Nostradamus

About

“Nostradamus” is the sixteenth studio album by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It is the band’s first double studio album and first concept album, presenting a narrative based on the life and prophecies of Nostradamu. The album was initially scheduled for release in late 2006, but was postponed to 2007 and ultimately released on 16 June 2008 on Epic Record. It is the final Judas Priest studio album to feature the Painkiller-era lineup, as guitarist and founding member K. K. Downing left the band in April 2011. To promote the album, Judas Priest toured with Motörhead, Heaven & Hell, and Testament on the Metal Masters Tour in August 2008, followed by a world tour in 2008 and 2009 in support of the release. The concept for “Nostradamus” originated with manager Bill Curbishley and was presented to the band during their 2005 tour in Estonia. K. K. Downing stated in a 2007 interview that 18 tracks had been recorded, with a total running time exceeding 90 minute, and that little material would be cut. Musically, the album incorporates symphonic element, including orchestral arrangement, keyboard, and choir, marking a notable stylistic departure from the band’s earlier work. Mixing began in November 2007. In late 2007, Rob Halford stated that the format of the release had not yet been decided. By April 2008, it was confirmed that “Nostradamus” would be released as a double CD and triple vinyl LP. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States after selling approximately 42,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band’s highest-charting album in the US at the time, later surpassed by “Redeemer of Souls” in 2014. It was released in Europe on 16 June 2008 and in the United States on 17 June 2008. Three editions of the album were issued: a standard double CD, a deluxe hardbound CD edition with a 48-page booklet, and a super deluxe version containing triple vinyl record, deluxe CD packaging, and a poster. The title track was released as a free download via Judas Priest’s website on 12 April 2008. The second single, “Vision,” was released on 4 May 2008. The title track was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 51st Grammy Award, while “Visions” received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band considered performing the album in full as a theatrical stage production, but the idea was ultimately abandoned. Only two songs from the album, “Prophecy” and “Death,” were performed during the supporting tour, with “Prophecy” later appearing in the Epitaph World Tour of 2011–2012. Critical reception to “Nostradamus” was mixed. Some reviewers noted that Judas Priest shifted away from speed metal and hard rock toward a more symphonic metal style, with increased emphasis on synthesizer. While this was seen as a significant stylistic change compared to earlier albums such as “Turbo,” some critics argued that the band struggled to adapt to the new approach. Other reviews described the album as an epic-style metal release similar in scope to Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,” but criticized it for extended length and the inclusion of theatrical spoken passages and keyboard-driven arrangement, suggesting that the material would have been more effective as a single album rather than a double release. By January 2009, the album had sold over 100,000 copies in the United States and approximately 500,000 copies worldwide. In his 2020 memoir “Confe,” Rob Halford expressed pride in the album and suggested that its reputation may improve over time, also reiterating his interest in performing it live in full. .

via Last.fm

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