Judas Priest Confused By Resurgence

[Wyvern]

Judas Priest reunited with original singer Rob Halford in 2003 and released the strong comeback album Angel Of Retribution, their first record together since 1990's Painkiller, two years later.
After a successful comeback tour, Priest were ready to begin writing songs for their next record when longtime manager Bill Curbishley suggested the band attempt a concept album. They'd long entertained the idea and agreed, resulting in the June release of Nostradamus, an epic 102-minute double album based on the life of the legendary physician, astrologer and alleged seer.
With lengthy symphonic interludes, spoken-word pieces and an array of piano arrangements, Nostradamus is quite a departure from what people normally expect from the metal gods. It's therefore garnered mixed reactions from both critics and fans, making it one of the most talked-about and controversial albums of the year.
"To be honest, we don't give a damn what people think about our music," says Halford. "We just go into writing or recording sessions and give it 1,000 per cent and play it from the heart, and it's left in the lap of the gods for people to make of it what they will.
"I think if we worried too much about reactions, we'd be sitting at home twiddling our thumbs. We're really happy with what we made, and that's the main thing for us."
This wouldn't be the first time that Judas Priest have shocked longtime fans with a questionable change in direction. Turbo was heavily criticized for its use of synthesizers and a more '80s glam metal approach when it came out in 1986.
"I think all musicians are directed by their own sense of creativity," says Halford. "If you worried yourself about what people are going to think about what you're doing, I think the world would be a very stale place to live in.
"It's all about shaking things up and bringing new ideas forward. Ironically enough, Turbo is our most successful commercial release in the United States. I don't know what that means, but it must mean something."
Despite the mixed reactions to Nostradamus, Priest plan on playing the record live in its entirety when they go out on their headlining tour. But fans of more classic Priest needn't worry, as the band are currently on tour with Heaven & Hell, Motorhead and Testament as part of one of the best packages of the year, the Metal Masters Tour. Not only is this a great opportunity for older fans to see their favourite bands again, but it will also be a treat for young metal-heads who seem to be embracing classic heavy metal bands now more than they have in many years.
"I think there is a renaissance going on, which is really out of our control," says Halford. "We've been experiencing that recently in Europe and in Canada.
"We had a show in Winnipeg 48 hours ago, and I've never seen so many young metal-heads at the front end of the crowd in my life. It was absolutely mind-blowing. Why they're picking Priest, I don't know."
Judas Priest will play with Voivod at Montreal's Bell Centre on Tuesday before rejoining the Metal Masters Tour the next evening at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre.

—Andre Mihsin

Interesting.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

Heavy metal will never die, the more you try to kill it, the stronger it gets.

 

[SentinelSlain]

Well they are one of my favourite bands and I'm only 17. I didn't know about them when any of their 90s albums came out (or angel of retribution actually). I just heard the name mentioned on some iffy show with Gene from Kiss helping some kids from England start a rock band and play at some show were Judas Priest were as well. I thought hmmm that's one hell of a name for a metal band and I picked up Sin After Sin (at random) through name recognition a week later. None of my friends really got it at all tbh but who gives a ...

 

[wdiv]

I think it would be cool to see them play the full Nostradamus album live. It's kinda like when Dio was touring to support the Magica album.

 

[zeppelin]

I don't think saying "We don't care what people think" is a very smart thing to do. In the end they all care, it's human nature and besides, there should be some obligation to the fans to put out a good album.

 

[Wyvern]

I don't think saying "We don't care what people think" is a very smart thing to do. In the end they all care, it's human nature and besides, there should be some obligation to the fans to put out a good album.

Thank you very much for pointing out this. I didn's say anything because I already received flak for a similar comment in another thread. I'm glad somebody thinks like me.

 

[delize]

I think the same way, zeppelin and Wyvern. They better care what their fans think!

 

[The Ozzman]

They should care to an extent, but what fans think shouldn't supersede what the artist thinks

 

[zeppelin]

Thank you very much for pointing out this. I didn's say anything because I already received flak for a similar comment in another thread. I'm glad somebody thinks like me.

 

[Acey Jendell]

The heavy songs on the new album are good, the other stuff isn't that awesome though. But i guess they would put on a different, more dramatic type of show if they played the whole thing live, like Queensryche with Mindcrime 1 & 2

Either way, i'm seeing them in about 3 weeks, so i'm fucking psyched.

 

[wdiv]

I don't think saying "We don't care what people think" is a very smart thing to do. In the end they all care, it's human nature and besides, there should be some obligation to the fans to put out a good album.

Metallica took the same "do what we want" attitude on St Anger & it just served to further erode their reputation & fan base. So it's a risk that the band (& their label) take with any album, especially one that deviates from the formula. Don't see that there's an obligation by the band to make a "good" record, since there's no obligation of the fans to buy it.

 

[Wyvern]

Don't see that there's an obligation by the band to make a "good" record, since there's no obligation of the fans to buy it.

I agree totally, now from a logical point of view musicians are in it for business, isn't it then a bad marketing choice? Random thought.

 

[wdiv]

I agree totally, now from a logical point of view musicians are in it for business, isn't it then a bad marketing choice? Random thought.

Very true, but sometimes art & business don't align well. Apparently JP has enough clout that the record label couldn't force them into making a nice standard Judas Priest record.
They could have just cranked out another Angel of Retribution, which is boring as hell but falls in line with what everyone expects.

 

[The Ozzman]

I would not have minded another AoR as there were some great songs on that record.

 

[ivry91]

Hellrider

 

[The Ozzman]

More like Demonizer

 

[cannibal corpse]

I'll probably get flamed for this, but Angel is a really good song.

 

[SentinelSlain]

hmmm I remember my friend who isn't into metal at all, saying how awful it was when that song came on the radio because it wasn't what Priest are supposed to be like at all. It kind of is though, they've had songs like that forever.

I hate having to hear non metal people's opinions. They won't listen when you try and explain anything either.

 

[Wyvern]

"Angel Of Retribution" have good songs, it's not an awsome album but it is decent. I wouldn't have mind a stronger album in the same vein instead of "Nostradamus". 'Judas Rising', 'Worth Fighting For', 'Hellrider', 'Demonizer' are songs you can attach too, and even 'Angel' to some extent (hell I even like 'Loch Ness' )

 

[Bryant]

Sorry, but I disagree. If someone wants to hear something specific, they should learn to sing/play an instrument and write their own music. The truth is, that music is evolutionary. Some bands, like AC/DC release very similar albums for their career, but most bands evolve. Some get better, some worse, and some just get different, but bands and music evolve. Metal is a pretty new style of music, that was realized in sometime around 1970 with Black Sabbath's S/T debut. Modern metal music doesn't sound all that much like the early Sabbath because it has evolved.
I think music is an art form and it should be written and played for purely selfish reasons because I think if you cater your songwriting/playing to someone else, you lose your integrity as an artist. That is just my opinion, but that is the way I look at it.

Bryant

I don't think saying "We don't care what people think" is a very smart thing to do. In the end they all care, it's human nature and besides, there should be some obligation to the fans to put out a good album.