JUDAS PRIEST: 'Nostradamus' German Release Date Revealed

According to the latest newsletter issued by CMM GmbH (the new joint venture between ICS Festival Service GmbH, which organizes the Wacken Open Air festival, and the long-standing German management/marketing firm CMM W. Rott),JUDAS PRIEST's much-anticipated new album, "Nostradamus", will be released in Germany on June 13 via Sony/BMG (June 16 in the rest of Europe, and most likely June 17 in North America). It will be made available as a double CD in a jewel case, as a deluxe digibook and as a special box set containing the new album on three LPs, a 48-page book and a poster.

In a recent interview with Rock My Monkey, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked if "Nostradamus" will feature any "full-on-assault" tracks like "Painkiller" or if it will stick to the more classic JUDAS PRIEST style that PRIEST had on "Angel Of Retribution". "Well, I think, you know, I think it's always important to remember that the PRIEST in all of the years that we've been together, we've been very determined to give each record its own definition, and identity," he replied. "As you know, we're into double digits now since 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Angel Of Retribution', all the hundreds and hundreds of songs that we've released, you know. I guess the other thing is in terms of what we try to stand for is that we really avoid repetition. And that's an easy thing to fall into when you have a commercially successful record in terms of record sales and recognition, as 'Painkiller' was for us. But, I mean, you listen to 'Angel Of Retribution', and I think it's a very powerful, strong record, with a lot of the great elements that we all love about JUDAS PRIEST. So, you know, I think your feelings are one that would be expressed by millions of PRIEST fans around the world, you know. Everybody is very passionate about everything that we've ever done. There's always an eagerness to maybe refocus on some of your favorite moments. But we just leave that there. It's in the great breadth of things that we've achieved in that three decades plus of making heavy metal. We're just excited now to be focused on the present endeavor of 'Nostradamus'."

JUDAS PRIEST's upcoming tour will include shows where the group's entire "Nostradamus" album (based on the legendary 16th century prophet Nostradamus) will be performed as well as concerts featuring the band's classic songs.

JUDAS PRIEST is strongly rumored to be teaming up with HEAVEN AND HELL, MOTRHEAD and TESTAMENT for a U.S. tour this summer. Several unconfirmed dates for the trek were recently leaked via Pollstar.com, the companion web site of the concert industry's leading trade publication.

In an interview with "The Classic Metal Show" (listen to the audio below beginning around the 3:15 mark) which aired on March 29, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about the rumored trek with HEAVEN AND HELL, MOTRHEAD and TESTAMENT, "Live Nation are promoting the tour, and I guess the professional way of dealing with this is to say that Live Nation will be making an official announcement probably a few days from now. But it's difficult to keep that kind of thing quiet 'cause If it does happen, and it's looking very real, it's gonna be one of the biggest metal shows in the States this year. . . You have to wait for the official announcement because it has to be sanctioned by management and the lawyers in the suits and that other rubbish. But if we get what we are hoping to get, I think it's gonna be an absolutely sensational, killer American tour 'cause it won't happen anywhere else in the world, this lineup. It'll just be for the States."