JUDAS PRIEST Frontman Rob Halford On Nostradamus -

JUDAS PRIEST Frontman Rob Halford On Nostradamus - "We're Treating This Like It's The Holy Grail Of Heavy Metal"



BW&BK spoke to The Metal God - ROB HALFORD (JUDAS PRIEST) recently regarding a number of topics including his new Metal God Entertainment company, his latest CD, Metal God Essentials Volume 1 (a Best Of compilation featuring tracks from his HALFORD solo days, his band project FIGHT and a few of new tracks) and of course the anxiously-awaited new Judas Priest album
, Nostradamus, that will see the light of day in early 2008. A few excerpts from the BW&BK chat follow:

BW&BK: Where does Nostradamus stand at the moment?
Halford: "There is still a lot of tracking to do. I've done the bulk of my lead vocals, but I still have to go in and do some other bits and pieces. I asked Ken (K.K. Downing - guitar) and Glen (Tipton - guitar) if they didn't mind if I took off for a few weeks just to do this solo launch because I didn't want it to clash with Nostradamus. And they were really cool bout it. They needed to get on with some of their guitar pieces anyway. So I'm going to go back soon and get back in that world and finish my pieces."

BW&BK: Are you going stir crazy in the studio?
Halford: "No I don't, I just love it. I just love being in the studio and hearing what we are putting down."

BW&BK: Are you in K.K. Downing's studio?
Halford: "We're all over the place. But we're mainly using the studio that we did Angel Of Retribution in. Glen's doing some stuff at his place and Ken's doing stuff at his place. We just need to be with each other in as much of it as we possibly can. It's really important for me to have them there when I do my vocal tracks. I need them there. They get the best out of me in terms of performance. And we haven't brought a producer in yet. We're open-minded about producers. We're doing all the recording that we feel it's important to do and I guess at some point we'll look at the need of a producer to bring it all together. But there's an enormous amount of information going down in Pro Tools that we need to get locked. I mean we know what we are doing. As you know, it's always been a co-production level with Priest because we know exactly what we want to do. It is good to have one guy that can take all this massive journey and bring it all together. A good producer will put an idea forward that the rest of us might not have contemplated before. But we are on track. We know exactly what we're doing and it's just phenomenal. It's absolutely sensational. I think it's going to be a massive record, I really do. We're displaying the peak of our abilities right now in terms of writing and recording. The song structures and all of the elements are locked in. It's incredible listening to it coming back from the speakers."

BW&BK: Are you surprising yourselves with the new material?
Halford: "Yeah, I suppose we are. In my world, as a singer, both Glen and Ken are really pushing me. And I love that. As much as we all know what we are capable of, they give me added energy and take me to places I wouldn't think of. I really value that. They've been with me in every step of my vocal production, so they are important to me when I'm behind the mic and the light goes on."

BW&BK: Can you tell us what percent of the record is done?
Halford: "There's still a lot more that we can contemplate. You do your best, you track it out. You do your drums, your guitars, your vocals, bass and then you think of what else you can add. It's an open book really. We can take it to any level that we feel is relevant and important. And obviously you need to be constantly reevaluating that as you go through the process. It's like any session. When is it too much? When is the cut-off point? When are you doing something that's either going to get lost in the playback or is it extremely valuable and important? So you've got to be open-minded and not limit your potential."

BW&BK: We spoke to K.K. about orchestration on the album - any update on that?
Halford: "By just making the statement that it's a concept album, that's a very loaded description. In any substance of a concept album, you've got to make sure that you really know what you are doing. As long as your idea is a strong one, as it is with this man Nostradamus - who was a real person who went through real issues in his life - then, we're trying to stay as true to the story of his life as possible. And all the other elements that we can consider like orchestration and everything else, I think you face them when you get to that moment. Much like any band, the important understanding is that you can recreate it live on stage with a minimum amount of fuss. That important to us in Priest. Everything that we've recorded in Priest, we've pretty much been able to bring out on stage. So, when we come to those decisions, we'll face them. But it's still too early to make any commitments while tracking."

BW&BK: Given the Nostradamus concept, have you talked about album packaging/artwork yet?
Halford: "It's a special moment. We've never done anything like that before. When you talk about packaging and presentation, I think the Metalogy box set was phenomenal. It's a black leather box with a studded belt around it. It's absolutely brilliant. And that's attractive. And you put it on the table, you can almost hear the music coming out of the box. And that's the object of making great packaging - an appealing asset with your music. As long as you can come up with something interesting, something that correlates with what is coming out of the speakers, then it's an important thing to consider. And you can go anywhere with packaging these days. At the end of the, whatever is put into the packaging is reflected at retail, so you have to really think that through. It is a unique moment for Priest. Just the simple 'Judas Priest makes it's first-ever concept record' - that immediately is like, 'holy shit, what is this going to be?' It's a massive undertaking. With our experience, we've been in the creative world for 30-odd years; writing metal, recording metal, performing metal. I think this has come at the best time. I think if we would've tried to tackle a concept album in the early days, maybe we could've done it really well. But I think we've taken the wealth of our experience, knowing the expectations, we know we can do that confidently. But it's hard work, with an enormous amount of blood, sweat and tears going into this, which it should be. But that's just the way we are in Priest. As the primary writers - Glen, K.K. and myself - there is a standard that is set internally. We don't have to discuss it. We will not let anything go out there that we haven't given 1000 percent. So regardless of the critique at the end of the day, we feel that it's the best that we could make. And that will be the case with Nostradamus.

There's a lot of expectation. The pressure can crush you. It all is relevant to your in-built confidence. When somebody presents to you an idea - like Bill Curbishley (Judas Priest manager) did with this - and you either go, 'fuckin' hell, this is a great brilliant idea,' or you go 'holy crap, how are we going to do this?' That wasn't even our reaction. It was just - 'this is brilliant.' What was the other option? To go in and do another studio record - which we could've done. But with everything we've endeavored to do in Priest, each of our albums has got it's own legs. Right from Rocka Rolla - which I have to say is still a fuckin' great record. I love that record. I don't know why we don't consider it live cuz there are some great tracks on there. But I listen to that record - and I think that it would be great to go back into the studio and redo it. But I'm also thinking, what's the point. It's a testament to that very first ever professional recording that Judas Priest did. It was the biggest kick in the world when we all got that record - the vinyl with the hole in the middle - put it on your record player, put the needle on and hear what was coming out of the speakers. I can't even begin to tell you how incredible that feeling was. Rocka Rolla's got it's own thing. Sad Wings has it's own thing. Sin After Sin, Stained Class ... all of them are absolutely amazing. And that's how it should be. So right up to Angel Of Retribution, every record is like a moment in time where we were in our career. And so it will be with Nostradamus. But this has something extra going for it I believe. The fact that we are attacking reality, because almost everything else that we've dealt with has been our world of fantasy, creating these mythical monsters like the 'Painkiller
, or 'The Sentinel' or 'The Sinner'. That's brilliant isn't it! And here we are, dealing with a living, breathing human being. It's going to be absolutely mind-blowing. I mean I carry the music in my head and it's just great. We're so pleased about it."

BW&BK: Anything else the Priest masses would like to hear about Nostradamus?
Halford: "We're treating this like it's the holy grail of heavy metal. We're so protective about it - which you have to be - because I think that one of the intriguing things about creating anything - whether it be writing a book or making a move - the less you say about something, the more people want to know about it. And we don't need to hype it up, it's internal. The metal fans around the world have great expectations for this record. They know we're not going to drop the ball. They know we're going to give everybody something that's fantastic and top quality. And that's what it should be after 35 years."

JUDAS PRIEST - Complete Nostradamus Details Revealed






The following report is courtesy of Greg Prato from Billboard.com:

Over two years in the making, Judas Priest will finally unveil its 16th studio album, Nostradamus, June 17 via Epic in North America and a day earlier internationally.

A double-disc set that tells the story of the 16th century prophet, Michel de Nostredame (whose name is often 'Latinized' as Nostradamus), the release is Priest's first-ever concept album, and was recorded throughout 2006 and 2007 at Old Smithy Studio in the UK.

"Making Nostradamus was a new experience for us in Judas Priest, insomuch as this was going to be a conceptual writing and recording event," Priest singer Rob Halford tells Billboard.com. "His life is well-documented, so for us it was all about taking the significant episodes he went through, and then with the right emotion, create music and lyrics that would convey them."

On the album, Halford, guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis spread their stylistic wings, experimenting with symphonic orchestration and choirs.

Three configurations of Nostradamus will be issued. The most common will be a regular jewel-cased double CD, but there will also be a "CD deluxe hardbound version," which features a 48-page booklet, while a "super deluxe version" will include three vinyl records (in addition to the CD deluxe packaging, plus a poster).

While there have been some European dates announced in support of Nostradamus (the chief one being a performance as part of this year's Download Festival in England, which also features KISS and MOTÖRHEAD, among others), there will soon be an announcement about Priest's plans for a U.S. tour.

In the meantime, Halford dropped a hint as to what's in store for the group's later headline dates. "As we recorded and listened to the music, and much like a lot of Priest songs, you cannot help but see images in your mind. We constantly thought about special effects and visual elements that will connect musically that we want to use onstage when we will perform all of 'Nostradamus' live," he says. "Again, like every song we compose, the transition from studio to concert is one we think about and make sure we can deliver the goods."

Here is the track list for Nostradamus:

Dawn Of Creation - "Prophecy"
Awakening - "Revelations"
The Four Horsemen - "War"
Sands Of Time - "Pestilence And Plague"
"Death"
Peace - "Conquest"
"Lost Love"
"Persecution"
Solitude - "Exiled"
"Alone"
Shadows In The Flame - "Visions"
Hope - "New Beginnings"
Calm Before The Storm - "Nostradamus"
"Future Of Mankind"

JUDAS PRIEST - Title Track To Nostradamus Streaming On Myspace

The title track of JUDAS PRIEST's new album, Nostradamus, is currently streaming on their MySpace page.

Judas Priest will be releasing their sprawling double disc concept album, Nostradamus via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in the US on Epic Records.

Long in the works, Nostradamus takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world-known 16th Century French prophet. Some of the events that Nostradamus experts have interpreted as his predictions include the great fire of London in 1666, the rise of Adolf Hitler, and most recently, 9-11, among countless other renowned events.

"As in any concept piece, the lifeline needs to be of a solid source, taking the music over many levels of interest and perception," points out singer Rob Halford. "Nostradamus" contains new frontiers explored and defined. The sense of adventure and the journey we undertook bringing the man"s life alive with metal was a real labour of love."

As with all new Priest releases, the group - singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis - will embark on a mammoth worldwide tour in support of "Nostradamus." Priest will be performing at the 2008 Download Festival - on a bill also featuring Kiss - which will serve as a "homecoming" of sorts for the group, as they performed at the first-ever "Monsters of Rock Festival" at Donington Park in 1980.

Since 1974, Judas Priest has been one of heavy metal"s most successful bands, issuing such all-time classic albums as 1980"s British Steel, 1982"s Screaming for Vengeance, and 1990"s Painkiller, and such arena-rocking anthems as 'Breaking The Law', 'Living After Midnight," and 'You"ve Got Another Thing Comin''. However, Priest"s influence goes far beyond their music - they were the first metal band to embrace the "leather biker look," a fashion that has since become synonymous with the musical genre. Additionally, Halford"s powerful four-and-a-half octave vocal range and the twin guitar harmonies of Downing and Tipton have been "studied" by countless metal bands in Priest"s wake.

"The Nostradamus album - above all others - is perhaps the one I'm most proud of," says Tipton. "Whilst in essence and character still very much Judas Priest, it has afforded the opportunity to explore areas of classical and operatic dimensions that the band normally wouldn't. As a guitarist and writer it has inspired me to greater heights and opened new doors to intrigue and passion. From start to finish, it will take you through a magical experience filled with light, shade, drama, melody and emotion that reflects this unique man and his life."

"For me, Nostradamus has been a musical journey without comparison," adds Downing. "The intrigue and mystery that surrounds this revered man has expanded my perception of heavy metal to the highest plateau and enabled me to reach the outer limits of my imagination and transport unique feelings and emotions to the instrument that allows me to express myself."

In addition to the regular jewel case double CD version of the album, collectors will undoubtedly be interested in hunting down a copy of a Deluxe Double CD housed in a 48 page hardbound book package. But that"'s not all - a Super Deluxe Box-set version will also be available with triple vinyl, the double CD, an expanded booklet and a poster.

Most bands of this high stature would be happy to play it safe. But not Judas Priest, who continue to take chances and break new ground. No other rock band could have pulled off such a grand statement, and Judas Priest have raised the bar once more with "Nostradamus."

As to why they chose to make a concept album about Nostradamus, Tipton explains: "We didn't - he chose us. We feel it was meant to be!"

Nostradamus tracklisting:

'Dawn Of Creation' - 'Prophecy'
'Awakening' - 'Revelations'
'The Four Horsemen' - 'War'
'Sands Of Time' - 'estilence And Plague'
'Death'
'Peace' - 'Conquest'
'Lost Love'
'Persecution'
'Solitude' - 'Exiled'
'Alone'
'Shadows In The Flame' - 'Visions'
'Hope - New Beginnings'
'Calm Before The Storm' - 'Nostradamus'
'Future Of Mankind'

Exclusive: New JUDAS PRIEST Track Called 'Visions' Streaming On New KnuckleTracks Audio Player



BW&BK is streaming another new JUDAS PRIEST track called 'Visions' - click the "NEW" KnuckleTracks Audio Player on the left-hand-side of BraveWords.com to listen.

BW&BK is currently in New York City previewing the UK metal gods' sprawling double disc concept album, Nostradamus which will be released via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in North Anerica on Epic Records.

Watch for new interviews with frontman Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and KK Downing to appear on BraveWords.com this week and watch for a major cover feature in the next issue of BW&BK Magazine #111, out in early June.

Long in the works, Nostradamus takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world-known 16th Century French prophet. Some of the events that Nostradamus experts have interpreted as his predictions include the great fire of London in 1666, the rise of Adolf Hitler, and most recently, 9-11, among countless other renowned events.

"As in any concept piece, the lifeline needs to be of a solid source, taking the music over many levels of interest and perception," points out singer Rob Halford. "Nostradamus" contains new frontiers explored and defined. The sense of adventure and the journey we undertook bringing the man"s life alive with metal was a real labour of love."

As with all new Priest releases, the group - rounded-off by bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis - will embark on a mammoth worldwide tour in support of Nostradamus. Priest will be performing at the 2008 Download Festival - on a bill also featuring Kiss - which will serve as a "homecoming" of sorts for the group, as they performed at the first-ever "Monsters of Rock Festival" at Donington Park in 1980.

Since 1974, Judas Priest has been one of heavy metal"s most successful bands, issuing such all-time classic albums as 1980's British Steel, 1982's Screaming for Vengeance, and 1990's Painkiller, and such arena-rocking anthems as 'Breaking The Law', 'Living After Midnight," and 'You"ve Got Another Thing Comin''. However, Priest"s influence goes far beyond their music - they were the first metal band to embrace the "leather biker look," a fashion that has since become synonymous with the musical genre. Additionally, Halford's powerful four-and-a-half octave vocal range and the twin guitar harmonies of Downing and Tipton have been "studied" by countless metal bands in Priest"s wake.

"The Nostradamus album - above all others - is perhaps the one I'm most proud of," says Tipton. "Whilst in essence and character still very much Judas Priest, it has afforded the opportunity to explore areas of classical and operatic dimensions that the band normally wouldn't. As a guitarist and writer it has inspired me to greater heights and opened new doors to intrigue and passion. From start to finish, it will take you through a magical experience filled with light, shade, drama, melody and emotion that reflects this unique man and his life."

"For me, Nostradamus has been a musical journey without comparison," adds Downing. "The intrigue and mystery that surrounds this revered man has expanded my perception of heavy metal to the highest plateau and enabled me to reach the outer limits of my imagination and transport unique feelings and emotions to the instrument that allows me to express myself."

In addition to the regular jewel case double CD version of the album, collectors will undoubtedly be interested in hunting down a copy of a Deluxe Double CD housed in a 48 page hardbound book package. But that"'s not all - a Super Deluxe Box-set version will also be available with triple vinyl, the double CD, an expanded booklet and a poster.

Most bands of this high stature would be happy to play it safe. But not Judas Priest, who continue to take chances and break new ground. No other rock band could have pulled off such a grand statement, and Judas Priest have raised the bar once more with "Nostradamus."

As to why they chose to make a concept album about Nostradamus, Tipton explains: "We didn't - he chose us. We feel it was meant to be!"

Nostradamus tracklisting:

'Dawn Of Creation' - 'Prophecy'
'Awakening' - 'Revelations'
'The Four Horsemen' - 'War'
'Sands Of Time' - 'estilence And Plague'
'Death'
'Peace' - 'Conquest'
'Lost Love'
'Persecution'
'Solitude' - 'Exiled'
'Alone'
'Shadows In The Flame' - 'Visions'
'Hope - New Beginnings'
'Calm Before The Storm' - 'Nostradamus'
'Future Of Mankind'

JUDAS PRIEST - BW&BK Takes A First Look At Nostradamus

Special report by “Metal” Tim Henderson

The exclusive listening session for JUDAS PRIEST’s much talked about conceptual monster Nostradamus was held at the Sony building on Madison Avenue in New York City yesterday (May 6th). Media from around the world gathered to hear the most daring musical adventure of the UK Metal Gods’ career.

We were scattered throughout the Epic offices, each with a valuable, highly sensitive watermarked copy of 140 minutes of epic metal. You won’t see a review of Nostradamus quite yet - a single listen to such a monumental metallic moment wouldn’t do the record any justice. From the initial set-up of ‘Dawn Of Creation’ and ‘Prophecy’, one was forced into the proper headspace. Such a project is not for the weak, but for those with an open mind to elaborate, breathtaking musical imagery.

As frontman Rob Halford grabs your arm and takes you through the life of one remarkable albeit controversial seer, you immediately revel in the magic of Priest’s creativity and expertise. Guitarists Glenn Tipton and KK Downing have spent what seems to be a lifetime perfecting the project, one that truly emerges as a musical of sorts, rollercoasting its way through the 1500s where Michel de Nostredame’s prophecies came to life in front of a unreceptive culture. You feel the turmoil, intrigue and haunting nature of a man who eerily predicted the future to varying degrees of accuracy. Of note, Nostradamus - the album - emerges as less of a metal force de jour, but rather an emotional high with some lows. It is an in-depth tale that will have you riveted from start to finish. 140 minutes is a daunting timeframe for a fan of music, especially in a society force-fed mere bits and pieces of throwaway entertainment. Nostradamus leaves you breathless and most certainly craving to be led down this path again and again. BW&BK spent time with Messrs. Halford, Tipton and Downing for a massive feature set to run in BW&BK #111 - out in June.

When asked about closing the book on the record, Downing laughs: “A sigh of relief! Myself and Glenn worked around the clock getting the record done and finished. We produced the record too. It was like giving birth - not that I know what that feels like. I can imagine when you nurture something inside you for so long, when it comes out you hope it’s beautiful and has all its fingers and toes, everything that it needs! So there were some nervous times and it was relief to hand it over. It’s been a lot of hard work. Initially it was great fun recording all these ideas, but then you’ve got to do all the kind of after-care, technical stuff. So we had to make sure that was all right. I think we went from England to Holland four times in two months. Attie Bauw (SCORPIONS), who came in on the Painkiller album and he’s worked with Rob on some of his FIGHT stuff - he’s a great guy and a great understander of music. He helped us mix and master the record - it was a lot of work to get everything to be as right as it can be technically. Anyway, we’ve done a lot of that in the past.”

“It was very rewarding,” Downing continues. “And the moment we got into it we thought, ‘We could do movies.’ When you get into the realms of that stuff, you start thinking of other opportunities. But we had to keep thinking, ‘We’re doing a record here.’ We had a great time and finding out that these riffs that we were playing… when you transpose into violins and keyboards, it all suddenly sounds even more dramatic than just heavy guitar sounds. We had to be fearless with that combination; it was a lot of fun creating, but we had to move forward - we just had to. It’s a lot of fun creating this imagery, where you could almost feel the wind off a sabre flashing across your face. When you really do crank it up it’s all there. It’s the closest thing to being audio-physical - I don’t know if that phrase has ever been used before!”

Judas Priest will be releasing Nostradamus via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in the US on Epic Records.

In addition to the regular jewel case double CD version of the album, collectors will undoubtedly be interested in hunting down a copy of a Deluxe Double CD housed in a 48 page hardbound book package. But that’s not all - a Super Deluxe Boxset version will also be available with triple vinyl, the double CD, an expanded booklet and a poster.

Nostradamus tracklisting:

‘Dawn Of Creation’ - ‘Prophecy’
‘Awakening’ - ‘Revelations’
‘The Four Horsemen’ - ‘War’
‘Sands Of Time’ - ‘estilence And Plague’
‘Death’
‘Peace’ - ‘Conquest’
‘Lost Love’
‘Persecution’
‘Solitude’ - ‘Exiled’
‘Alone’
‘Shadows In The Flame’ - ‘Visions’
‘Hope - New Beginnings’
‘Calm Before The Storm’ - ‘Nostradamus’
‘Future Of Mankind’

JUDAS PRIEST - Metal Hammer Podcast With ROB HALFORD Available

A Metal Hammer podcast interview with JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford is available for download at this location.

BW&BK sat down with Judas Priest guitarists Glenn Tipton and KK Downing recently to chat about the upcoming conceptual monster Nostradamus, due out via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in North America on Epic Records. Both molten men discussed the possibilities of performing the album in its entirety on the road at some point in time in the future.

"We do want to perform it in its entirety next year at special venues around the world like Carnegie Hall (in Manhattan), the Royal Albert Hall (London), the Sydney Opera House (Sydney)," Tipton reveals. "If we can pull that off it will be very exciting. It's very ambitious - we'll need other musicians like backing vocalists for the choral sections, maybe a keyboard player or some sort of orchestration. Make the whole thing an event, not just a rock band with orchestration, but Nostradamus in his own character. If we can pull it off it will be very exciting. It's all based around his life story. Rather than his prophecies, the whole project is more about a guy from the 1500s who certainly left his mark. He was a special dude. Although he foresaw the plague, he couldn't save his wife and daughters, they died. And the church came after him which as inevitable - he got kicked out, exiled, then he found a new love and a new life. His life in itself was really interesting - that's what inspired us really. It really inspired us to go down paths we'd never gone down before, and couldn't have done on a normal Judas Priest album. But for some reason it's still a Judas Priest album. It's pretty awe-inspiring really. He foresaw it, he foretold it obviously."

Downing adds about the road-worthy nature of Nostradamus: "It's on our mind as well, the fact that some say we might be able to put on a fabulous production and perform the album in it's entirety, with some really cool visuals as a musical. That was always a possibility, not that it matters completely. What you get now is what you get to evaluate and not what might happen in the future. But this summer tour is going to be great. We'll be playing all the festivals in Europe and we have the Priest, HEAVEN & HELL and MOTÖRHEAD tour - we're pumped up about it. We'll be quite pacified by playing a coupla things from Nostradamus on that. We'll be playing some killer songs we haven't played in a long time, so the fans can go pretty wild over that. It's going to be a good world tour this year. A lot depends on how the record is perceived as to what we'll do in the future."

When asked if the band would be accompanied by orchestra, Downing comments: "It would be great initially to bring a fully-fledged orchestra with us, but for us to play a lot of the parts with the equipment we've got to do it, to showcase that would be good. In the Royal Albert Hall possibly, venues like that around the world. Whether it will happen or not, but it would be really good to film that. But we could also take it out on the road ourselves with a couple of really good keyboard players like Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE)."

In addition to the regular jewel case double CD version of Nostradamus, collectors will undoubtedly be interested in hunting down a copy of a Deluxe Double CD housed in a 48 page hard-bound book package. But that’s not all - a Super Deluxe Boxset version will also be available with triple vinyl, the double CD, an expanded booklet and a poster.

Nostradamus tracklisting:

‘Dawn Of Creation’ - ‘Prophecy’
‘Awakening’ - ‘Revelations’
‘The Four Horsemen’ - ‘War’
‘Sands Of Time’ - ‘Pestilence And Plague’
‘Death’
‘Peace’ - ‘Conquest’
‘Lost Love’
‘Persecution’
‘Solitude’ - ‘Exiled’
‘Alone’
‘Shadows In The Flame’ - ‘Visions’
‘Hope - New Beginnings’
‘Calm Before The Storm’ - ‘Nostradamus’
‘Future Of Mankind’

JUDAS PRIEST - Official Nostradamus Ringbacks And Mastertones Available Next Week In The UK

JUDAS PRIEST's UK fans will have the chance to grab three official ringbacks and mastertones from the band's forthcoming album Nostradamus. Songs included are: 'Nostradamus', 'Visions' and 'War'.

Nostradamus, is a metal opera based on the life and predictions of Nostradamus. Long in the works, Nostradamus takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world known 16th Century French prophet. The album will be released via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in North America on Epic Records.

Watch for a major cover feature on Judas Priest in the upcoming BW&BK #111 - out in mid-June!

BW&BK sat down with Judas Priest guitarists Glenn Tipton and KK Downing recently to chat about Nostradamus. Both molten men discussed the possibilities of performing the album in its entirety on the road at some point in time in the future.

"We do want to perform it in its entirety next year at special venues around the world like Carnegie Hall (in Manhattan), the Royal Albert Hall (London), the Sydney Opera House (Sydney)," Tipton reveals. "If we can pull that off it will be very exciting. It's very ambitious - we'll need other musicians like backing vocalists for the choral sections, maybe a keyboard player or some sort of orchestration. Make the whole thing an event, not just a rock band with orchestration, but Nostradamus in his own character. If we can pull it off it will be very exciting. It's all based around his life story. Rather than his prophecies, the whole project is more about a guy from the 1500s who certainly left his mark. He was a special dude. Although he foresaw the plague, he couldn't save his wife and daughters, they died. And the church came after him which as inevitable - he got kicked out, exiled, then he found a new love and a new life. His life in itself was really interesting - that's what inspired us really. It really inspired us to go down paths we'd never gone down before, and couldn't have done on a normal Judas Priest album. But for some reason it's still a Judas Priest album. It's pretty awe-inspiring really. He foresaw it, he foretold it obviously."

Downing adds about the road-worthy nature of Nostradamus: "It's on our mind as well, the fact that some say we might be able to put on a fabulous production and perform the album in it's entirety, with some really cool visuals as a musical. That was always a possibility, not that it matters completely. What you get now is what you get to evaluate and not what might happen in the future. But this summer tour is going to be great. We'll be playing all the festivals in Europe and we have the Priest, HEAVEN & HELL and MOTÖRHEAD tour - we're pumped up about it. We'll be quite pacified by playing a coupla things from Nostradamus on that. We'll be playing some killer songs we haven't played in a long time, so the fans can go pretty wild over that. It's going to be a good world tour this year. A lot depends on how the record is perceived as to what we'll do in the future."

When asked if the band would be accompanied by orchestra, Downing comments: "It would be great initially to bring a fully-fledged orchestra with us, but for us to play a lot of the parts with the equipment we've got to do it, to showcase that would be good. In the Royal Albert Hall possibly, venues like that around the world. Whether it will happen or not, but it would be really good to film that. But we could also take it out on the road ourselves with a couple of really good keyboard players like Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE)."

In addition to the regular jewel case double CD version of Nostradamus, collectors will undoubtedly be interested in hunting down a copy of a Deluxe Double CD housed in a 48 page hard-bound book package. But that’s not all - a Super Deluxe Boxset version will also be available with triple vinyl, the double CD, an expanded booklet and a poster.

Nostradamus tracklisting:

‘Dawn Of Creation’ - ‘Prophecy’
‘Awakening’ - ‘Revelations’
‘The Four Horsemen’ - ‘War’
‘Sands Of Time’ - ‘estilence And Plague’
‘Death’
‘Peace’ - ‘Conquest’
‘Lost Love’
‘Persecution’
‘Solitude’ - ‘Exiled’
‘Alone’
‘Shadows In The Flame’ - ‘Visions’
‘Hope - New Beginnings’
‘Calm Before The Storm’ - ‘Nostradamus’
‘Future Of Mankind’

JUDAS PRIEST - Samples Of All Nostradamus Tracks Available

www.Amazon.com are streaming samples of all tracks from JUDAS PRIEST's upcoming concept album, Nostradamus, at this location.

Nostradamus is a metal opera based on the life and predictions of Nostradamus. Long in the works, the album takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world known 16th Century French prophet. The album will be released via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in North America on Epic Records.

A one-minute minute teaser of the new video 'War' is available - click here to view.

Watch for a major cover feature on Judas Priest in the upcoming BW&BK #111 - out in mid-June!

des samples de tout l'album, sortie bientot le 16 juin :

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018AK9RA/ref=pd_cp_m_0_img?pf_rd_p=316285901&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0018C1DQ4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1AA3FXP8SBC1H0RFZNS0

JUDAS PRIEST - Free Lawn Ticket Offer

BW&BK has received the following:

Yes, you did indeed read that right. While supplies last, when you purchase any configuration (regular CD edition, limited edition-deluxe hard-bound version and limited edition deluxe box (3LP's, 2 CD, book and poster) available only at Best Buy) of the initial pressing of JUDAS PRIEST’s double disc concept album, Nostradamus (release date – June 17th), specially marked CD’s will contain an insert with a exclusive code inside the CD package for one free lawn ticket to see Judas Priest on selected dates of the Metal Masters tour this summer, courtesy of Live Nation (see below for a complete list).

Visit www.judaspriest.com
for details on this special offer.

This seemingly too-good-to-be-true offer will be good while supplies last.

Also, this offer will not pertain to all the dates of the Metal Masters tour (see below for complete list of dates that the offer is good for).

The Metal Masters tour will undoubtedly be the top metal concert attraction of the summer.

In addition to a headlining performance by Judas Priest, fans will also be treated to sets by HEAVEN AND HELL, MOTÖRHEAD and TESTAMENT.

“As ever, we look forward to screaming out loud with our metal maniac fans when we hit the road,” enthuses Priest singer, Rob Halford. “The Priest is back!”

The tour, produced by Live Nation, will be Priest’s first thorough sets of US dates in nearly three years, and will be in support of the group’s aforementioned Nostradamus release.

Long in the works, Nostradamus was recorded in the UK, and takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world-known 16th century French prophet.

Some of the events that Nostradamus experts have interpreted as some of his predictions include the great fire of London in 1666, the rise of Adolf Hitler, and most recently, 9-11, among countless other renowned events.

“For me, Nostradamus has been a musical journey without comparison,” adds guitarist KK Downing.

“The intrigue and mystery that surrounds this revered man has expanded my perception of heavy metal to the highest plateau and enabled me to reach the outer limits of my imagination and transport unique feelings and emotions to the instrument that allows me to express myself.”

Praiseworthy advance reviews of Nostradamus have only caused the buzz to grow around Priest’s 16th studio release overall.

Case in point, a review by Eddie Trunk (host of the syndicated radio show ‘Eddie Trunk Rocks’), in which he raved, “Priest touches on so much new ground and really pushed the envelope on some things.

The album takes you on a nearly two-hour journey. It is without a doubt best looked at as a complete work as all true concept albums are.

You can really see it living out on a stage. It sounds like Priest have truly created something special and once again lived up to their rightful billing as ‘Metal Gods’.”

As to why they chose to make a concept album about Nostradamus, Glenn Tipton explains: “We didn't - he chose us. We feel it was meant to be!”

Soon, the Metal Gods will be destroying a concert stage near you.

Tickets for all shows on sale now at www.livenation.com
.

For more information, visit: www.judaspriest.com


Offer good only for one of the following shows, while supplies last:

August
6 - Camden, NJ
7 - Bristow, VA
9 - Holmdel, NJ
16 - Pittsburgh, PA
19 - Chicago, IL
22 - Dallas, TX
23 - Houston, TX
24 - San Antonio, TX
27 - Albuquerque, NM
28 - Phoenix, AZ
30 - San Bernardino, CA
31 - Mountain View, CA

Watch for a major cover feature on Judas Priest in the upcoming BW&BK #111 - out in mid-June!

JUDAS PRIEST - Nostradamus Album Streaming Online

MTV.com's The Leak is currently streaming JUDAS PRIEST's upcoming concept album, Nostradamus. The band's anxiously-awaited metal opera is based on the life and predictions of Nostradamus. Long in the works, the album takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world known 16th Century French prophet. The album will be released via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in North America on Epic Records.

A one-minute minute teaser of the new video 'War' is available - click here to view.

Watch for a major cover feature on Judas Priest in the upcoming BW&BK #111 - out in mid-June!

JUDAS PRIEST - Nostradamus Hits The Charts In Sweden, Norway, Austria

JUDAS PRIEST's new double-disc concept album, Nostradamus, has hit the following charts in Europe:

Sweden - #5
Norway - #12
Austria - #13

Nostradamus sold 42,000 copies in the US in its first week of release, debuting at #11 on The Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. The album marks the band's highest-ever chart position in the US.

In Canada the album charted at an impressive #9 on the official Canadian Soundscan Charts selling close to 4,000 units nationwide.

Judas Priest grace the cover of the new BW&BK magazine (#111) - in stores NOW!. Copies are available at this location.

JUDAS PRIEST - 'War' Video Now Available On YouTube


Previously only available via MTV's Headbanger's Blog, JUDAS PRIEST's video for the song 'War' is now available via YouTube. Check it out below. Residents of the Unites States can check out a higher quality sample on YouTube here.

'War' is taken from the band's new album, Nostradamus


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlIxjDDnk_4&eurl=http://www.bravewords.com/news/92430