Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Ok.Ok. Downing‘s new band KK’S PRIEST made its reside debut Thursday night time (July 6) at Downing‘s KK’s Metal Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

Downing is joined in KK’S PRIEST by former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, together with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK’S PRIEST carried out tracks from the band’s debut album, 2021’s “Sermons Of The Sinner”, plus new materials from KK’S PRIEST as-yet-unreleased second LP, “The Sinner Rides Once more”, in addition to many a PRIEST traditional thrown in for good measure.

When the present was first introduced again in April, Ok.Ok. mentioned in an announcement: “It has been far too lengthy! However I’m stoked to say that KK’S PRIEST will as soon as once more have the consideration enjoying our first-ever gig on the Metal Mill on July sixth, The proper venue with the proper viewers.

“Steel has come residence as soon as extra again to the place it began from, sure, the Black Nation, the place the embryo was conceived all of these years in the past. I’m extremely lucky to have been part of all of it.

“I’ll sit up for seeing you all once more. Relaxation assured that it is going to be ‘Blood And Thunder’ with ‘Hellfire Thunderbolt’ and far more. We promise to make historical past collectively on this big day. See you then!!!”

Help on the gig got here from former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di’Anno, with a gap set by up-and-coming U.Ok. steel titans TAILGUNNER.

KK’S PRIEST‘s setlist was as follows:

01. Hellfire Thunderbolt (reside debut)
02. One Extra Shot At Glory (new tune; reside debut)
03. The Ripper (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
04. Reap The Whirlwind (new tune; reside debut)
05. Night time Crawler (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
06. Sermons Of The Sinner (reside debut)
07. Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
08. Past The Realms Of Loss of life (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
09. Hell Patrol (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
10. Brothers Of The Street (reside debut)
11. Steel Meltdown (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
12. The Inexperienced Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC/JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
13. Breaking The Legislation (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)
14. Sufferer Of Modifications (JUDAS PRIEST cowl)

Encore:

15. Increase Your Fists (reside debut)

“The Sinner Rides Once more” will probably be launched on September 29 through the Austrian rock and steel empire Napalm Data. The nine-song effort was produced and written by Downing and combined/mastered by Jacob Hansen.

Downing mentioned about “The Sinner Rides Once more”: “To proceed the legacy of the standard rock and steel that I’ve been so lucky to be part of for over 50 years, this newest album, ‘The Sinner Rides Once more’, has been created to take the listener on a journey that’s each actual and fictional with its characters, though typically ambiguous. These songs enable the imaginations of all followers of this excellent style of music to flee actuality and be a part of with us to proceed our heavy steel expertise into the longer term.”

KK’S PRIEST will embark October U.Ok. headlining tour. The “Monks, Killers & Witches” tour begins on the O2 Institute in Birmingham on Saturday, October 7, and visits London, Glasgow, Manchester and Nottingham. Particular visitor on all dates will probably be Di’Anno who will probably be performing a full set of classics straight from the primary two MAIDEN data, and opening up the invoice is BURNING WITCHES.

“Sermons Of The Sinner” was launched in October 2021 through Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Data.

Downing spent 4 months writing and recording “Sermons Of The Sinner” and, together with new concepts, he even resurrected a couple of archived riffs from the Eighties.

Ok.Ok. fashioned KK’S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his provide to rejoin the band for his or her Fiftieth-anniversary tour. It adopted a few celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summertime of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that 12 months.

In a latest interview with Ernest Skinner of Border Metropolis Rock Speak, Owens spoke in regards to the upcoming sophomore album from KK’S PRIEST. He mentioned: “It is actually good too. I prefer it higher [than the debut LP]. It is a bit heavier, a bit edgier on the vocals — and even music, I believe.”

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a efficiency on the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame induction ceremony final November on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST acquired the Musical Excellence Award on the occasion, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon within the Performers class.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band battle, shoddy administration and declining high quality of efficiency. He was changed by Richie Faulkner, practically three a long time his junior.

In 2019, Downing mentioned that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about participating within the band’s Fiftieth-anniversary tour however that their response was that they weren’t inquisitive about together with him within the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he despatched two resignation letters to his bandmates when he determined to give up JUDAS PRIEST. The primary was described as “a sleek exit notice, implying a clean retirement from music,” whereas the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with particular events.”

Downing later mentioned that he believed the second letter was “a key motive” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton‘s resolution to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997’s “Jugulator” and 2001’s “Demolition” — earlier than PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Practically two years in the past, Downing mentioned that he had no issues with followers making comparisons between PRIEST and KK’S PRIEST. “It is completely effective, as a result of it is who I’m and what I’m and what I do and the way I do it,” he advised Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda. “It is too late to alter; I can not change. I can not exit and purchase totally different guitars and totally different amplifiers and begin to write in a different way and suppose in a different way. I’ve to do issues the best way that I like them to be executed. And that is what I did in JUDAS PRIEST for all these years to the perfect of my skill. However even now that I haven’t got to seek the advice of with anybody else, actually, then I really feel much more freedom to have the ability to do that.

“I believe I can do what I do higher now than I did earlier than, if that makes any sense,” he continued. “As a result of I am working and writing and placing issues collectively for me — and, clearly, after all, the remainder of the members in [KK’S PRIEST] as nicely. However I used to be alone, for probably the most half, within the lockdown doing this. However there was a whole lot of issues I needed to say and get off my chest.

“The [KK’S PRIEST] album’s stuffed with feelings, sentiments and messages and in addition rejoicement. It is a whole lot of issues, multi functional package deal. And it was crucial for me to have the ability to categorical myself via this album.

“I do know that individuals will make comparisons, however that is effective. I both succeed or fail, like everybody else in life. However I am a fan of this excellent type of music, and if I prefer it, I am hopefully certain that the followers will prefer it too. And I actually hope they do. And I am very a lot trying ahead to the suggestions from everyone everywhere in the world.

“In the direction of the top for me in JUDAS PRIEST, it wasn’t as energized because it was in former years, and I missed that. I bear in mind the times when Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] used to return offstage and he used to empty his boots out, and the water — which was sweat — used to simply pour out of the boots. And it was the identical for all of us. It was like we ran a marathon or one thing. So, hopefully we ship that up. So I am trying ahead to doing that. I am positively gonna do my greatest, put it that manner.”

In September 2021, Owens mentioned that there was no competitors between JUDAS PRIEST and KK’S PRIEST. “I do not suppose we take a look at it [like that],” he advised The Rock Expertise With Mike Brunn in an interview. “There’s one JUDAS PRIEST. They’re JUDAS PRIEST. If [K.K. and I] needed to take that angle, we might have known as [our new band] KK’S JUDAS PRIEST. However I believe followers are glad ‘trigger they know they do have two issues which are the identical vein, they usually have Ok.Ok. again. I went nowhere — I have been placing music out like loopy — however they’ve Ken and I again collectively once more. So there is no competitors. I imply, how superior would it not be if we do reveals with them? I do not care. I actually do not. I really like the fellows in PRIEST. Rob‘s [Halford, PRIEST singer] my idol. And Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist] and I are associates. However this is not a contest. We’re not making an attempt to make it a contest or one other JUDAS PRIEST. That is why we put an album out first; that was the distinction. If we had been making an attempt to make it that, we might begin touring instantly, doing the again catalog.”

Requested if KK’S PRIEST is admittedly open to touring with JUDAS PRIEST, Tim mentioned: “I am open to something. I’ve by no means burned bridges. From the sounds of it, it is by no means gonna occur. ‘Trigger it by no means occurred with me. I attempted to get BEYOND FEAR to help JUDAS PRIEST on tour. Wendy Dio was my supervisor, they usually had been, like, ‘Completely not. You are not gonna help us.’ However we’re all associates. I imply, I am talking for me — I am not talking for Ken. However, yeah, hear, I at all times take a look at it as how a lot followers would love stuff. How cool would it not be if that occurred?”