Classicrockmagazine.com is reporting:

Although it received a mixed reaction, JUDAS PRIEST offer no apologies for last year’s conceptual double-album, Nostradamus. In bullish mood, guitarist Glenn Tipton also defends the line-up of their Priest Feast UK tour, which was recently forced to downsize some venues and even cancel a show. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Classicrockmagazine.com: Do (Nostradamus year-end) honours compensate for those that failed to get what you were trying to do with something as ambitious as Nostradamus, or simply didn’t want to hear it?

Tipton: "Not really because we’re used to it. We’ve had it all through our career. We like to go out on a limb sometimes. With an album like Turbo [1986, which riled fans by heavily featuring guitar-synths], some people didn’t get it. Others thought it was the best thing we’ve done. When you’ve been around as long as Judas Priest has, and you’ve done 16 studio albums, you get used to differences of opinion. We’ve got a large fan-base out there of all different age groups; some prefer us to stick to our heavier, more straightforward style, others appreciate that we try something different with every album. Compare Point Of Entry [1981] to Painkiller [1990] and they’re very different animals."

Classicrockmagazine.com: Most fans eventually came around to Turbo?

Tipton: "They did, and we hope the ones that didn’t initially understand Nostradamus will do likewise. Give it a chance – put an hour and a half aside – and you’ll see what we’re trying to do. It’s all about experimenting and trying to push those boundaries a bit further. You can call us very brave or very stupid but Priest has always been about stepping into uncharted territory. You never really know what you’re gonna get from us."

Classicrockmagazine.com: Do you agree that it’s the band’s most demanding record?

Tipton: "It’s challenging, yeah, but the actual composition was very easy. We found his life story very inspiring. This is a guy that lived 500 years ago and people still talk about him today. Whether you believe in his prophecies or not, he was a very special person."

Classicrockmagazine.com: How much of Nostradamus will be aired on the Priest Feast?

Tipton: "We use the intro tape, 'Dawn Of Creation', which leads into 'Prophecy'. And we’ll also be doing Death. So that’s three tracks. But this is a just standard Priest tour. We do firmly intend to play the album in its entirety at a future date, once the fans have got to know it. We’ve also taken the opportunity to go back and play some stuff we haven’t done before, like Dissident Aggressor [from 1977’s Sin After Sin]. Stuff that the fans have wanted us to play for a long time. And of course you’ll hear Painkiller and all the rest."

Classicrockmagazine.com: There’s also been internet outcry regarding MEGADETH and TESTAMENT’s places on the Priest Feast bill, some fans preferring a lighter act like the Scorpions instead.

Tipton: "The Scorpions are great friends of ours and it’s always a pleasure to play with them, but we’ve been out together quite a few times. We are very happy with the choices of Megadeth and Testament. We wanted a classic metal bill. A lot of the bills that go out these days are intentionally diverse, the intention being to attract more people. All it really does is split things. At Priest Feast, everyone will be in the same frame of mind."

Classicrockmagazine.com: Would you like to close by telling us Priest’s plans for 2009?

Tipton: "We do Britain and Europe in February, and after that it’s open-ended. We’ll wait to see what happens. Our ambition is do Nostradamus in its entirety, either late in the year or in early 2010. If there demand is there, we’d love to do it, maybe in special venues around the world – make a real event out of it. It’s an album you could base a spectacular stage presentation around."

To read the entire interview head to this location.