Judas Priest - Nostradamus (2008)

Some argued that Priest had got all self-indulgent on this whopping great concept album, but so what, if the metal is still potent then that's all that matters. Halford and company have carved out a majestic sounding opus here, some 23 tracks, most of them uptempo rockers that all revolve around the Nostradamus character, each track constructed of riveting riffs, heavy drums and Halford's distinctive wails and sneers. This has a sweeping, epic feel about it, as one would expect, but it's great to hear a band of this maturity still putting together complex structures and big ideas, although some may found the interlude soundscapes a little predictable, but whent he band do get into the metal it's heavy and fist pumping, particularly the seven-minute monsters 'Revelations' and 'Death' with its doom-laden edge. There's so much here to take in, a double cd will naturally be quite a task, but it's an album of many shades. Some may find the more subtle tracks ('Lost Love') rather tiresome, but Priest make up for the self-indulgence with meatier outings such as the galloping 'Persecution' and the thrashier title track. Sure, there's something overblown and almost operatic about proceedings, and whilst a majority of the older generation bands nowadays are keeping their records short and sweet, Priest, on this occasion, clearly felt the ned to up the anti and create something more substantial. Admittedly, some of these tracks live but be a tad tiresome, and that's the main problem with a double album, especially a concept record, so one can expect sweeping ballad's and those rolling dreamscapes, but you'll find yourself gagging for the nut crushers to, and whilst there are a lot of heavy cuts on offer, I don't see this record doing many spins on the turntable. 6.5/10