The "metal gods" are robots that have risen up and have come to destroy us all. It's a common theme in science fiction, but expressed more viscerally here, as Rob Halford sings: Laser-beaming hearts Ripping men apart Halford was reading a lot of sci-fi at the time.
Specific inspiration for the lyric came from the 1977 album cover for Queen's News Of The World, which shows a giant robot reaping destruction. The H. G. Wells novel The War Of The Worlds was also an influence.
"Metal God" became Rob Halford's nickname - he even trademarked the phrase in 2009. Halford earned the title by championing heavy metal for decades; Judas Priest came of age in the late '70s when punk was all the rage and metal was looked down upon. And don't worry, it hasn't gone to his head: Halford comes from a working class background and has a keen sense of humor. He doesn't wear a crown or require fans to bow before him.
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.