After many postponements of the successor to “Angel of Retribution”, the long awaited new CD by Judas Priest “Nostradamus” is a fact. This is a double concept CD – the band’s first in almost 40 years of its existence – containing 23 songs (14 full and 9 introductory) of total duration approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes! The band is dressing acoustically and lyrically the turbulent life of the mysterious French 16th century prophet Michel de Nostredame or Nostradamus in its latin version.

The ambition of Judas Priest is pervasive, as the wish to create a landmark record which will consummate their important, either way, influence and will earn the respect and acceptance of he entire metal community. Furthermore, they are showing great mood for experimentation and creativity without resting in their past glory aiming at their return to the Olympus of metal. The reasonable question which simultaneously is asked is this: do they finally make it? The answer, while in no case is constrained, is leaning, after many hearings, to a positive answer.

“Nostradamus” is a difficult and alternative album containing symphonic orchestrations, many keyboards combined with the familiar Priest riffs and solos, classical guitars, atmosphere, mid-tempo rhythms and vocal performances by Rob Halford which are sometimes theatrical, and operatic and other times definitely metallic, anyway overwhelming. The combination of these elements is aiming at the acoustic rendering of the Nostradamus story through the 23 pieces that form the narration and are fully utilized in total. Thus, individual references to each song are not really important, as they are all part of a greater idea. But it is not possible not to mention, if only namely, true hymns like: Prophecy, Revelations, Pestilence and Plague, Alone, Nostradamus, Future of Mankind. In most cases we can say that the album is successful in its goal, as it manages to introduce the listener to the entrancing world of the story it disserts on, creating multiple sentimental and mood changes, thus making him or her a communicant of the French melontologist’s story.

If you wish to listen to a classic Priest record with the familiar elements that made them great in all these years, “Nostradamus” may discourage or even tire you as it demands concentration and patience. On the other hand, if you wish Priest to be experimental, alternative and at the same time classic then “Nostradamus” is right for you.

I am convinced that the new effort by Judas Priest will divide both critics and public as it is a brave and multiple form acoustic statement by a band with almost four decades of career. “Nostradamus” is ambitious, experimental, bold and in final analysis it is Priest with a different approach. Offer, therefore, to “Nostradamus” the time necessary to grow in you and it will haunt you by your mental transfer to the universe of the stange prophet.