Customer Reviews

Nostradamus

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(56)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(38)
1 star:		(52)

 

 

Intolerant metal fans will no doubt slag this double CD for its keyboards and overall melody that metal bands simply aren't doing these days. Their loss.
We must remember that Glenn Tipton released a fine solo effort with John Entwhistle and Cozy Powell a few years back that was more melodic than Priest material was. These guys have been around too long to be expected to just repeat themselves over and over. With the experience and musicianship present, "Nostradamus" gives us a metal CD that offers the best vocalist in the genre ever, Rob Halford, instead of the extremely annoying grunt metal that permeates everything else. One hopes that this CD will be a hit, and will maybe encourage metal outfits out there to not be afraid to actually sing a little bit.
There's plenty of signature lead work and slicing guitars, but also lots of keyboards, which are necessary for the subject matter and add color and dimension to the music. Lyrically, it's basically a history of the great prophet, which one can take or leave, but overall I find it refreshing to see these metal godfathers stretch their wings whether some lunkhead likes it or not.

I almost threw this CD across the room when I heard it the first time through my iPod headphones, but after playing it a second time in my car, I had a whole new experience. I like most Judas Priest fans expected this album to be much heavier, but the songs really do get better with each listen. Nostradamus as a whole is more melodic than anything they have done in the past, and though some lyrics are pure cheese, I quite like it. I know people are going to be split in two groups of loving or hating it, but I am somewhere in the middle, maybe leaning towards loving it. Take a listen at least twice in a different setting and then make a judgement.

First off..I'm a Judas Priest fan since 1978 when I first heard Stained Class, now 30 years later I'm still a "Defender of the Faith", Priest have a produced a "Masterpiece"..I know some of you will argue this till the cows come home, but this is the kinda album I have been waiting for. It's alike a journey back to the early 70's with Sad Wings of Destiny, Rocka Rolla, Sin after Sin and so forth. There's no 4 chord "Hits" on this cd, Priest have really worked hard on making "Progressive" music on this album. If you want Painkiller, or British Steel then go put those albums on, because what you have here is a journey of Light and Dark Themes, some Agressive some very melodic and soft. Rob Halford has given you the perfomance of his life on this album, some beautiful compositions on this really make his voice shine. So if your into the more Symphonic, Progressive, Melodic Rock and Metal this will be to your liking. If you into the more Heavy Jugulator & Painkiller type then you'll be dissappointed...again I love Priest and I'm happy they did something different instead of the same old "Formula".
Highlights are:
Calm before the Storm
Nostradamus
Sands of Time
Death
lost love
Persecution
Exiled

Oh my god This Disk is soooo good!!! Im a hardcore Priest fan. Im not just saying its great cause I love them so much either. But You have to understand that Priest never hyped this as the next Painkiller. They said from the beginning that this would be an experimental album that takes you on a journey. And they accomplished their goal.
There are alot of keyboards and they fit in with the material perfectly.
I thought Angel Of Retribution was amazing as well but had no desire for them to repeat them selves. I will say that the first time I heard it I knew it would take a few listens. I mean its over 2 hours of music. Dont try to judge it in 1 listen.
Favorite tracks so far:
Pestilence and Plague
WAR
Exiled (listen to the Terminator Drums, great!!!)

This is Priest like youve never heard 'em. And thats not a bad thing.
If you like it when bands dont rehash the same crap over, and over, and over I think you will enjoy this.

It was obvious from the beginning that some people would love this CD and others would hate it. Hardcore fans who want little else than a regurgitation of Painkiller will be severely disappointed. Those who are able to open their minds and explore a new world of Priest will find this CD to be an absolutely amazing journey. This piece of work displays a depth that most bands never reach.

There is no one formula or sound that makes this album. It is a combination of musical styles that requires you to listen to this album multiple times to actually "get it." This is precisely why some people will never "get it." Sadly they are missing out on one of the most amazing concept albums ever written. There are no instant radio hits here.

When you do take the time to be absorbed into the world of Nostradamus, you find layers of music rather than just a catchy guitar riff. With Nostradamus, Priest are again pioneers, blending heavy metal with operatic verses and orchestral accompaniments. If for no other reason, this CD is worth purchasing just to hear Rob Halford sing in Italian on "Pestilence and Plague." Halford shows that he is not just The Metal God, unleashing screams that will shatter glass and fragile ear drums, but that he is also a vocalist who SINGS with far more energy and talent than any pop tart that Fox Television tries to make into an "idol." This is not bubble-gum rock boys and girls. This is not pretty. This is not the 4 minute hit single they play on MTV with a bunch of screaming kids who don't even know what they are screaming at. This is Judas Priest. This is Rock & Roll. This is Heavy Metal. But this time, it's done with finesse that's usually reserved for much different musical genres. Congratulations to Judas Priest for taking the chance, and for doing it exceptionally well. There's a reason why this band is selling out arenas almost 35 years after their inception.

My final advice to anyone looking to purchase this CD. Do it! But you need to put in the time with this album to appreciate it. Priest took over two years to write and record this album. Listen to it in full- from beginning to end. Then do it again. And again. You need to immerse yourself into the world they created to truly appreciate it. If you put in the time, you will reap the rewards that this masterpiece has to offer.

All hail to the Call of The Priest and bow before The Metal Gods!

Judas Priest is back!

Well, with that over with, now that they're back (their 2nd album since reuniting with Metal God Rob Halford), what are they doing?

What they're doing is exactly what KISS did in the Fall of 1981 - they're dividing their fans into two groups thanks to a new Concept Album. For KISS it nearly killed their career. What will Nostradamus do for Judas Priest this late in their career?

Well, let's discuss the album first. Disc 1 is largely unlistenable. Sure, there are some strong points here and there, but not much that resembles the style that Judas Priest has been known for over the last 30+ years. There's a lot of synthisizers and synth strings (or are those real strings?), and dark, mellow interludes in between almost all of the "real" songs. This is not a disc to put in for a long drive. Or a short one, for that matter.

Disc 2 is better, but still suffers from the same problems as disc 1. The upside of this disc is that there are some real songs here, and it begins to resembe JUDAS PRIEST in more spots. In fact, there are a few tracks that sound downright Sad Wings of Destiny-esque. If disc 1 had been as good as disc 2 there would be a lot less 1 star reviews here. There would still be some, but a lot less than there are now. Even so, disc 2 is still not a good candidate to pop in the CD player while driving.

Nostradamus is the type of album that went over well in the 70's - put on the album, put on your headphones, break out the lyric sheet and credits and listen intently for an hour or so. It's ambitious, it's theatrical, and it is very deep. There are more than a few Pink Floyd type moments here, and that's pretty shocking coming from Judas Priest.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of memorable material on the album - the riffs just aren't there (not like a Judas Priest album should have, anyway), and the strong vocal hooks are few and far between. There is some substance to be had, but not enough to make up for all the failings of this set.

Maybe if they had taken the best 12 SONGS and released that as the new album it would have worked better. I'm sure it would have, but unfortunately what we're left with is an overblown concept album that just doesn't work they way they seem to have intended.

If you are a Judas Priest fanatic, then by all means - pick this one up! There are some songs here that are pretty good. If you're one of those fans who skips an album here or there because it just isn't up to the usual standards then this might be a good one to pass on.

The Elder has been dividing KISS fans for over 26 years. Nostradamus seems to have done that in 26 hours! It's not all bad, but it isn't the album that most of Judas Priest's fans wanted.

The big question is this... With The Elder everyone knew KISS would be back (and they came roaring back with Creatures of the Night), but at this late stage of Priest's career it's a little less certain that THEY will come roaring back with a killer album (or any more new albums). Let's hope they can.

To be blunt, this album is just to deep for the average Priest fan. I own all the earlier Priest albums, and my personal favorites are Painkiller, Screaming for Vengeance, Sad Wings, and British Steel. Priest tried really hard to bring something different to the table this time, and for the most part is succeeds brilliantly. I think many of their fans just won't get it, because they are looking for either Painkiller brutality, or Screaming for Vengeance melody and "hits" as it were. Judas Priest is a band that is looking for new ways to expand the genre, and frankly since they are pretty much 1/2 of the founding fathers of Metal, (along with Sabbath) I think they have earned the right to try some new things. If you are willing to listen to the album with an open mind, and aren't looking for the same old same old. You will probably enjoy this music. If you want to listen to formula ad nauseum buy something by AC/DC. (who I love by the way)

I am STUNNED!!! Wow, what a masterpiece! The mighty Priest have outdone themselves!

I've been a fan since the beginning, Rocka Rolla, and their early masterpiece, Sad Wings of Destiny. Over the years, nothing had ever topped that...until now.

Rob's still got THE VOICE. Exquisite! He doesn't have to use harsh vocals to sound heavy, and he can still reach those highs. On this album, he not only proves he's still got it, but he reaches even higher, stretching his already masterful range. He even ventures into operatic singing that is just incredible!

Musically, Priest show that they have indeed evolved. Rather than trying to copy the new generation of metal, they have produced a masterful work that is totally their own...advanced JP! Rich, orchestral, complex, deep, heavy, emotionally evocative, musically mature...this is most definitely their FINEST WORK.

And that, for those in the know, is saying quite a lot.

Face it; there isn't going to be a return to the days of British Steel. That being said, for those of us over 40 who've been listening to Judas Priest since the 70's (except for those non-Halford years), you want to the band to do something new and/or daring rather than try to relive the days of long ago. This is a good hard rockin' album (not perfect) and the changes in tone and tempo allow it to be an enjoyable listen that can take you through different paces rather than a non-stop speed metal onslaught. Priest has no business trying to be like the latest psuedo-metal bands of today. That's mostly hard, fast, unintelligible screaming for the sake of screaming with no purpose other than to be noise (remember...over 40 here.) Priest makes sense out of metal, much like Sabbath and Iron Maiden. This is the type of record that makes them rise above the wanna-be-s.

If people want candy coated dog barf, go pick up some of the overdubbed sampled to death crap the youth of today call music.

But here we are many years after the Beast was Unleashed, loud and as powerful as ever. For those who knew this was coming I hope you weren't expecting a Judas Priest version of something like Tommy! This is so much more than that, it has a message all can understand. And if you have trouble the music will certainly help you.

This isn't for the faint of heart it is still 100% Judas Priest, with the powerful riffs of the Dowling and Tipton etc but the Vocals of Rob Halford is superb.

Visions, Alone and Revelations get repeated the most as these are a little darker than most - in the same category as Touch of Evil was.