Since Judas Priest started out in 1969, computers have infiltrated every aspect of our lives -- and although tweeting and using Pro Tools aren't the first things that come to mind when one thinks of heavy metal, the members of the band admit they've been able to make peace with the digital era.

"You've got to say it's a good thing," shrugged guitarist Glenn Tipton when asked about the internet during a recent conversation with Ultimate Classic Rock. "It's here, we're stuck with it, you have to work with it, and you have to take the good points. There are bad points to it too, obviously, you know, but you have to take the good with the bad. The internet's there -- work with it. "

One of the ways bands have to "work with" the web is dealing with comments from the fans, and as Tipton went on to point out, you've got to take the good with the bad on that front too. Looking back on the group's 2008 album 'Nostradamus,' he recalled, "A small section of people didn't see what we were trying to do with that -- [they] wanted more classic Priest. And that's really what we did with [new album 'Redeemer of Souls'], except we just wrote and it comes out as classic Priest. The same element will now probably say they want something more adventurous, but that's life."

For singer Rob Halford, it's a matter of striking a musical balance between past and present while using new technology to build a bridge between Priest and its listeners. "When we were first getting into metal, there were no hard drives, there were no digital moments, cell phones, internet, texting, tweeting, Instagram, Facebooking -- none of that. There was a purity that I think we've still kept with what we've tried to do with our metal, with our music," he argued, adding, "You do have to jump on the train, otherwise you'll get left behind -- particularly in terms of communication. That's the biggest element for any band, the greatest way that you can get closer to your fans."

To hear more of Judas Priest's thoughts on 21st-century computing -- and Tipton's high score on the fiendishly addictive game 'Flappy Bird' -- check out the complete interview clip at the top of this post.

Judas Priest Talks About the Time They Were Nearly Killed Onstage

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