it. We’re still doing what we love to do. PRIEST is a working band more than anything else. It’s that Midlands ethic, the work ethic of anybody that goes to work… I say it’s work, ’cause it is work — you’re working with your mind, you’re being creative. And now we’re moving through into other stages, we’re preparing for another big world tour, getting stage designs sorted, lighting designs sorted. So this is the beginning of what’s gonna be a very exciting 2018 period.”