Band:	Judas Priest
Album:	Nostradamus
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	June 13, 2008
A review by:	Baz Anderson

Disc I
01. Dawn Of Creation
02. Prophecy
03. Awakening
04. Revelations
05. The Four Horsemen
06. War
07. Sands Of Time
08. Pestilence And Plague
09. Death
10. Peace
11. Conquest
12. Lost Love
13. Persecution

Disc II
01. Solitude
02. Exiled
03. Alone
04. Shadows In The Flame
05. Visions
06. Hope
07. New Beginnings
08. Calm Before The Storm
09. Nostradamus
10. Future Of Mankind

Judas Priest, metal Gods, arguably the inventers of heavy metal as it is today. These guys haven't got the track record they have from sitting on their arses and plopping the same album out over and over again; Judas Priest have taken risks and re-invented themselves numerous times, from "Sad Wings Of Destiny" to "British Steel" to "Turbo" to "Painkiller" and now once more with this year's modern epic opus "Nostradamus". Over the years these risks have sometimes worked in their favour producing some of metal's timeless classics, but also on occasions, as far as the masses are concerned, in an unfavourable way. The running theme of all these years though, being that Judas Priest has kept true to themselves and has done everything just the way they wanted to.

Now, "Nostradamus" brings a whole new perspective to the world of Judas Priest. This is on a completely different level to anything the band has ever done before. Gone are the clear, razor sharp guitar riffs and straight-forward heavy metal sound the band put out since the "Painkiller" album, and its a hello and warm welcome to an overblown, pompous, slightly dark, theatrical kind of metal. Two CDs of over the top, dramatic stage show music that could easily be turned into a classic piece at a musical theatre in the west end of London depicting the life of Nostradamus. The guitars and the legendary singing of Rob Halford have always been the strongest points in the music of Judas Priest, but on "Nostradamus" both seem to have had the edge sandpapered off them. Both guitars and vocals lack the clarity and piercing qualities they should have, and more focus is placed upon a whole, full, multi-layered, bombastic sound you would imagine from a film soundtrack. The album is also littered with annoying little interludes that prevent any kind of real flow to the album's progression.

This is Judas Priest however, keeping to tradition there will always be quality on a Judas Priest album, you just need to know where to look to find it. Even though the first twenty minutes of the album, although puffing its chest out in grand fashion, is nothing much to keep your attention; most of the actual songs on "Nostradamus" have some of that melodic Priest magic about them we have come to expect. "Pestilence And Plague" has a bit more bite about it and with a magnificent Italian chorus is the first standout of the double album opus. "Lost Love" has an incredibly sad charm, as does the slightly drawn out but pleasant "Alone". "Visions" may be the highest point of the album with its deep guitars and catchy chorus, "New Beginnings" also gently brushes the listeners ears with a slow, sombre but satisfying affair. Title track "Nostradamus" has the most conviction the album sees though, and is the closest you will get to speed metal on this whole overblown, overdrawn musical work.

Indeed, the chocolate chips are buried in the cookie somewhere, the diamonds are lodged somewhere inside this endless mine. "Nostradamus" has the quality expected from a band as such as is Judas Priest, but this quality is just surrounded and cluttered with fillers, interludes, and a few songs that could have done with being dropped at the final cut, which makes the whole two CD final piece a hard pill to swallow in one sitting making it not the easiest album to listen to as a whole. If you have the time and patience, you will be able to appreciate "Nostradamus" and the highlights found within, but if you seek a quick, metallic, speed metal fix you got from "Painkiller" or even "Screaming For Vengeance", then unfortunately "Nostradamus" is definitely not the answer to your problem. One thing is for sure though, and that is that the Priest have put out yet another controversial record that will split fans right down the middle.