It's no secret that Judas Priest have been off the road and in the studio this year, focusing on writing and recording their 18th studio effort. The self-proclaimed Metal Gods provided an update in late April as they were in the midst of tracking, nearing some "final moments" of the process. Now, Andy Sneap, one of the album's producers, has expressed the band is nearing the finish line.

Earlier this year, the group named the production team for the new record, which includes Sneap as well as Mike Exeter and classic Priest producer Tom Allom. All three were pictured in Sneap's Instagram post, which updated fans from the studio stating, "Just about done with Priest tracking. One of the most enjoyable records I've worked on in a long time, especially working alongside these two [referring to the aforementioned producers]."

Taking 2017 off from touring, Priest are eyeing a massive 2018 with the highly-anticipated new album and subsequent tour in support of the fresh material. "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," detailed frontman Rob Halford while speaking with Planet Rock.

Redeemer of Souls, the latest effort from Priest, yielded the highest U.S. chart position of the band's career as well as their first entry into the Top 10, debuting at No. 6. The record was one of 2014's best metal albums, bringing new age classics like "Halls of Valhalla" to the band's set.

Judas Priest Albums Ranked