Nostradamus finally leaked.

[mdmatt4ever]

i agree with the people saying it has a 70's priest vibe. i like it. everytime a ballad starts i keep thinking the are about to play "last rose of summer"

 

[Wyvern]

That's cool. However, the one obvious ballad is really pretty bad (Lost Love).

That's baaaaaaaaad! uke:

I can see why Wyvern (and others) don't like it though, as it is a rough equivelent of the new Maiden stuff, which I know doesn't sit well with you either. I think old Maiden fans who embraced A Matter of Life and Death are more likely to embrace this (if they are also old Priest fans).

I think you nail it perfectly

NP: Devil's Slingshot - 'Ballade De Bastille'

 

[poundingmetal74]

All in all, it's pretty good. I don't hate it. I just wish they had gotten it remixed and chopped a lot of the boring stuff out. It would be a very good record if it were 60 minutes instead of 90 (and have since burned my own copy as such).

 

[Darth Grimby]

My 2 cents after a couple of listens is that I like it a lot more than most here seem to.

It definitely moves slow, but not so slow as to bog down, I think. Though, I understand pretty much all of the criticism too. It is long, and plods along, broadly speaking, at about the same pace throughout, giving one less variety than might be necessary in such a long undertaking.

Still, most of the songs are pretty good, taken alone, and some are fantastic (Persecution, Death, Exiled, a few others).

My thumb is more up than down on this one, with an extra half star since I thought it was gonna suck from the get go, that is, as soon as I heard it was a concept album about Nostradamus I thought...uh oh. They could have chosen a more "metal" and obscure figure, like John Dee (16th century occult figure), or even Crowley, but oh well. Nostradamus is about as interesting and metal as an afterschool special.

Still, it does have an older Priest vibe to it in its darkness and lack of huge choruses. It's not old Priest in any way, I just mean the overall vibe is more similar to 70s Priest than it is post-70s. Again, not in quality or even style, but in vibe. That's cool. However, the one obvious ballad is really pretty bad (Lost Love).

It's pretty good overall, I think. I can see why Wyvern (and others) don't like it though, as it is a rough equivelent of the new Maiden stuff, which I know doesn't sit well with you either. I think old Maiden fans who embraced A Matter of Life and Death are more likely to embrace this (if they are also old Priest fans).

It'll be interesting to see what new fans think.

If nothing else, and I really do think its pretty good, at least they tried something new. They get points just for being willing to explore this late in the day, as it were.

You stole my review from my head! Seriously, all my main points are summed up in your comment there.

 

[ElectricWiz]

All in all, it's pretty good. I don't hate it. I just wish they had gotten it remixed and chopped a lot of the boring stuff out. It would be a very good record if it were 60 minutes instead of 90 (and have since burned my own copy as such).

In the end, your statement really sums it up. They just plain needed to hit the edit button a few more times. It's too bad, because there really is some excellent stuff here, but few people will have the patience to sift through it (and I don't blame them). They should have whittled it down to one record, or kept writing until everything was up to par with the better songs (Exile, Persecution, Death, etc.).....or at the very least they should have paid a lot more attention to the pacing of the thing. I'm all for following your artistic vision with no outside influence...but at some point one of them should have said, "It really needs a fast song at this point...."

 

[Wyvern]

In the end, your statement really sums it up. They just plain needed to hit the edit button a few more times. It's too bad, because there really is some excellent stuff here, but few people will have the patience to sift through it (and I don't blame them).

I agree the same was with AMOLAD. Of course we as buyers wants the more possible music in a CD comsidering the price, but quality and not quatity is waht shuould prevail. I would have been happy with a 47 min album cutting off the intros, boring ballads and worthless wailing passages, and still you can have a conceptual album of some sort, like SSOASS I insist.

 

[ElectricWiz]

Of course, just to add a little grain of salt here, I am holding off my own final opinion until I've listened a few more times. Three listens in I'm pretty impressed by it (but still recognize the extra weight they could easily have cut off, especially the lame ballad).

 

[Wyvern]

If anyone wants to see the video for "War" click below

http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2008...s-priest-go-to-war-for-nostradamus/#more-2321

 

[ElectricWiz]

Having listened to this 6 or 7 times now, I'm really starting to connect with the epic quality of it. Some of the low points won't go away as such, but I have to say, I'm liking this more and more, and at some points I find myself thinking, "this is freaking brilliant." Seriously.
It's a grower, for sure, in my ears. But, there's something more too...it really has some weird Euro-riffage in it, and there are a couple of spots that kind of remind me of a Mercyful Fate or King Diamond record.

Where the hell this thing will fall in comparison remains to be seen, but I'm more and more impressed with their willingness to explore here, and it's really done quite tunefully, and heavier than it seems at first.

By the way, for my part, I never minded that it wasn't a Painkiller record much, as I didn't connect with that record like other did. I prefer the releases up through Defenders (though Screaming was the true peak).

Seriously, I keep playing it again after I've finished.

Not too freaking shabby, and possibly brilliant in ways.

I still understand those who didn't want to see Priest to this route, but it's starting to work for me...in a good way.

 

[Griff7272]

Just recently received my copy and I've given it a few listens. I was considering making a condensed CD of the two, but I'm still on the fence as to what songs to include. Does anyone have a suggested song list?

 

[Priest of Evil]

I'm yet to get it but I've been reading, with interest, everyone's personal interpretations. Time and Cash are two big problems for me atm so I'm not rushing to get it but I dont think its gonna be a waste of cash. Its been recommended to me by a friend and she knows my metal tastes so taking everyones points on board, I think you just need a little patience with this one.

So Priest have changed styles but that's no surprise, is it?

 

[poundingmetal74]

Just recently received my copy and I've given it a few listens. I was considering making a condensed CD of the two, but I'm still on the fence as to what songs to include. Does anyone have a suggested song list?

Here's my edited down version:

Judas Priest - Nostradamus (Edited)
1. Dawn of Creation (2:32)
2. Prophecy (5:24)
3. Revelations (7:14)
4. War (4:50)
5. Sands of Time (2:37)
6. Pestilence and Plague (5:41)
7. Death (7:01)
8. Conquest (4:43)
9. Persecution (6:27)
10. Exiled (6:06)
11. Alone (7:34)
12. Vision (5:20)
13. Nostradamus (5:48)
14. Future of Mankind (8:26)

So Priest have changed styles but that's no surprise, is it?

Well, they haven't "changed styles" so much as they've bloated like Oprah over the summer. If you removed the orchestration and chopped the songs, it would be an album somewhere between (I'd say) Painkiller and Angel of Retribution - with a bit of 70s priest tossed in for good measure.

 

[Wyvern]

If you removed the orchestration and chopped the songs, it would be an album somewhere between (I'd say) Painkiller and Angel of Retribution - with a bit of 70s priest tossed in for good measure.

That's sadly an IF that wouldn't happened But if they ever re-recorded it under those parameters I will reconsider getting the album

 

[Psychonaut]

I've given it a few listens now. I want to like it more than I actually do. It almost feels like a chore to go through the entire album. There are some bright spots and good songs, but I think they got a little over-excited with the whole bombastic rock opera thing. Just a couple more 'burners' and this could have been so much better but this moves along at the pace of a long distance runner; slow and steady.

I'm going to listen to it more and hope the subtle things grow on me. This is not one for immediate gratification.

 

[Bryant]

I am very wary of this one to put it mildly. I have only heard the one song "War" and I don't like it at all. Someone... don't remember who.... tried to compare this to prog-metal. Shame on you !! You should have more respect for prog-metal bands than to make that comparison. The elite (not all by a long-shot mind you) prog bands have God-like keyboardists and can reproduce the symphonic parts of their music perfect in a live setting. Judas Priest, on the other hand, is a band with a twin-guitar attack designed to rattle your brain with thunderous guitar riffs..... not cello compositions. I would have absolutely NO problem if Priest wanted to use some keyboards or even an orchestra at the start of songs to set a mood..... but they went way too far (judging by only the one song mind you) with this one.

Bryant

 

[Priest of Evil]

Here's my edited down version:

Judas Priest - Nostradamus (Edited)
1. Dawn of Creation (2:32)
2. Prophecy (5:24)
3. Revelations (7:14)
4. War (4:50)
5. Sands of Time (2:37)
6. Pestilence and Plague (5:41)
7. Death (7:01)
8. Conquest (4:43)
9. Persecution (6:27)
10. Exiled (6:06)
11. Alone (7:34)
12. Vision (5:20)
13. Nostradamus (5:48)
14. Future of Mankind (8:26)



Well, they haven't "changed styles" so much as they've bloated like Oprah over the summer. If you removed the orchestration and chopped the songs, it would be an album somewhere between (I'd say) Painkiller and Angel of Retribution - with a bit of 70s priest tossed in for good measure.

Yeah, they’ve always been metal in "style" but there have been distinct periods where their sound varied, I think it sounds good that they’ve got a bit of the 70’s touch back because Angel of Retribution bored me to tears. What I‘ve been hoping for is something more meaty, something that grabs your attention, not necessarily blazing tracks but presents some atmosphere. My main concern is the time factor. Can't really fault them for trying something ambitious though.

 

[Bryant]

I will never bitch about a band headfing in different directions..... however, there is a fine line between what is "Too" far. A modern prog-metal band, Pagan's Mind released back to back releases that sounded very similar and people moaned and groaned that the two releases sounded..... well like they did, namely similar. Pagan's Mind changed things up on their next release and even more people bitched. As an artist.... you can't satisfy everyone. I think Priest went a little too far left on this release, but then again.... this is not 1983. Judas Priest does not owe one single fan ANYTHING. WHen a band makes music for anyone other than themselves, then they are only as good as a bar band.

Bryant

Yeah, they’ve always been metal in "style" but there have been distinct periods where their sound varied, I think it sounds good that they’ve got a bit of the 70’s touch back because Angel of Retribution bored me to tears. What I‘ve been hoping for is something more meaty, something that grabs your attention, not necessarily blazing tracks but presents some atmosphere. My main concern is the time factor. Can't really fault them for trying something ambitious though.

 

[Priest of Evil]

Judas Priest does not owe one single fan ANYTHING. WHen a band makes music for anyone other than themselves, then they are only as good as a bar band.

Bryant

Damn straight, artists need to follow their hearts. At least its still metal and everyone seems to agree there are a a few good tracks onboard.

 

[Bryant]

I think the song I heard sounds like pure shit, but it is not my job to tell Judas Priest what to play. Please don't take my previous reply the wrong way. Having said that..... if everyone liked the new Priest, this thread would be boring as hell !!!
Some people worship certain oldschool bands. I worship Accept as an example, yet I will say their last two releases pretty much sucked by their standards. I can live with that. I still love their other stuff. It was not the end of the fucking world.

Bryant

Damn straight, artists need to follow their hearts. At least its still metal and everyone seems to agree there are a a few good tracks onboard.

 

[tsorl]

I'm pretty underwhelmed by Nostradamus after a couple of listens. The main issue is that it's long and has orchestration etc but it just doesn't feel epic. Kinda hard to explain, but it's just one mediocre song after another without any real "drama" or the usual concept album dynamics.

Not a completely worthless album but I feel the whole Nostradamus concept and grandeur take the album down instead of making it a solid piece of music (which is the case with all successful concept albums).