Columbia Records - 2008
6/10
Following what we may consider Judas Priest's return to form in 2005's Angel Of Retribution, they would continue on that road of reinvigorated energy meeting nostalgia three years later. But unlike the other records that followed that template, they would step into arguably their most experimental effort in this era, maybe ever. Nostradamus saw the band not only tamper with a concept album, but inject musical elaborations that teeter on epic and opera. If that isn't a lot to take in, then perhaps its nearly two-hour runtime will be.
That very fact would prove to be the experiment's biggest retractor. On paper, their second record seeing Halford returning is presented pretty wonderfully. Powerful vocals meet boisterous and thick leads that utilize the bass to amp its presence even higher. Tight and clean production make it so nothing goes missed, with a healthy dose of theatrics and synthesized guitar attacks to add the littlest touch of flair. Throw in a decent ear for impactful hooks, and you've got about as great a template one can use for a strong epic journey.
Moreover, Nostradamus knows exactly when to employ meaner grit for a firmer impact as much as it does the same with softer veneers and emotion. Frankly, the first track (ignoring its intro) "Prophecy" is one of my favorite numbers of the post-2000s era; its opening riff, unrelenting drum blasts, and threatening pre-chorus break into a chanted release that all but brings me goosebumps. "Persecution" feels like a response to that one, morphing matched furious drive into speed, topped with what feels like a classic horror chase bit. "Pestilence And Plague" has some power metal tropes that breath hope beside upbeat chops meeting haunting synth, and "Lost Love" uses emotion and soft guitars to aid a sadness felt miles away. "Alone" coats a similar feeling, but definitely didn't need to be that long. Hell, even "Death" is loaded with obvious doom thrusts, maybe the only long track that holds momentum until its end.
Sadly, there's a tragic other side to all this; after about one third of the record, its thunderous embrace wares off. Normally, saying "this is simply too long" is not enough to tank an album too hard, but it will if that error seeps into many of the individual tracks. "Revelations" is seemingly a stronger number with its symphonic elements and galloping drive, but it meanders far too much for its own good. Both closers "Future Of Mankind" and the title track display this even worse, as by this point of the album it's even harder to forgive that. Make no mistake though, they're guilty of this in a vacuum too, and "Exiled" is a great example of why long repetition borders on corny. "Alone" is a fine example of what could have been a soothing acoustic bit turning into a repetitive mental drain. Even "War," as fun as its marching vigor comes off, is dampened by over five minutes of something that can barely repeat for three before it's overdone, and that's if you ignore its surrounding interludes. As a matter of fact, insult is added to injury with there being too damn many interludes. If you simply tacked those onto every track they precede (or follow?), it adds extra unneeded fluff to even the strong tracks, making any chance of overlooking all of this virtually impossible.
Judas Priest's experimental effort is not awkward nor poorly executed. It's competent, written with a formula that all but promises exceptionality, but falls into a tragic fate of doing entirely too much of a good thing. This is a pattern that would appear on every other post-Painkiller record albeit to a far more manageable degree, even hurting the better records just a notch. Had this been one-third its actual length, and baked the decent interludes into less repetitive main songs, this probably could have been one of the best albums of its time. Instead, we're left with something that's likely no coincidence that most of my favorite moments are on the first disc. Alas, while I may suggest hearing this at least once for all the completists and those who love context, the rest of you are better off using such an allotment of time to watch two Twin Peaks episodes, or four to five Seinfeld episodes.
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