Tag: Judas Priest
0 JUDAS PRIEST UNLEASH TASTER FROM THEIR 17TH ALBUM, ‘REDEEMER OF SOULS’
For U.S. fans of Judas Priest that simply cannot wait for the July 15th release date of their latest classic metal album, ‘Redeemer of Souls,’ there is some relief on the way. On Tuesday, April 29th, the title track from the album will be available for purchase via iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/redeemer-of-souls-single/id863086125) and other digital service providers. And a clip of the song (plus the single’s artwork) is now available to sample at the band’s website, www.judaspriest.com.
If you are wondering what to expect from the mighty Priest on their forthcoming album, guitarist Glenn Tipton has set the record straight. “Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically – so we have listened!! From start to finish ‘Redeemer of Souls’ is 13 songs of pure classic Priest metal!!”
There are only a select number of bands that have accomplished what Judas Priest has throughout their career (as well as having served as a stylistic influence on such a wide variety of bands). Soon the group – singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis – will be offering up more classic Judas Priest metal with the release of ‘Redeemer of Souls’.
Check out the new song “Redeemer of Souls” below!
0 New Hard Rock & Metal Releases for Tuesday 9/4/2012
It isn’t a big new release today, and that is fairly normal for the Tuesday after Labor Day, but their are a few new and notable releases that you should check out! More information on the new Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance 30th Anniversary Edition below!
Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance – 30th Anniversary Edition (CD/DVD)
KORN – The path of Totality Tour: Live At The Hollywood Palladium (CD/DVD)
Ian Hunter – When I’m President
Big Voodoo Daddy – Rattle Them Bones
Loudness – 2012 (Import)
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Riding On The Wind
4. Bloodstone
5. (Take These) Chains
6. Pain And Pleasure
7. Screaming For Vengeance
8. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
9. Fever
10. Devil’s Child
Bonus tracks:
11. *Electric Eye (live)
12. *Riding on the Wind (live)
13. *You’ve Got Another Thing Coming (Live)
14. *Screaming For Vengeance (Live)
15. Devil’s Child (live)
16. Prisoner of Your Eyes
* Live from the San Antonio Civic Center, September 10th 1982
US Festival Show – San Bernadino CA 29th May 1983
1. Electric Eye
2. Riding On The Wind
3. Heading Out To The Highway
4. Metal Gods
5. Breaking The Law
6. Diamonds And Rust
7. Victim Of Changes
8. Living After Midnight
9. The Green Manalishi (with the two-pronged crown)
10. Screaming For Vengeance
11. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
12. Hell Bent For Leather
Plus booklet featuring photos from Mark Weiss and sleeve notes written by Eddie Trunk (long -standing and well-respected US rock journo, author, radio and tv presenter)
2 Thin Lizzy, Black Label Society & Judas Priest Photo Gallery – U.S. Bank Arena -Cincinnati, Ohio – November 8th, 2011
Thin Lizzy, Black Label Society & Judas Priest invaded Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena on November 8th. Check out our Photo Gallery, & mini review below.
Thin Lizzy which is now fronted by The Almighty’s Ricky Warwick, sounded amazing. Warwick’s vocals are very similar to the late Phillip Lynott, and he does an excellent job. Damon Johnson (Brother Cane, Alice Cooper Band) is the bands newest guitarist replacing Vivian Campbell, and Richard Fortus. He seems to fit in quite well. I have never seen Thin Lizzy before, and was amazed at how good they sounded. I was thrilled to see this classic band in action. They lineup has changed several times over the years, but Thin Lizzy still rocks.
Black Label Society put on one of the loudest shows in recent memory. I am pretty sure the folks eating wings at Hooters in Newport, KY (that is down the river from U.S. Bank Arena) could hear Zakk Wylde & company. Black Label Society’s sound guy must have had all of their amps set at maximum volume. The only problem with this was, Zakk’s vocals were inaudible. I know all of Black Label Society’s music, and I could watch Zakk Wylde & company play all night. Wylde is a killer guitarist, and as much as I love his playing, I like his vocals even more. I was disappointed that I couldn’t hear them. Aside from that, Black Label Society sounded great.
Judas Priest took the stage and proceeded to play for over two hours. They covered songs from just about every facet of their career. The Metal God, Rob Halford is still getting it done in 2011. The 60 year old front man, may not be able to hit all of the notes he used to, but he still sounds great. Ritchie Faulkner who has replaced the retired KK Downing on lead guitar, not only looks the part,but does an amazing job. KK Downing will always be missed, but Faulkner has injected new life into Judas Priest. The Judas Priest set included the following songs: “Rapid Fire”, “Metal Gods”, “Heading Out to the Highway”, “Judas Rising”,”Starbreaker”, “Victim of Changes”, “Never Satisfied”, “Diamonds & Rust”, “Dawn Of Creation”, “Prophecy”, “Night Crawler”, “Turbo Lover”, “Beyond the Realms of Death”, “The Sentinel”, “Blood Red Skies”, “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)”, “Breaking the Law”, “Painkiller”, “The Hellion”, “Electric Eye”, “Hell Bent for Leather”, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” and “Living After Midnight”.
This is Judas Priest’s Epitaph tour, meaning the band will not longer do world tours from here on out. There was only four – five thousand in attendance at the Cincinnati show, which I though was extremely disappointing. This may be the last time we get to see Judas Priest perform in our area. Judas Priest put on an excellent that was a feast for the ears & the eyes. The show filled with pyro, lasers, and more importantly some legendary metal tunes played to perfection.
There are only a few tour dates left on the Epitaph tour. If you live in one of the areas below, you should definitely get a ticket for this show.
30 November   1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre, Tampa
1 December   Klipsch Amphitheatre at Bayfront Park, Miami, FL
3 December   Hard Rock Biloxi Hotel & Casino, Biloxi
Check out our Photo Gallery below. You can right click on an image to view it larger.
0 Judas Priest – The Chosen Few (2011)
Greatest Hits collections can be a dime a dozen. All of the big hard rock acts have them, and bands like Poison, have several of them. What separates Judas Priest’s The Chosen Few from the rest? Judas Priest had some of the biggest names in rock select the songs for this 17 song compilation. The songs on this collection were picked out by Alice Cooper, Slash, David Coverdale, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Joe Elliott, Lemmy, Zakk Wylde and more. Not only will you find some of the biggest hits from Judas Priest, but you will also find deeper cuts like “Dissident Aggressor”, “Delivering The Goods” and “The Sentinel”. There are some tracks that got left out that I would have included. Tracks like “Freewheel Burning”, and “Electric Eye” are obviously missing, but the core of Judas Priest’s best tunes are all represented here.
If you are a casual fan of Judas Priest, and don’t own their entire catalog of music (like me), The Chosen Few offers fans a great collection of Judas Priest’s music. At less than a buck a song, The Chosen Few is definitely a greatest hits collection worth owning.
You can pick up a copy of The Chosen Few at this link.
Rating:Â Â Out of 10
Track Listing
- Diamonds And Rust (Chosen by Joe Elliott)
- Dissident Aggressor (Chosen by Accept)
- Exciter (Chosen by Accept)
- Beyond The Realms Of Death (Chosen by Lars Ulrich)
- Delivering The Goods (Chosen by Kerry King)
- The Green Manalishi (Chosen by David Coverdale and Randy Blythe)
- The Ripper (Chosen by Ozzy Osbourne)
- Victim Of Changes (Chosen by James Hetfield)
- Breaking The Law (Chosen By Lemmy)
- Rapid Fire (Chosen by Vinnie Paul)
- Grinder (Chosen by Zakk Wylde)
- Living After Midnight (Chosen by Alice Cooper & Geezer Butler)
- Screaming For Vengeance (Chosen by Slash)
- You’ve Got Another Thing Coming (Chosen by Klaus Meine & Corey Taylor)
- The Sentinel (Chosen by Chris Jericho)
- Turbo Lover (Chosen by Jonathan Davis)
- Painkiller (Chosen by Joe Satriani)
0 Judas Priest Announce More North American Dates
Judas Priest – Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Scott Travis, and new guitarist Richie Faulkner (DIRTY DEEDS, VOODOO SIX, LAUREN HARRIS) – have confirmed more dates for the North American leg of the band’s Epitaph tour.
Confirmed dates now include:
October
12 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
14 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Ampitheater
15 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
16 – Dallas, TX – Allen Event Center
18 – Tuscon, AZ – Ava Ampitheater
19 – San Diego, CA – Cricket Wireless Ampitheater
21 – Phoenix, AZ – AZ State Fair
22 – San Bernadino, CA – SAn Mauel Ampitheater
23 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock
25 – Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Ampitheater
26 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
27 – Concord, CA – Sleep Trail Pavillion
29 – Seattle, WA – WaMy Theater
30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
November
1 – Edmonton, AB – Shaw Conference Center
2 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
5 – Denver, CO – 1st Bank Center
8 – Cincinnati, OH – US Bank Arena
9 – Springfield, IL – Prairie Capital Convention Center
10 – St. Louis, MO – The Family Arena
12 – Chicago, IL – The Venue At Horeshoe Casino
13 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
15 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
16 – Rochester, NY – The Armory
18 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center
22 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
23 – Quebec City, QC – Colisee Pepsi Arena
24 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
26 – Reading, PA – Sovereign Center
30 – Tampa, FL – 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
3 Judas Priest on American Idol
In case you missed the Judas Priest performance on American Idol featuring the debut of new Judas Priest guitarist, Richie Faulkner, you can watch it here!
2 Judas Priest Plan ‘Full-On Metal Extravaganza’ for Farewell Tour
From Rolling Stone.com:
British metal stalwarts Judas Priest have an eventful few months ahead: The band recently announced a farewell tour and have welcomed a new guitarist, Richie Faulkner, to replace the recently retired KK Downing.
“It’s not exactly the end of the band, it’s just the fact that we won’t really be doing any more world tours,” guitarist Glenn Tipton tells Rolling Stone. “It takes a big chunk out of your life. We’ve been doing it for 40 years now or close to it, and we all love that moment on stage, but it’s difficult to be away from home and all the traveling involved. Now, if somebody came along and said, ‘Would you do a small string of dates,’ we wouldn’t automatically say no to that. But in general, this is probably the last chance you’ll get to see Priest live.”
On this tour – dubbed the Epitaph Tour – Priest will be working in new guitarist Faulkner, who sees his playing style as similar to his predecessor’s. “My take on KK’s playing was he improvised quite a lot live,” says Faulkner. “It was kind of a basic framework around the solo that was on the record, and then he would go off a bit on that. So my style is kind of the same as that – I normally take what’s in the solo and just play around with it a bit. But it keeps the essence of the solo there.”
Priest singer Rob Halford also revealed that the group has also been working on all-new material. “We do have some completed tracks that we’ve been talking about in the last few days, as to how we can feed those out to our fans,” he says. “We wanted to make at least one more great metal album that really represents all the wonderful things we’ve tried to do. If things go as planned, we want to get this out by the summer of next year.”
But the first order of business will be the upcoming tour, which as of now kicks off October 12th in San Antonio and wraps up November 18th in East Rutherford, New Jersey (though more dates should be announced soon), with support acts Thin Lizzy and Black Label Society. “We’re doing a track off every album,” says Tipton, rattling off songs the band is planning on performing – from tracks like “Never Satisfied” (which Tipton says the band has never played before) to classics like “Hell Bent for Leather” and “Electric Eye.”
And the band plans to go out in what can only be termed a blaze of glory. “We’re pulling out all the stops,” says Halford. “We’ve built a brand new stage set, we’ve got all the effects that people love us for – the lasers, the fire, the bombs, the smoke, new costumes, and the bike. It’s just a full-on metal extravaganza.”
Confirmed Judas Priest U.S. Tour Dates (more dates to be announced):
October:
12 – San Antonio, TX
14 – Corpus Christi, TX
15 – Houston, TX
16 – Dallas, TX
18 – Tucson, AZ
19 – San Diego, CA
21 – Phoenix, AZ
22 – San Bernardino, CA
23 – Las Vegas, NV
25 – Los Angeles, CA
26 – Oakland, CA
29 – Seattle, WA
30 – Vancouver, BC
November:
1 – Edmonton, AB
2 – Calgary, AB
4 – Salt Lake City, UT
5 – Denver, CO
12 – Chicago, IL
13 – Detroit, MI
18 – East Rutherford, NJ
3 K.K. Downing Retires From Judas Priest; Replacement Is Announced
It is with regret that Judas Priest Announce that K.K. Downing has formally retired from the band and will therefore not be joining them on their forthcoming Epitaph Tour.
The band respects his decision and naturally wishes him well.
Having thought long and hard about how to proceed, Rob, Glenn, Ian and Scott unanimously agreed that they should go ahead with the tour, and not let the fans down around the world.
Fate also stepped in and delivered the perfect replacement – 31 Year old British guitar player Richie Faulkner. He has blended into the band perfectly and is a great talent who is going to help set the stage on fire!
The Epiaph Tour will include songs from every studio album and also tracks they have never performed on stage plus all the old favorites.
With a new album due to be released next year, the Metal Gods are preparing to tour the planet once more. Heavy Metal at Its best complete with lasers, lights, bikes and hellfire!! It’s a show not to be missed!!
4 JUDAS PRIEST ANNOUNCE FAREWELL TOUR!!
After storming the world for nearly 40 years and taking their very special brand of heavy metal to all four corners of the planet, JUDAS PRIEST – one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, have announced this will be their final world tour!!
However, the mighty PRIEST will certainly be going out strong as they rock the planet starting in 2011 on the massive EPITAPH tour – hitting all the major cities throughout the world they will be playing the songs that helped make the name JUDAS PRIEST synonymous with heavy metal!
With all guns blazing and amps cranked to eleven, the band will be giving all their fans one last chance to witness the ultimate metal experience that is JUDAS PRIEST!
JUDAS PRIEST will be starting their world tour in Europe – we have just confirmed the following festivals for 2011 –
9th June Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden
11th June Sauna Festival, Finland
17th June Copenhell Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
19th June Hellfest, Nantes, France
22nd June Gods of Metal Festival, Milan, Italy
25th June Graspop Festival, Belgium
23rd July HIgh Voltage Festival, London, UK
5th August Wacken Festival, Germany
Stay tuned as we announce more dates – information will be forthcoming soon – so start getting prepared to rock one final time with the incomparable JUDAS PRIEST!!
5 Classic Video – Judas Priest – Locked In
You have to love Judas Priest’s classic video, “Locked In”.  So many Judas Priest fans hate the band’s 1986 album Turbo for the use of synthesizers, and cheesy glam look. I must admit, that I have to crack up when I see the bad Halloween costumes the band was wearing back then, but I don’t and won’t ever hate Turbo. It is that period of rock when they trying to keep up with the glam era of metal, and they made it through. At least they didn’t go through a flannel shirt wearing phase…Thank God! Enjoy the video clip “Locked In” below!
1 Rob Halford Confirms Montreal Heavy MTL Festival July 24th
Rob Halford has confirmed that his solo band ‘Halford’ will perform July 24, 2010 at Montreal, Canada’s 2nd Annual Heavy MTL Festival. Tickets and Additional details available soon at: http://www.heavymtl.com and http://www.RobHalford.com
“I am excited to re-introduce the Halford band: Mike Chlasciak and Roy Z. on guitars, Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums to Metal fans in Canada this summer,” explains Rob Halford. “We are looking forward to performing a strong set and unveiling a new track for the Montreal Heavy Mtl Festival.”
Armed with Metal’s most diverse band of the decade, Halford – Live in Anaheim is an intimate, in-your-face, solo performance featuring Halford, Fight and Judas Priest classics” Golgotha, The Heretick, Sun, Into The Pit, Light Comes Out of Black, Painkiller, Rapid Fire, Never Satisfied, and more. Also featured are Bonus LIVE tracks from Halford’s Tokyo, Japan performances February 2003.
Stay in touch with Rob Halford and his Halford band memembers at http://www.RobHalford.com throughout 2010 for NEW Halford music, digital releases and Metal God Apparel, limited concert ticket giveaways, limited meet-and-greets, tour dates, news and more!!
1 Whitesnake Cancels Their Appearances On Judas Priest Tour!
“Unfortunately, last night at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, Whitesnake had to cut their performance short due to Mr Coverdale experiencing considerable pain in his vocal chords. He was immediately taken to a specialist for examination. The specialist discovered that David was suffering from severe vocal fold edema and a left vocal fold vascular lesion. He was instructed to cancel all performances for the next two weeks & then undergo a further examination. The doctors told us we were fortunate this was caught at a stage where no apparent permanent damage has been caused. We therefore regretfully have to announce that Whitesnake will not be appearing on the remainder of the US tour with Judas Priest, Whitesnake sincerely regrets any disappointment this may cause.”
4 Pop Evil, Whitesnake, Judas Priest Concert Review – Cincinnati, Ohio – 7/21/09
A couple of weeks ago, Pop Evil, Whitesnake & Judas Priest performed in Cincinnati’s newest outdoor arena, The PNC Pavillion. This new arena holds roughly 4,100 people, and for quite a while, I think the attendance was about half of that. It may have swelled to over 3,000 before the night was done, but the point I am making is that size of the crowd was absolutely abyssmal at best.
If you live in Cincinnati, and wonder why our fair city gets passed up for some shows, this is why. There is over 2.1 million people in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, and this is the largest crowd that we can offer for two of the biggest hard rock singers of all time? It is a shame really, and a big shame to all of the folks that didn’t show up, as they missed one hell of a show.
Pop Evil opened the show, and dished out a solid set of rock which included their tunes “Hero”, and “100 in a 55”.  This was the second time I have seen Pop Evil live, and their set offered no surprises. The one thing I noticed is just how disjointed this band is.  A couple of the guys in the band, lead singer Leigh Kakaty, and the bass player Matt Dirito have awesome stage prescence, but I can not say the same for the rest of the guys. They may sound good, but have very much energy. Guitarist Tony Greve had on an outfit that made him look more like Justin Timberlake than a hard rock guitarist. To make matters worse, he had on a t-shirt that said “No To Rock”. Me and my buddy Rick looked at each other with disbelief. These guys need a serious wardrobe check before the go on stage. I am not sure they are the right opening act for this tour. They sounded good, and helped to warm up the crowd for Whitesnake.
The last time Whitesnake played near Cincinnati, it was in Covington, KY, and it was with an even smaller crowd than the one at PNC Pavillion. This band must be the Rodney Dangerfield of hard rock acts, as they get no respect here. It has nothing to do with their performance, as the band was awesome.
They dished out all of the classic Whitesnake hits you would expect them to play, and also played a couple of new ones from last year’s excellent Good To Be Bad album. The amazing thing is David Coverdale still sounds great after all of these years. There were rumors that came out a couple of months ago that he was using tapes in their live set. I saw no evidence of that. Coverdale can still get it done. End of story!
Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich could be the best guitar tandem that Whitesnake has ever had, and considering the previous axemen this band has had (Vivian Campbell, John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg, and Steve Vai) that really is a testament to their incredible talent. Aldrich handles the daunting task of playing those amazing riffs laid down by Sykes and Vai, and does it well. Reb Beach complements his playing like no other. My only complaint was how the sound was mixed at PNC Pavillion. I was on the far right hand side of the stage, and had trouble hearing Reb’s solos. They weren’t as clear as Doug Aldrich’s. I believe this was a sound mixing issue, and no fault of Reb’s. Chris Frazier, the newest Whitesnake member is no slouch on the drums. I feared he would be able to match the work of Tommy Aldridge, and I was surprised by his playing. I still miss Aldridge’s bare handed drum solos, but nonetheless Frazier does a pretty good job on the skins. I loved Whitesnake’s set. I hope this isn’t the last time that I get to see them play.
After Whitesnake, I was practically fulfilled for the night, but I wasn’t about to leave, not when Judas Priest was about to take the stage. Some how some way, I managed to miss Judas Priest back in the 8o’s. I have seen Halford perform live, but never the band that made him famous. Lucky for me, Judas Priest was firing on all cylinders tonight. Rob Halford can still hit all of the notes, but I noticed that he tends to hump over and look down in order to do so. That was mildly disappointing, but I wouldn’t expect a singer of his age to be able to belt out the notes the way he does either, so I guess it is a trade off. KK Downing and Glen Tipton kept me fired up all night. I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy watching guitar gods play live.
The one thing I didn’t like about Judas Priest’s set was their choice to perform all of British Steel. Don’t get me wrong, I like this album a lot, but some of the songs just didn’t need to be played live. They have such an incredible catalog of tunes, and there were quite a few that they could not play as a result of that decision. (On a side note, I heard some girls complaining after the show, that they didn’t play “Turbo Lover”. I got a kick out of that.) Towards the end of their show, of course Rob Halford came out and sang some songs seated on his motorcycle. No surprise there, but it was cool nonetheless.
Overall, it was a great night of rock played to a small crowd. The die-hard fans showed up! Where were you? !
If you get the chance to see Whitesnake and Judas Priest on tour, don’t miss them. You won’t be disappointed. This was easily the best show that I have seen this summer!
Check out the slideshow below for some of the pictures I took from the show!
[rockyou id=141618804&w=426&h=320]
0 K. K. Downing to Appear on Hard Rock Nights
Legendary Judas Priest guitarist making an appearance this Saturday!
K. K. Downing will appear this Saturday on the Hard Rock Nights radio program on WMWX-FM Cincinnati, streaming on-line at http://www.classxradio.com. The program airs at 9 pm EDT every Saturday. Downing will discuss Judas Priest’s upcoming tour, the new live album, their last studio album Nostradamus, and other bands playing Priest songs.
Judas Priest is preparing to hit the road with Whitesnake for a summer tour, in which they will perform their classic British Steel album from beginning to finish. The band is also releasing a new live album in July, A Touch of Evil: Live, featuring a number of songs that have never before been officially available in a live context.
Hard Rock Nights features the best hard rock from the past four decades and can be heard every Saturday night at 9pm EDT on http://www.classxradio.com.
0 Judas Priest to Release “A Touch of Evil: Live” in July!
Judas Priest has chosen 10 songs not previously released in live album form for its next concert set — “A Touch of Evil: Live,” which is due out July 14, in the midst of the band’s U.S. summer tour.
“A Touch of Evil” includes live renderings of longtime fan favorites such as “Painkiller,” “Dissident Aggressor, “Riding on the Wind,” “Between the Hammer & the Anvil” and “Eat Me Alive,” as well as “Hellrider” from “Angel of Retribution,” the group’s 2004 reunion album with frontman Rob Halford, and two tracks — “Death” and “Prophecy” — from last year’s rock opera “Nostradamus.”
“I love those songs,” Halford tells Billboard.com. “All of those songs just crush. Because they’ve never been recorded live in this way, it’s just something fresh to put out. And when you listen to it and think this band has been around for three decades, with a combined age of 250-something years…I mean, how cool is that? It’s a very fierce record and just captures the band’s attitude and feeling in a very strong, determined way.
“I mean, we could’ve put ‘Living After Midnight’ or ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’ out — again. But why? This is just something great to give our fans.”
The full track listing for “A Touch of Evil: Live” includes: “Hellrider,” “Between the Hammer & the Anvil,” “Riding on the Wind,” “Death,” “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “Dissident Aggressor,” “Eat Me Alive,” “Prophecy” and “Painkiller.”
Priest, meanwhile, is preparing for its summer tour, during which the band will play its 1980 album “British Steel” — which includes “Living After Midnight” — in its entirety from front to back. “All of us around the world have our respective headphones on, ready to dive into the deep end together,” Halford says of preparations for the tour. “It’s very bare-bones in terms of production, which in essence makes it a lot easier to re-learn in rehearsals.
“We’re all very excited about it. ‘British Steel’ means a lot to everybody in Priest. I listened to it for the first time recently and I thought, ‘Man, this is gonna be so cool to play this stuff live.'”
The Priest tour, with Whitesnake opening, kicks off June 29 in Indianapolis and wraps up Aug. 23 in Gilford, N.H. Halford says the band still plans to play “Nostradamus” in its entirety later this year or in 2010.
Courtesy of Billboard.com
0 Pop Evil To Open For Whitesnake & Judas Priest
Michigan rockers Pop Evil have scored the opening slot on several of the up and coming Judas Priest & Whitesnake dates this summer. Check below for tour dates.
July
Sun 7/5/2009 Chevrolet Theatre Wallingford CT
Tue 7/7/2009 Comcast Center for the Performing Mansfield MA
Wed 7/8/2009 CMAC Canandaigua NY
Thu 7/9/2009 Molson Amphitheatre Toronto ON CA
Sat 7/11/2009 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel NJ
Sun 7/12/2009 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Wantagh NY
Tue 7/21/2009 PNC Pavillion at Riverbend Music Anderson OH
Wed 7/22/2009 Nashville Municipal Auditorium Nashville TN
Sat 7/25/2009 AT&T Center Kirby TX
Sun 7/26/2009 Concrete Street Amphitheater Corpus Christi TX
Fri 7/31/2009 Concord Pavilion (Sleep Train) Concord CA
August
Sat 8/1/2009 98 Rock Jamboree @ Sleep Train Marysville CA
Sun 8/2/2009 Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City CA
Tue 8/4/2009 SDSU Open Air Theatre San Diego CA
Wed 8/5/2009 Pacific Amphitheatre Costa Mesa CA
Fri 8/7/2009 Dodge Theatre Phoenix AZ
Sat 8/8/2009 Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas NV
Tue 8/11/2009 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison CO
Thu 8/13/2009 Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie Grand Prairie TX
Sat 8/15/2009 St. Augustine Amphitheater Saint Augustine FL
Sun 8/16/2009 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa FL
Wed 8/19/2009 Germain Arena Estero FL
Thu 8/20/2009 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Alpharetta GA
Sat 8/22/2009 Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia MD
Sun 8/23/2009 US Cellular Pavillion at Meadowbrook Laconia NH
2 Judas Priest Announces Additional Tour Dates
1st July    THE FAMILY ARENA/ST. CHARLES, MO    with WHITESNAKE
2nd July    SUMMERFEST 2009 – HARLEY DAVIDSON STAGE/MILWAUKEE, WI
3rd July    TASTE OF MINNESOTA AT HARRIET ISLAND/ST. PAUL, MN    with WHITESNAKE
7th July    COMCAST CENTER/MANSFIELD, MA    with WHITESNAKE
8th July    CMAC/CANANDAIGUA, NY    with WHITESNAKE
9th July    MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE/TORONTO, ON    with WHITESNAKE
11th July    PNC BANKS ARTS CENTER/HOLMDEL, NJ    with WHITESNAKE
12th July    NIKON AT JONES BEACH THEATER/WANTAGH, NY    with WHITESNAKE
14th July    TIME WARNER CABLE AMPHITHEATRE/CLEVELAND, OH    with WHITESNAKE
15th July    DTE ENERGY MUSIC THEATER/CLARKSTON, MI    with WHITESNAKE
17th July    MOONDANCE JAM 18/WALKER, MN    with WHITESNAKE
18th July    ROCK FEST/CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSIC/CADOTT, WI
21st July    PNC PAVILION at RIVERBEND MUSIC/CINCINNATI, OH    with WHITESNAKE
29th July    CALIFORNIA MID-STATE FAIR/PASO ROBLES, CA    with WHITESNAKE
31st July    SLEEP TRAIN PAVILION/CONCORD, CA    with WHITESNAKE
1st August    98 ROCK JAMBOREE @ SLEEP TRAIN AMP/MARYSVILLE, CA    with WHITESNAKE
2nd August    GIBSON AMPHITHEATRE/UNIVERSAL CITY, CA    with WHITESNAKE
4th August    SDSU OPEN AIR THEATRE/SAN DIEGO, CA    with WHITESNAKE
5th August    PACIFIC AMPHITHEATRE/OC FAIR/COSTA MESA, CA    with WHITESNAKE
7th August    DODGE THEATRE/PHOENIX, AZ    with WHITESNAKE
8th August    THOMAS & MACK CENTER/LAS VEGAS, NV    with WHITESNAKE
10th August    SANDIA CASINO/ALBUQUERQUE, NM
11th August    RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE/MORRISON, CO    with WHITESNAKE
Thanks JT!
6 The Tour of the Summer? Move Over Motley Crue! Take That Def Leppard!
British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have issued the following update:
“We are proud to announce that we will be touring in the U.S. with WHITESNAKE for most of the dates. A few of the shows won’t be with them. Details to be announced!”
JUDAS PRIEST has announced the following North American shows so far:
Jul. 01 – The Family Arena – St. Charles, MO
Jul. 02 – Summerfest, Harley Davidson Stage – Milwaukee, WI
Jul. 03 – Taste Of Minnesota at Harriet Island – St. Paul, MN
Jul. 09 – Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
Jul. 11 – PNC Banks Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
Jul. 12 – Nikon At Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
Jul. 17 – Moondance Jam 18 – Walker, MN
Jul. 18 – Rockfest/Chippewa Valley Music – Cadott, WI
Aug. 02 – Gibson Amphitheatre – Universal City, CA
More dates will be announced soon.
PRIEST competed last month for a Grammy Award in the “Hard Rock” category for “Visions” and “Metal” category for “Nostradamus”, a pair of tunes from the band’s 16th studio album, “Nostradamus”.
According to Reuters/Billboard, JUDAS PRIEST’s Sony BMG label puts sales of “Nostradamus” at 500,000 units worldwide; that includes 100,000 logged by Nielsen SoundScan in the United States.
WHITESNAKE’s latest album, “Good To Be Bad”, was released through SPV/Steamhammer in Germany on April 18, 2008, the rest of Europe on April 21 and it came out in North America on April 22. In addition to the regular jewel-case version, a limited-edition two-disc set contains an extra CD in a cardboard sleeve, as well as a poster, photocard and sticker.
Courtesy of Blabbermouth.net
1 Hard Rock and Metal Playoffs – Classic Hard Rock Division
When 2008 started if you would have told me that new releases would come out by Whitesnake, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Tesla, Judas Priest and Sammy Hagar, I probably would have looked at you like you were crazy. All of these bands put out new videos in 2008. Vote for your favorite band, and help push them to the HRH Bowl next Saturday.
Whitesnake – Lay Down Your Love
Motley Crue – Saints of Los Angeles
AC/DC – Rock N Roll Train
Tesla – I Wanna Live
Judas Priest – War
Sammy Hagar –Â Cosmic Universal Fashion
6 Video Showdown # 8 Primal Fear vs. Judas Priest
This week its Primal Fear vs. Judas Priest in the battle of video supremacy. You decide who wins!
In 2007, Primal Fear released a pretty good metal CD called New Religion. Primal Fear singer Ralf Scheepers could easily be a stand in for Rob Halford from Judas Priest. In fact Scheepers tried out for the lead role in Judas Priest, that eventually went to Tim “Ripper” Owens back in 1996.
Here is Primal Fear’s Video “Sign of Fear”.
Judas Priest released their new CD, Nostradamus in 2008. The new disc has had a lot of mixed reviews this year. Judas Priest has released a video called “War” in support of the album.
Here is Judas Priest’s Video “War”.
Who should win Video Showdown # 8? You decide!
1 HEAVY METAL TITANS JUDAS PRIEST ANNOUNCE 7 DATE ‘PRIEST FEAST’ ARENA TOUR
One of the worlds most popular and influential Heavy Metal bands – Judas Priest are set to rock the UK to it’s very core when they bring their ‘Priest Feast’ tour to play 7 arena dates in February 2009 with support from special guests – Thrash Metal veterans Megadeth and Testament.
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.
Think ‘Double vinyl, gatefold sleeve concept album,’ and some of rock’s all-time classic recordings come to mind. But in the realm of heavy metal, there has never been a double vinyl (now disc!) concept album that has managed to balance a thought-provoking storyline with metallic thunder. That was, until now. Metal legends JUDAS PRIEST released 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.
MEGADETH
As one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of all time, Megadeth have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including six consecutive platinum albums, with seven consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance. Megadeth has remained a vital element in continuing to define and redefine the sound and the fury of metal music and with each new album, forges new ground and stretches the very boundaries where metal lives.
TESTAMENT
Testament was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980’s. Undoubtedly, they are the inventors of the thrash-metal wheel. Testament’s powerful sound, influence, and longevity make them one of the Top 5 All-Time Legendary Thrash Metal Bands, putting them in the company of Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax. They re-formed with the original line up (vocalist ChuckBilly, guitarists Eric Peterson & Alex Skolnick, and bassist Greg Christian – along with friend and former member, Paul Bostaph) to record their 9th studio album – their first in nearly a decade entitled ‘Formation of Damnation’ (released April this year) which also won them ‘Best Album’ at the Metal Hammer ‘Golden Gods’ Awards this summer.
Having the opportunity to see 3 such important and influential bands within the world of Metal on the same bill is cause for excitement. Make sure you don’t miss the chance to witness Metal history in the making and ensure you are part of Priest Feast 2009.
‘PRIEST FEAST’
JUDAS PRIEST
With Special Guests Megadeth and Testament
February
Friday 13 Sheffield Arena
Saturday 14 Birmingham LG Arena
Monday 16 Glasgow SECC Hall 4
Tuesday 17 Manchester Arena
Wednesday 18 Nottingham Arena
Friday 20 Cardiff Arena
Saturday 21 Wembley Arena
Tickets are priced at £37.50 (subject to booking fee) and are available from 0844 576 5483 or buy online at www.livenation.co.uk
13 AC/DC’s Rock ‘N Roll Train is Rolling Across the World Wide Web!
Trains have been a popular subject in Hard Rock for years. In 1974, “Train Kept a Rollin” for Aerosmith“, In 1980, Ozzy Osbourne gave us the “Crazy Train”, 1987 brought us Guns ‘N Roses‘ “Nightrain“. In 1989 Badlands offered up “Rumblin’ Train“, in 1997 Judas Priest unleashed “Bullet Train” and in 2006, Black Stone Cherry gave us “Lonely Train“.
By now I am sure you have heard AC/DC’s new single “Rock ‘N Roll Train“. It has been a hot topic on the internet. It is getting airplay on radio stations everywhere. What do you think of the new song? Will you buy AC/DC’s new CD Black Ice?!
2 New Video – Judas Priest – War
Judas Priest has a released a new video in support of their new album, Nostradamus.
Check out the video for “War” below.
0 Now Available From Rockline
If you missed the recent interviews on Rockline from Candlebox, The Scorpions, Trapt or Judas Priest, you can listen to the archive interviews at the link below.
7 Judas Priest – Nostradamus (Release Year – 2008)
In 2008, I have been very anxious for four bands to release their new albums, Whitesnake, AC/DC, Judas Priest and Motley Crue.
Out of the four, I was mostly concerned with the new Judas Priest disc, Nostradamus, as it is a concept album. That style of album rarely turns out well for most hard rock and metal acts.
With this being a two disc set, I wanted to take some extra time before I put my thoughts down in a review. There is over 90 minutes of music over the two disc set. That is a ton of music to take in at once.
I have no problem with the subject matter of Nostradamus that was used for this disc. I thought if Judas Priest wrote the right songs, this album could be something special.
The first disc starts off strong enough, with the first couple of songs. Prophecy, and its intro, Dawn of Creation are pretty good tracks. I also next two songs, Awakening and Revelations. Revelations is full of those trademark guitar riffs that Judas Priest is known for.
Things start to get a little theatrical with the songs The Four Horseman, and War. It picks up the pace again somewhat with Pestilence and Plague. The song doom laden song, Death sounds more Black Sabbath like, than it does Judas Priest. This lengthy metal track has some killer guitar work, but you have to struggle through parts of the song to get to it.
Disc 1 continues to drag on, and I must admit, I had a really hard time getting through the latter half of this disc.
The first song on Disc 2 that I enjoyed was the mid-tempo track Alone. This song is a little long, but pretty good. The rest of material on this disc I felt was very average until I heard the title track, Nostradamus. This song could have easily been on Painkiller. Sadly, their are not enough songs like this, in this two disc set.
If you are looking for another British Steel, or Painkiller album, Nostradamus is not it. If you have an open mind, you may find some songs to enjoy. If you are looking for instant, memorable hits, you will not find those on Nostradamus. This isn’t Judas Priest’s best work by any means. This album has the potential to grow on you, if you give it the proper chance. Nostradamus isn’t a complete disappointment, but I hoped for more from Judas Priest.
You can listen to the song Nostradamus, and download it for free, from the Judas Priest myspace page.
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
Disc: 1
1. Dawn Of Creation
2. Prophecy
3. Awakening
4. Revelations
5. The Four Horseman
6. War
7. Sands Of Time
8. Pestilence and Plague
9. Death
10. Peace
11. Conquest
12. Lost Love
13. Persecution
Disc: 2
1. Solitude
2. Exiled
3. Alone
4. Shadows In The Flame
5. Visions
6. Hope
7. New Beginnings
8. Calm Before The Storm
9. Nostradamus
10. Future of Mankind
Judas Priest is:
Rob Halford – Vocals
K.K. Downing – Guitars
Glenn Tipton – Guitars
Ian Hill – Bass
Scott Travis – Drums
6 2008 New Rock Releases and Reissues (Updated)
I started compiling the following list of New releases for 2008. This may not be a complete list, but so much great new music has arrived in 2008, so far, I though it would be a good idea to keep a running tab of what has come out, and what is on the way. The releases through August have been confirmed. Releases with a question mark have not been confirmed yet. This list will be updated as more news arrives.
Updated July 9, 2008
January
Drive By Truckers – Brigher Than Creation’s Dark
Airbourne – Running Wild (U.S. Release)
Bullet For My Valentine – Scream Aim Fire
Gamma Ray – Land of the Free, Part 2
Ayreon – 01011001
American Speedway – Ship of Fools
Lillian Axe – Love and War (Reissue)
Lillian Axe – S/T (Reissue)
Sleeze Beez – Screwed Blued & Tattooed (Reissue)
Sleeze Beez – Powertool (Reissue)
Stonerider – Three Legs of Trouble
Thieves & Liars – When Dreams Become Reality
Tiles – Fly Paper
Saint Daemon – In Shadows Lost From the Brave
Pagan’s Mind – God’s Equation
February
DVD – Iron Maiden – Live After Death
DVD – Scorpions – Live at Wacken Open Air 2006
DVD – Overkill – Live at Wacken Open Air 2007
DVD – Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous
Three – End is Begun
Pillar – For the Love of the Game
Avantasia – The Scarecrow
UFO – Phenomenon (Reissue)
UFO – No Heavy Pettin (Reissue)
UFO – Force It (Reissue)
Type O Negative – Dead Again (Red Version)
Hurricane – Over the Edge (Reissue)
Hurricane – Take What You Want (Reissue)
Hurricane – Slave To the Thrill (Reissue)
Hericane Alice – Tear the House Down (Reissue)
Baton Rouge – Shake Your Soul (Reissue)
Baton Rouge – Lights Out on The Playground (Reissue)
Wrathchild America – Climbing the Walls (Reissue)
Tangier – Four Winds (Reissue)
Tangier – Stranded (Reissue)
Danko Jones – Never Too Loud
King’s Call – No Alibi
March
Benedictum – Seasons of Tragedy
Inflikted – Cavalera Conspiracy
Saving Abel – S/T
Steve Stevens – Memory Crash
Firewind – The Premonition
DVD – Zebra
King Kobra – Ready to Strike (Reissue)
King Kobra – Thrill of a Lifetime (Reissue)
Icon – Right Between the Eyes (Reissue)
Black Tide – Light From Above
House of Lords – Come To My Kingdom
Warrior – Fighting For The Earth (Reissue)
Shannon – Angel in Disguise
Whitecross – 1987
Black Crowes – Warpaint
Diamond Head – Borrowed Time (Reissue)
Diamond Head – Canterbury (Reissue)
April
Fatal Smile – World Domination
Saints of the Underground – Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner
Theory of a Deadman – Scars & Souvenirs
Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
Dominici – 03 A Trilogy Part 3
Asia – Phoenix
Testament – The Formation of Damnation
The Sword – Gods of The Earth
Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (And 21 other pretty cool songs)
P.O.D. – When Angels and Serpents Dance
Sevendust – Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow
In Flames – Sense of Purpose
Kamelot – Ghost Opera: The Second Coming
Ministry – Cover Up
DVD – Axel Rudi Pell – Live Over Europe
Keel – Lay Down the Law (Reissue)
White Lion – Return of the Pride
Circle II Circle – Delusions of Grandeur
Crimson Glory – S/T (Reissue)
Crimson Glory – Transcendence (Reissue)
Tantric – The End Begins
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
May
Iron Maiden – Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989
MSG – In the Midst of Beauty
3 Doors Down – S/T
Bombay Black – Psycho Magnet
Def Leppard – Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
Kip Winger – From the Moon To the Sun
Eden – Oblivion
King’s X – XV
M.ILL.ION – Thrill Of The Chase
Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again
10 Years – Division
Jon Oliva’s Pain – Global Warning
Flotsam and Jetsam – Cuatro (Reissue)
Gun Barrel – Outlaw invasion
Brother Firetribe – Heart Full of Fire
Circle II Circle – Delusions of Grandeur
Southern Gentleman – Valley of Fire
10 Years – Division
Glenn Hughes – First Underground Nuclear Kitchen
Souls of We – Let The Truth Be Known (Featuring George Lynch and London LeGrand)
June
Disturbed – Indestructible
Bret Michaels – Rock My World
Man Raze – Surreal
Motley Crue – Saints of Los Angeles
Judas Priest – Nostradamus (2 CD Set)
JORN – Lonely Are the Brave
Flotsam & Jetsam – When The Storm Comes Down (Reissue)
Clusterhead – Times of No Trust
Shinedown – The Sound of Madness
Harem Scarem – Hope
Valient Thorr – Immortalizer
July
The Dogs Divine – Way of Life
Stephen Pearcy – Under My Skin
Tesla – Comin Atcha Live – DVD
Hydrogyn – Deadly Passions
Gypsy Rose – S/T (Featuring David Reece)
Harem Scarem – Hope
Ritchie Kotzen – Live in San Paolo
Silent Rage – Four Letter World
Night Ranger – Hole in the Sun
Jet Black Stare – In This Life
Jesse James Dupree and Dixie Inc – Rev It Up and Go Go
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
Black Sabbath – The Rules of Hell CD Boxset
August
Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
Slipknot – All Hope is Gone
Trapt – Only Through The Pain (Aug 5th)
The Showdown – Back Breaker
Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown
Extreme – Saudades De Rock (Aug 15th)
Asphalt Valentine?
September
Tesla?
Papa Roach – Metamorphisis
Evergrey – Torn
Bullet – Bite the Bullet
Buckcherry – Black Butterfly
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Iced Earth – The Crucible Of Man (Something Wicked Part II)
October
Anthrax?
November
Starbreaker – Love’s Dying Wish
December
AC/DC?
Aerosmith?
0 Free Download by Fight
Rob Halford is offering a free download of the Fight Song, Never Again.
Get Your free mp3 download from Halford Music.com
23 Listen to Judas Priest Nostradamus Here!
MetalManiaOnline, put up a clip of the new Judas Priest single, Nostradamus. Check it out below!
0 Judas Priest Nostradamus Pre-Order Available
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!”
To get a taste of what awaits for you within Nostradamus, go to Livenation.com/judaspriest on Monday, April 21st to download exclusive free MP3 of the album”s title track, as well as view the world premiere of the album cover art.
“Nostradamus” Track Listing:
01. Dawn of Creation
02. Prophecy
03. Awakening
04. Revelations
05. The Four Horsemen
06. War
07. Sands of Time
08. Pestilence And Plague
09. Death
10. Peace
11. Conquest
12. Lost Love
13. Persecution
14. Solitude
15. Exiled
16. Alone
17. Shadows In the Flame
18. Visions
19. Hope
20. New Beginnings
21. Calm Before the Storm
22. Nostradamus
23. Future Of Mankind
2 Judas Priest Nostradamus Details!
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”