After a number of affirming underground reviews and unexpected, humbling fan reaction, John and Tony decided the band would be more than just a one album 'fire and forget' project set on paying homage to their favorite bands, and quickly began working on the follow up "Sleepy Plessow" -- this time focusing on developing more of their own heavy/power metal sound and incorporating a wider range of their influences. The album was released less than 7 months later in June of 2013. The sophomore effort showed a departure from the speed and riff obsessed nature of "King of Rome" and focused more heavily on atmosphere, melody, slower tempos, more complex vocal arrangements, and bigger overall narrative concept. The album also brought in numerous guest vocalist from friend's and underground bands alike in order to portray the various characters and soundscapes needed for the album. The story of Frederick the Great of Prussia showed the band progressing into a more mature and developed territory as a band, but Judicator still remained a homemade recording project.
Feeling that "Sleepy Plessow" had demonstrated the improvement they wanted over the first album, John and Tony decided it was time to begin work on a third, and change the nature of the band to reflect a more a traditional setup and help progress the band's material to a more professional level. The band added drummer Jordan Elcess in late 2013 and began work on the third album "At the Expense of Humanity". This album took the band to new heights and finally sealed Judicator as a legitimate band, leaving behind the days of home laptop recording projects. The band played their first two live appearances at the Deland Rock and Metal Festival in Fall 2014 leading up to the release of "At the Expense of Humanity" in March of 2015. The album showed an even further expansion of the band's sound, both musically and production wise. The album pushed the band in a more progressive and personal direction, as the concept revolved around John's retelling of the story of how he lost his brother to cancer when he was 18 years old. The album's tragic and personal concept was illustrated by a more diverse and progressive approach to power metal. The band was able to partner with Dirty Viking Audio (Shadowdance, Noble Beast, Helion Prime, etc) and Tower Studios (Ayreon, Noble Beast, etc) to have their first truly professionally produced album, and with the help of fan support, was able to crowd fund the production for the album. Additionally, "At the Expense of Humanity" saw the band partner with Divebomb Records, which Tony had previously worked with in Project: Roenwolfe, for a widespread release of the album and beyond. The album was met with enthusiastic underground/online critical praise, noting the professional and mature change of direction for the band, and that Judicator had finally come into their own. The band was able to also embark on their first small regional tours throughout the Southwest and West Coast of the United States in Spring 2015 and Summer 2016 in support of "At the Expense of Humanity".
Currently, the band is hard at work on their fourth full length album "The Last Emperor" which will see a return to the historical based and speed/power metal approach of the first two albums, and follow the tale of a historical fiction taking place during the second crusade. The album will be released via Divebomb Records some time in 2017 and be produced once more by Dirty Viking Audio and Tower Studio with plans for a midwest/east coast tour to follow in early 2018.
The Last Emperor
Judicator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Three priests now stand before a horde of somber men
Surrounded by the relics of saints now long dead
Intimidated by the aura, they obey
Blessed are you, you who go to war
Blessed are you, you who fight for God
The winds are howling, crying out for change
Here I find myself, a sinner with luck
Never have I had to pay for my sins
Weary and weak, yearning for absolution
Burn! Feeling the blood course
through my veins in a brief moment of respite
Now there's a chance to redeem
myself and bring some honor back to my name
Kill all who attack the flock
Maim all who occupy our lands
Burn those who stand in our way
Praise all who die for the faith
Settle the debt and clear out the
past, that I might make it right with God
God surely wills it
He wills us to free every lamb that's under the yoke
Rise, Knights of Bouillon! Rise to the task!
Stand up and fight for those who've
been faithful and true — an unyielding frame
This is truly the ideal resolve
There, Jerusalem, a city of light!
This is the place where I shall find absolution, mercy divine!
This is the place where I shall die
Hold back all your tears, steel all your hearts
Wave after wave we shall deny
Never again we'll abdicate another yard of Christian soil
Kill all who hold attack the flock
Maim all who devastate our lands
Burn those who stand in our way
Praise all who die for the cross
The song "The Last Emperor" by Judicator tells a story of a group of priests who are standing on a hillside backlit by the dusk, surrounded by relics of saints, and being observed by a horde of somber men. The aura of the priests is intimidating, and the men obey them as the priests bless those who go to war and fight for God. The winds howl and cry out for change, but the priests urge the men to kill and maim those who attack the flock, occupy their lands, and stand in their way.
The lyrics then shift to a personal narrative of a sinner who has never had to pay for their sins and is yearning for absolution. Feeling the blood course through their veins, they find a brief moment of respite and a chance to redeem themselves and bring honor back to their name. The lyrics continue with a call to action for the Knights of Bouillon to rise to the task, stand up and fight for those who have been faithful and true. The city of Jerusalem is seen as a place of light and the location where the sinner will find absolution and mercy divine, and where they will ultimately die.
The lyrics of "The Last Emperor" are a vivid and powerful depiction of religion, war, sin, and absolution. They convey the intense emotions and motivations of the individuals and groups involved in the story, as well as presenting an overarching perspective of faith and devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
On an auburn hillside, backlit by the dusk
Three priests stand on a hillside with dying light as a backdrop.
Three priests now stand before a horde of somber men
The priests are before a melancholy gathering.
Surrounded by the relics of saints now long dead
There are relics of bygone saints in their vicinity.
Intimidated by the aura, they obey
The priests and men feel tension and heed the surrounding's spirit.
Blessed are you, you who go to war
Those who fight wars are deemed holy.
Blessed are you, you who fight for God
A prayer to bless those who serve God in battle.
The winds are howling, crying out for change
Wind blowing through the air symbolizes change.
The southern winds are baying, crying out for blood
The southern winds signify violence and bloodshed.
Here I find myself, a sinner with luck
The singer considers himself fortunate despite his sinful ways.
Never have I had to pay for my sins
The singer has not been punished for his wrongdoing.
Weary and weak, yearning for absolution
The singer longs for forgiveness of his sins.
Burn! Feeling the blood course
There is a fiery feeling as blood pumps through the singer's veins.
through my veins in a brief moment of respite
The brief period of rest is accompanied by a feeling of fiery blood rushing through the singer's veins.
Now there's a chance to redeem
The singer sees the opportunity for redemption.
myself and bring some honor back to my name
The opportunity to redeem himself is a chance for vindication.
Kill all who attack the flock
Anyone threatening the faithful flock must be eliminated.
Maim all who occupy our lands
Those who occupy the Christian locals must be maimed.
Burn those who stand in our way
Anyone hindering must be burned.
Praise all who die for the faith
Those who die for the faith are celebrated.
Settle the debt and clear out the
Resolve past issues.
past, that I might make it right with God
Resolve past issues to make peace with God.
God surely wills it
God is willing and all-powerful.
He wills us to free every lamb that's under the yoke
God wants every troubled soul to be free.
Rise, Knights of Bouillon! Rise to the task!
Knights of Bouillon are summoned and urged to rise up.
Stand up and fight for those who've
Victory must be secured for the faithful.
been faithful and true — an unyielding frame
The faithful are resolute and unwavering.
This is truly the ideal resolve
This is the ultimate resolution.
There, Jerusalem, a city of light!
Jerusalem is a place of illumination.
This is the place where I shall find absolution, mercy divine!
Jerusalem is a place of clemency and divine forgiveness.
This is the place where I shall die
The singer intends to die in Jerusalem.
Hold back all your tears, steel all your hearts
Everyone must remain strong and resolute.
Wave after wave we shall deny
The opposition will be withstood repeatedly.
Never again we'll abdicate another yard of Christian soil
They will no longer yield any Christian land.
Kill all who hold attack the flock
Attackers of the flock must be killed.
Maim all who devastate our lands
Those who destroy Christian land must be maimed.
Burn those who stand in our way
Anyone blocking the Christian cause will be burned.
Praise all who die for the cross
Those who die for the cross ought to be exalted.
Contributed by Sarah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Metal Shurick S. A.
Огонь! Пятёрка с плюсом! Ни одного слабого места! 👍🤘☠️🔥
Moshlem 666
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Moshlem 666
... JUDICATOR 🇺🇸 from the USA ... 🤘 🇺🇸
Transmissional
Antioch was a pretty good song, and so was The Queen of All Cities. The whole album though realistically was just pretty epic. Def hear some Blind Guardian vibes :P
José Irapuan
Um Power Metal bem trabalhado!! Muito legal mesmo!!!!
Amerie Ash
Good old power metal and the album was solid too.
Balazs Kovacs
Great album
Moshlem 666
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GILSON BAIRROS
boa banda.
Moshlem 666
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