In a recent conversation with Guitar World, K.K. Downing explained why metal fans shouldn’t be divided between Judas Priest and KK’s Priest.
A while after he departed from Judas Priest, the guitarist formed KK’s Priest with Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens in 2020. Downing initially said that he found it difficult to move on from the past and start a new band but he felt exhausted and voiceless in his former group. Then, when the interviewer said there’s no need for metal fans to pick between Judas Priest and KK’s Priest, he said:
“I was the K.K. in Judas Priest and now I’ve got KK’s Priest because I’m the same player. I’ve got the same articulation. I’m using the same amps and speakers, the same approach to what I think a good song should be. I’ve got the same ideas about what makes a good guitar sound and a good lead sound. I’m just doing what I started to do in the early days.”
His Musical Evolution
In a follow-up question, he was asked whether KK’s Priest has a similar style to the early Judas Priest. Sharing his thoughts on that, the musician discussed:
“Not really, because back then my musical vocabulary was quite limited. It was acceptable for the day. It’s more like I’m starting over now with this band that isn’t that well known yet.”
He also detailed his point by saying that back then, they mainly used major and minor scales along with some chromatic and stylistic elements without knowing the exact scales. Now, with more education and experience, he incorporates various scales like the harmonic minor and Ionian.
Drawing From Judas Priest’s Legacy
Downing has been using the experiences he gained in Judas Priest in his new group, though. KK’s Priest released their second album, ‘The Sinner Rides Again,’ on September 29. Speaking of the record in an October chat with Consequence, the guitarist said it was a continuation of their first album. While the first album had a more retro sound, the second one intentionally went a bit more edgy. He then disclosed how his Priest days helped him to do that, noting:
“On the new album, I thought, ‘OK, let’s up the ante a little bit and do kind of what [Judas Priest] did after ‘Ram It Down’ with ‘Painkiller.’ We just kind of went a bit more full-on with it. So I think there’s a little bit of that with the second album. But otherwise, I think if the production was the same on both albums, they would be just like a double album to me.”
You can listen to the whole album below.
