Post by Erik Rupp on Aug 15, 2009 10:09:50 GMT -5
Judas Priest - Nostradamus (2008)
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 grumbling from the hard core Judas Priest fans. 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 catchy 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 bloated, 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 and try it out (out of curiosity if nothing else). 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.
While 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 (or strongly suspected) that KISS would be back (and they did come roaring back with Creatures of the Night less than a year later), 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). Can they do it? Let's hope that they can.
(Original review - June 21, 2008. Edited/Updated August 15, 2009.)
2.5/5
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 grumbling from the hard core Judas Priest fans. 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 catchy 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 bloated, 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 and try it out (out of curiosity if nothing else). 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.
While 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 (or strongly suspected) that KISS would be back (and they did come roaring back with Creatures of the Night less than a year later), 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). Can they do it? Let's hope that they can.
(Original review - June 21, 2008. Edited/Updated August 15, 2009.)
2.5/5
