If you have followed the North American power metal scene for any period of time, you are likely already familiar with Utah-based progressive power metallers Judicator (and if not, what rock have you been hiding under?). Started by guitarist Alicia Cordisco and vocalist John Yelland, they had a run of albums featuring plenty of speed, melody, and soaring vocals, culminating in personal favorite “Let There Be Nothing” in 2020. At this point Alicia decided to leave the band, with 2022’s “Majesty of Decay” deviating greatly from the previous sound, dropping almost all the power dynamics and doubling down on the prog, functioning like a solo album for John under the Judicator banner. 2025’s “Concord” saw a return to power while maintaining more of the prog elements. At this year’s Mad with Power Fest, it was announced that Judicator would be playing the 10th edition next year with Alicia making her return to the band. I had the exclusive first opportunity to interview John and Alicia to discuss the reunion and some of the history behind it, and it was quite enlightening.

And that brings us to “The Elector” EP, a teaser of sorts that includes Alicia for the first time since the 2020 album and acts as a small appetizer ahead of what the band has next, currently planned for 2027. It features a completely refreshed rerecording or an old Judicator song, a rerecording of a much more recent and my personal favorite song (and apparently near the top for Alicia as well), and a pretty fun cover song. I don’t actually know how indicative these 3 songs will be of future material, but they pack a nice punch and whet the appetite just a bit for those longing for the melding of speed and power metal of classic Judicator.

Things kick off with the title track “The Elector,” a speed fest with dueling guitar harmony shredding, heavy chugs, blazing drums (courtesy of Alex Bosson of Lunar and The Reticent), and of course big powerful vocals from John Yelland. The song is definitely very power / speed forward, but it also mixes in some prog elements as the band is known for. For example, check out the middle section that slows things down, starting with a narrator over acoustic guitar that transitions into a choir like atmosphere, with John being joined by Alyssa Chamberlain, ultimately getting you prepared for a killer duel guitar solo. The guitar work is phenomenal and hearkens back to the pre-Majesty era of Judicator, with no hesitation to slay your ears with myriad solos, deft fretwork, and power riffing. Alex is one of my favorite drummers, and though he doesn’t completely let loose here as he does on a project like Lunar, his technical command provides a killer underbelly to both the blazing speed and more subdued sections. And I can’t say enough about John’s vocals, which are always first class, bringing an anthemic and theatrical vibe that adapts to the song at the time, while delivering soaring vocals that are just phenomenal. This refreshed track brings back memories of Judicator from yesteryear with a beautiful modern polish.

The second song sees the band rerecording my personal favorite song “Gloria” from 2020 album “Let There Be Nothing.” When I wrote my mini-review of this album for my Instagram account a few years ago, I had this to say: “Gloria” has the most infectious and anthemic vocal melodies on the album (including some splendid female vocals), all over a nice power metal gallop full of great riffing and soloing. I stand by this, and the crisper production (particularly the mastering) of this new version makes it sound even more grandiose. The song is pretty identical musically, and besides the better production, the only big difference I noticed is that the female vocalist is different (Alyssa Chamberlain on the rerecording vs Mercedes Victoria on the original). I did back and forth comparisons and ultimately decided I cannot determine if I prefer one over the other, as both sound amazing. If Judicator is going to rerecord an older song, then this is absolutely the one!

The EP closes with a cover of ABBA favorite “Dancing Queen.” It is honestly not a song I had ever considered getting the metal treatment, and Judicator does great by it. I recall on my first listen of the EP, hearing this track begin, and being like, “Wait, is this ABBA?” when it played for the first time. Once I realized it was, I played it multiple times in a row to really soak it in. John told me it was a hoot to record, and that really comes through on the recording. You can just hear the fun as the band pays homage while melding in plenty of Judi flavor. It is definitely a fun way to end this EP. 

This appetizer definitely accomplished something: it got my metabolism going! As mentioned before, I don’t have an indication of what is next sound wise,  but this EP has me excited, and it is great to hear new Judicator material with Alicia back in the fold!