Are you ready for some concept metal?! Judas Priest will unleash Nostradamus, a double-frikkin-CD concept piece concerning the life of the 16th-century prophet in June. The project has been in the cards for ages, with Halford on record as hoping it would be released in January 2007. “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.” I worry that Iron Maiden is going to sue them for steez infringement, but I think it’s great that they’re finding a way to make their new album seem like an event without using words like “cross-promotion.” Could be another Music From “The Elder”!

“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 movie – 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.”

This may be unlikely, but I’d like to think that Rob Halford was partially inspired by this Mr. Show skit.

“I’ve got a prediction for you, I think your 500-year-old flabby ass is gonna drive me cray-zeee!“

Judas Priest Finally Takes On ‘Nostradamus’ [Billboard]
JUDAS PRIEST Frontman Rob Halford On Nostradamus – “We’re Treating This Like It’s The Holy Grail Of Heavy Metal” [BraveWords]