As pioneers who helped define the very genre of heavy metal, Judas Priest members have little left to prove. Whether with epic, album-based material like Sad Wings Of Destiny and Stained Class, or with hook-laden singles like “Living After Midnight,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” and “Turbo Lover,” Priest have well-established themselves among the genre’s über-elite.

Yet 35 years since their first record, Rocka Rolla, was released, the band continues to break new ground and evolve. Their latest is perhaps their most ambitious effort to date — a double CD/triple vinyl opus called Nostradamus. Though many of their previous records held a loose theme, this is Priest’s first full-blown concept album.

“After the last album, Angel Of Retribution, we were looking for something a bit different to do,” notes guitarist Glenn Tipton. “We’d considered the idea of doing a concept album for quite a while. Our manager, Bill Curbishley, actually suggested Nostradamus,” he explains, “and once we looked into his life story, we discovered it was quite traumatic. We decided to focus on his story more than his prophecies. As we began writing and got more and more inspired,” Tipton continues, “it became rather prolific and, before we knew it, we had more than two albums’ worth of material [that we felt was] necessary to tell the story properly.”

It is no surprise that the album is heavy, nor that the vibe is dark and sinister. Those are things to be expected of a Judas Priest record. But its elegant, yet extreme, swings between light and shadows, between harmony and chaos, are what sets it apart as a musical piece. “I think the subject matter lends itself to that,” Tipton suggests. “I mean, you’re talking about a bloke who was dealing with alchemy. He had these visions — being visited by the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse... Plus, he was exiled, he lost his wife and daughters in the plague,” he explains. “So really, a lot of the mood is dark, although there are some really beautiful passages in there like ‘Lost Love’ or ‘New Beginnings,’ which has a message of hope. It’s not all gloom and doom,” laughs Tipton. “There’s a lot of melody and dynamics between light and shade.”

To express such dynamics, Priest found themselves utilizing musical outlets they had never before explored. There are elaborate orchestral and operatic arrangements. There are spoken word passages, vocal chorales and atmospheric music that helps establish the theme as the story unfurls. Rob Halford’s majestic vocals capture the tragedy and define the mood of each piece, while bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis’ punishing rhythms drive each section with urgency and powerful fury. But perhaps more than any other musical aspect, it is the devastating riffs, emotive leads and calculated precision displayed by Tipton and fellow guitarist, K.K. Downing, that allows the passion, mystery, intrigue and outright fear of Nostradamus’ story to be felt. “As a guitarist and writer, it has inspired me to greater heights and opened new doors to intrigue and passion,” Tipton says. “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.”

Upon listening, it is easy to envision Priest on stage, belting out these new songs alongside their classics. On the upcoming U.S. tour, the band will mix several cuts from Nostradamus into their legendary stage presentation. Tipton says there are plans for a second leg in which they will perform the story in its entirety. For the Metal Masters Tour with Heaven And Hell, Motörhead and Testament, however, they have brought back seldom-heard cuts like “Hell Patrol,” “Sinner,” “Rock Hard, Ride Free” and “Dissident Aggressor” to perform with the new tracks and their mainstays. “It’s very, very difficult,” Tipton says of choosing which songs to play from their massive catalog. “No matter what songs you choose, you’ve left out someone’s favorite. But I think we’ve got it right this time. There’s a great blend of songs that I think most people will be pleased with.”
The band has played multiple festivals in Europe already this year, and will remain on tour for at least several more months. In their fourth decade of touring the world, a less-than-enthusiastic outlook would be understandable. Tipton maintains, however, that playing live is what continues to define them as a band and, in a sense, is their fountain of youth. “It doesn’t matter how weary you are from travel or whether you’ve had a good day or bad,” the guitarist explains. “Once you hear that crowd roar and you walk on stage, it’s always a great buzz, full of energy and enthusiasm. It’s us with the audience, not us at the audience. It takes the whole team.” Be a part of it all at the Superpages.com Center on August 22.