Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner has updated fans on his health following the heart surgery he underwent in late September. While performing at the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona, Florida, he suffered a near-fatal rupture of his aorta, where his heart was spilling blood into his chest cavity.

After the band finished their song “Painkiller” Faulkner was immediately rushed to the hospital. He underwent a 10-hour emergency surgery that was life-saving. A couple of days after, Faulkner’s partner Mariah Lynch, provided fans with an update on his recovery, noting he was “stable and resting” at the time.

All of their upcoming tour dates in North America have been postponed. The tour was in support of the release of their 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music box set.

After two months, his recovery is happily improving. “I was able to return home from hospital 10 days after my surgery to continue recovery at home. It has now been 7 weeks since the night it all happened and I’m feeling very strong and positive. My incisions have healed very well and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m walking well and moving freely, I’m pretty active and I’m starting cardiac therapy very soon.”

Fellow bandmate Rob Halford shared that he is currently in remission after being diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 2020 and in October of this year.

In September the band contributed to Record Store Day, alongside All Them Witches, Alice Cooper, Dio, Evanescence, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Poison and Tesla.