Judas Priest - Nostradamus
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Free Music Notes for Nostradamus
Free Music Review: Metal Gods Masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
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!
Free Music Review: Ignore Bad Reviews!!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
If you are a fan of Judas Priest, get this! I've been a fan of Priest since Screaming for Vengance, and I'm telling you - this is the album I wish had followed (or even been released instead of) Turbo!
Turbo was, well, Turbo; Painkiller was 'we can still be heavy . . . look how heavy we are.' This album is Judas Priest, plain and simple. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to it, and I still want to hear it again! It fits into the pre-Turbo Priest cannon very well.
If all your experience with "metal" music has been from bands with cookie monster vocals, you probably won't get this album and pan it. And those interludes when the guitarist is playing notes and not chords are called solos - something we musicians did before Ritalin drugged ambition and creativity out of us. Sorry - I just had to say that!
If you are a fan of good music before the dark times, before the '90s & hair bands, then this is a good pick for you. The best and most descriptive thing I can say about Nostradamus is that it is Judas Priest in their best form. Everything you would expect from a Priest album and more.
More because Nostradamus moves the ball foreward creativly for the band. Not one song on the album is a rehash of this Priest song, or almost the same riff from that song. That's amazing in a way, since the album does capture the feel of classic Judas Priest in so many ways. Maybe it's because they are not afraid to slow things down like they did before British Steel, as on Stained Class etc.
In fact, "Lost Love" from Nostradamus brought tears to my girlfriend's & my eyes -
"And though there were bad times/We stood together/And did what we had to get through" - maybe you can't appreciate that line or the song if your longest relationship is measured in weeks. If you've had to face some trials and made it through, though, then this song alone will justify your purchase of this CD. I can't imagine an anniversary or recommitment ceremony without "Lost Love."
The rest of the songs on this CD are heavy rockers, good driving music, workout music, whatever you like. I am so happy with Nostradamus, and happy I have it in my collection. JUDAS PRIEST IS BACK!!
Free Music Review: a work of art
Hit: 5 Stars
Another metal band has once again proved that metal contains historical, mythological, spiritual, and even scholarly substance. Concept albums like Judas Priest's new album "Nostradamus" are a rare find these days and something the music world has been lacking.
Following the life of the 16th century prophet Nostradamus, Judas Priest captures the social and historical ramifications of one person's quest still felt 500 years later. With brilliant packaging, and a bonus box set version, Priest offers not one but two full length discs with 23 tracks and nearly two hours worth of music. We can imagine the guys in Iron Maiden kicking themselves for not thinking of this one.
This album may not be their prime work, but it showcases their diverse talent and the evolution of a band that spans four decades. Now that I've reminded early fans just how old they are, it's important to remember that the guys in the band are in their 50s! Songs like "Visions" sound like they are right out of the 80s prime of metal, but the album has the overall depth and maturity that even the best 80s metal bands never achieved. Most bands didn't and still don't get past a decade.
All of the guitars are solid and Rob Halford tops every English metal singer in the world when he breaks into an Italian chorus in the melodic "Pestilence and Plague." Halford's grown into a diverse and interesting voice. I'd like to see his listening collection. "Alone" sounds like Neil Diamond on metal-- a great thing! Other songs like "New Beginnings" sounds like it's right off of a Phantom-esqe Broadway show. But before I scare you off with these comparisons, there are some heavy hitters like the opening "Prophecy", "Revelations", the violent sounding "War" and "Nostradamus" at the end of disc two.
While it's no surprise that this album isn't a headbanging thrash album, there are songs on it that you can bang your head to. Here is a metal album that you can rock to, that will make you appreciate history, make you want to learn Italian, and make you want to read more. Any metal album that makes you rock and think at the same time is a sure hit.
Free Music Review: Judas Priest Redeemed
Hit: 5 Stars
I've read a lot of reviews of this CD that are basically more recent fans whining because they didn't get more of the same of what Priest has been doing since Painkiller. These people don't know the history of the band, apparently. My first Priest album was a new release called Stained Class in, which I picked up on vinyl LP in 1978, and which led me back to Sin After Sin, Sad Wings of Destiny and Rocka Rolla. I was a loyal fan until Ram It Down, when I started having doubts, and then Painkiller reinforced my growing belief that Judas Priest's better days were in its past. It seemed like Priest was chasing the crowd rather than leading it. When Halford left, it was over. Ripper Owens did a decent Halford impersonation live, but he had nothing to bring to the table lyrically that compared. So, like most old-time Priest fans, I figured Priest as I'd known it was a thing of the past.
When Judas Priest reunited, I bought Angel of Retribution, and I can say that while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't exactly blown away, either. It reminded me more of Painkiller than the Priest I'd known before. But I can say that with Nostradamus, I am finally convinced that it might just be possible that Judas Priest is REALLY back. This CD doesn't sound like a band that's chasing the pack, trying to cash in on a glorious past, but which is determined to forge new territory. Anyone who liked the old Priest will find something to like in this CD. If I have any complaints, it's that it's a bit long, and it seems unnecessarily so. But the entire CD is a pleasure to listen to, because no one, with the possible exception of Heaven & Hell, is making music like this anymore. It was that epic scope that drew me to Heavy Metal to begin with, and which is sadly lacking in the younger bands that think volume and speed equal legitimacy. With this CD, I think Judas Priest has proven that the old gods have, indeed, returned. If you're an old-timer like me and you liked Judas Priest before they lost their way beginning with Ram It Down and Painkiller, you owe it to yourself, and to the old gods of Heavy Metal, to buy this CD. You will NOT be disappointed.
Free Music Review: A Whole New Level for the mighty Priest
Hit: 5 Stars
When this came out, I just said to myself: "Ok, another Priest album. I'll get it someday." But, I recently decided to check out the samples here, and, I just had to get it. Two words: HOLY CRAP! This is in a whole new league.
The songs are quite epic, due in no small part to the complex arrangements, keyboard and orchestral textures.
I've already seen several reviews from the usual closed-minded fans that want to hear the same album with a different name 20 times over. Thanks, but no thanks. Let's leave that to AC/DC and The Ramones I like them both, especially the latter. But, thankfully, not every band takes their approach. Otherwise, the world of music would be a lot more boring and repetitive than it already is. If a band feels like changing their sound (as long as it's not in the direction of turning into super-commercial tripe), then they should be at the very least applauded for challenging themselves and trying something new.
Yes, there's perhaps one too many mellow songs, but that's a minor gripe.
Overall, this album is a magnificent masterpiece. I was getting chills down my spine as I listened. How can you not during Rob's ominously belting out of the "Gods of War" refrain, backed by such epic music? That's just one moment among many that made the hairs on my arm stand on end.
It's very sad that some Priest fans completely disregard this album, some literally pleading for a return to the SAME OLD formula. Please! Again, I don't need the same music over and over!
I always had Iron Maiden just a notch above Priest in my book, because IM tended to lean towards the more complex arrangements throughout their career. But Priest really outdid them with this one. I love them both, but this work is right up there with anything Maiden's ever done, if not better.
If you're a fan of metal, but not the bonehead simpleton kind, you'll definitely enjoy this.
This is a classic already, and should be revered as such. I can't possibly imagine this album not holding up many decades from now.
Ok, I'm running out of superlatives. JUDAS PRIEST RULES! Amen.