Andrei Mihai
Judas Priest’s much-anticipated new album, “Nostradamus” will be released in Germany on June 13 via Sony/BMG, on June 15 in the rest of Europe and June 17 in North America. It promises to be really something; aside from the music it will be delivered in a ewel case, as a deluxe digibook and as a special box set containing the new album on three LPs, a 48-page book and a poster.
But fans are concerned more about the music, as they should be. Asked whether the album will include “full-on-assault” tracks like “Painkiller” or if it will stick to the more classic Judas Priest style that Priest had on “Angel Of Retribution”, Judas Priests’ singer Rob Halford said:
“Well, I think, you know, I think it’s always important to remember that the Priest in all of the years that we’ve been together, we’ve been very determined to give each record its own definition, and identity,” he replied. “As you know, we’re into double digits now since ‘Rocka Rolla’ all the way through to ‘Angel Of Retribution’, all the hundreds and hundreds of songs that we’ve released, you know. I guess the other thing is in terms of what we try to stand for is that we really avoid repetition. And that’s an easy thing to fall into when you have a commercially successful record in terms of record sales and recognition, as ‘Painkiller’ was for us. But, I mean, you listen to ‘Angel Of Retribution’, and I think it’s a very powerful, strong record, with a lot of the great elements that we all love about Judas Priest. So, you know, I think your feelings are one that would be expressed by millions of Priest fans around the world, you know. Everybody is very passionate about everything that we’ve ever done. There’s always an eagerness to maybe refocus on some of your favorite moments. But we just leave that there. It’s in the great breadth of things that we’ve achieved in that three decades plus of making heavy metal. We’re just excited now to be focused on the present endeavor of ‘Nostradamus’.”
They’re also going on a tour which will include epic shows in which they will perform the entire Nostradamus album (!), as well as their more classic songs. Judas Priest is strongly rumored to be teaming up with Heaven And Hell, Motörhead and Testament for a U.S. tour this summer.
