Sometimes a review absolutely pains you to write, and this is one of those times. JUDAS PRIEST is, was, and will always be one of the most important, influential and...well...greatest bands in the history of Heavy Metal. Clearly, along with IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH and a select few others, they were the reason Metal flourished. Ask most Metal bands, regardless of what sub-genre of Heavy Metal they play, and you will hear the name JUDAS PRIEST referred to 8 out of 10 times. They are a band that has truly proven all there is to prove - greatness, consistency, longevity. But, this one time, they've reached a bit farther than they should have. "Nostradamus" is an album from this historic band that was designed to stretch past the boundaries their own tremendous history has set for them, and aesthetically, this feels like a huge mistake.

While I appreciate the musicianship of "Nostradamus" and the lengths that the band went to in order to properly portray the life of history's most famous prognosticator, this 23-track behemoth features too much story and not enough all out rockin' that JUDAS PRIEST has buttered their bread with for over 30 years now. While the concept is certainly exceptional, the listenability of "Nostradamus" is just not there. Having sat with the record for a week and listened through it at least 10 times, it just doesn't grow on you at all. Vocalist Rob Halford doesn't seem interested in utilizing the power of his voice on this album like every other album he's sang on has featured. Instead, he leaves his voice, primarily, in the lower register where it fits better as a storyteller than as a rocker. He sounds strong on songs like "Alone", but it's one of two few times he reaches for the trademarked wail that is his and his alone.

Probably the most disappointing feature of "Nostradamus" is the material itself. To be blunt, the music is drab and feels more like the backing soundtrack to a play than it does to an actual album designed for stimulating the senses. So much of this material is slow and plodding, just as you imagine life itself was in Nostradamus' time. Songs like "Visions" stand as about the best songs on the album, but even that song is stuck in mid-tempo mode. Most of the actual tracks are just slow and filled with un-PRIEST-like keyboards designed to flesh out the theatrics of the story. The legendary twin tandem on guitar of Glenn Tipton and KK Downing do very, very little notable playing throughout the entire disc. Other than the opening riffs of "Revelations" and a few sparse moments mixed around the 2 CDs that make up "Nostradamus", there's little to remind you that Tipton and Downing are two of the greatest Metal players ever to pick up a guitar. It's really, really depressing and slow throughout. There's little in the way of memorable moments, even when the songs aren't drab and dull. Simply put, this is the kind of album that you almost hope to hear none of in the live setting, as it's simply never going to fit in with the rest of their great catalog.

This one kills me to write, but the great JUDAS PRIEST has flopped with "Nostradamus". While I'm sure honor to the legacy of this great band will cause people to be kind to the band when reviewing it, calling it as it is you have to say that this album is simply unappealing to listen to. The sad thing is that with all the expectation on it and following such a great album with "Angel Of Retribution", "Nostradamus" is simply a bust. There's no other way to say it.