Celestial (Rob Halford album)

Celestial
Studio album by Rob Halford
Released	October 18, 2019
Studio	Bay Ten Studios, Walsall, West Midlands Gospel Oak Studios, Rowington Green, Oxfordshire The Cabin Studio, Streetly West Midlands Woodworm Studios, Barford St Michael, Oxfordshire
Genre	Heavy metal, christmas music
Length	45:13
Label	Legacy
Producer	Mike Exeter
Rob Halford chronology
Halford IV: Made of Metal (2010) Celestial (2019)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Arts Desk	[2]
Blabbermouth.net	8/10 [3]
KNAC	4/5 [4]

Celestial is a solo studio album by British heavy metal singer Rob Halford recorded with his family and friends. ^[5] His previous solo album Winter Songs was released in 2009. ^[4] The album is a collection of traditional Christmas carols interpreted by Halford and several originals written by bandmembers.

Reception

Guy Oddy of The Arts Desk stated, "...on Celestial, Rob Halford has proved himself to be the one man who can out-camp The Darkness, even with a complete lack of fruity humour and innuendo, but by somehow throwing all self-consciousness aside. For this is an album that doesn’t so much straddle the line between genius and insanity but gamely embraces both, and could just be the greatest rock’n’roll Christmas album ever because of it." ^[2] Jay H. Gorania of Blabbermouth.net wrote, "There is an undeniable sense of self-awareness throughout "Celestial" as he performs family-friendly classics with heavy metal's fist-to-the-face approach, which highlights his banshee-like wailing, crooning, screeching and growling. The irony is not lost on our favorite hell-raiser at all." ^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Celestial"	Mike Exeter, Rob Halford	1:32
2.	"Donner and Blitzen"	Mike Exeter, Rob Halford, Alex Hill, Robert Jones	3:31
3.	"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"	Traditional	2:45
4.	"Away in a Manger"	Traditional	4:03
5.	"Morning Star"	Rob Halford, Robert Jones	4:14
6.	"Deck the Halls"	Traditional	5:03
7.	"Joy to the World"	Traditional	2:48
8.	"O Little Town of Bethlehem"	Traditional	5:31
9.	"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"	Traditional	2:06
10.	"The First Noel"	Traditional	4:24
11.	"Good King Wenceslas"	Traditional	7:28
12.	"Protected by the Light"	Mike Exeter, Rob Halford	1:48
Total length:			45:13

Personnel

• Rob Halford – vocals, percussion
• Alex Hill - bass guitar, vocals
• Robert Jones - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals, programming
• Nigel Halford – drums, percussion
• Mike Exeter – keyboards
• Jon Blakey – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
• Phil Ridden – percussion
• Sue Halford - percussion

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [6]	92
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [7]	74
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [8]	15
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [9]	26
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [10]	2
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard) [11]	4

References

1. "Rob Halford - Celestial Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
2. Oddy, Guy (December 7, 2019). "CD: Rob Halford - Celestial". The Arts Desk. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
3. Gorania, Jay H. (October 25, 2019). "Celestial". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
4. Yarborough, Alex. "KNAC.COM - Reviews - ROB HALFORD 'Celestial'". KNAC . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
5. Delgreco, Lisa (September 6, 2019). "Rob Halford Gets In The Holiday Spirit With 'Celestial,' Announces Arizona Appearance". Legacy Recordings . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
6. "Offiziellecharts.de – Rob Halford with Family & Friends – Celestial" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
7. "Spanishcharts.com – Rob Halford with Family & Friends – Celestial". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
8. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
9. "Rob Halford Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
10. "Rob Halford Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
11. "Rob Halford Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2024.