Iconic former Judas Priest members K.K. Downing and Tim “Ripper” Owens present nine new tracks of sinful heavy metal fury with their sophomore attack!
On the blazing heels of their highly-lauded 2021 debut album, Sermons Of The Sinner – which debuted within the Top 20 on charts in the United States, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland and more – KK’s Priest return to sin again with their savage sophomore offering, The Sinner Rides Again, out September 29, 2023 via Napalm Records. The powerhouse heavy metal amalgamation of iconic Judas Priest alum and GRAMMY Award winning/nominated musicians K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals), along with A.J. Mills (guitar), Tony Newton (bass) and Sean Elg (drums), double down on the ripping melodic force of their debut – which Metal Hammer UK dubbed “hugely enjoyable” and Metal Injection cited as boasting “catchy hooks and plenty of guitar wizardry”. The Sinner Rides Again boasts nine tracks of pure hellfire, produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.
After stepping out of the Judas Priest spotlight, the return of K.K. Downing was uncertain. Nearly ten years after its onset, the genre-defining guitar icon returned from his hiatus with proof that he was nowhere ready to cease writing classic metal songs or to put away his famous Flying V guitars – taking part in acclaimed international comeback performances (including with his former Judas Priest bandmates when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022) that would act as harbingers of the formation of KK’s Priest. Downing was recently quoted saying, “We’ve lost a lot of great people – Dio, Lemmy, for example – but this amazing and unique style of music must be preserved for as long as possible and I feel it within me to continue to play my role, as I always have, and to defend this metal genre, which we all know and love.” The Sinner Rides Again is a testament to this call for the classics while speeding full force into the future, delivered by some of heavy metal’s most essential performers.
A haunting introduction of dual guitars carries the listener into the thundering “Sons Of The Sentinel”, winding across a wasteland of burning riffs and a deftly dynamic guitar solo to kick off the record with relentless energy! The undeniably catchy anthem “Strike Of The Viper” proves itself as one of the album’s most unforgettable tracks, before “Reap The Whirlwind” crashes in with a classic heavy metal power thrust of soaring leads, hair-raising harmonics and earworm vocal hooks. “One More Shot At Glory” raises its sword high, instantaneously calling for battle with its opening riff and beckoning verses. Heroic chants and unrelenting double bass set the stage for a galloping midsection as a spine-tingling guitar solo commands the song. Striding “Hymn 66” commands with sultry, slow and low metallic punches and a bluesy gait, while massive title track “The Sinner Rides Again” straddles balladic passages and sinister, head-bobbing choruses. Beginning with ominous bells, “Keeper Of The Graves” rounds the final bend of the album with roaring cascades and a dynamic performance from Owens, before charging “Pledge Your Souls” and rollercoaster closer epic “Wash Away Your Sins” rise as the final embers of a certified burner – proving itself as a must-hear metal album of the year by the greatest to ever perform the genre!
The Sinner Rides Again Tracklist: 1. Sons Of The Sentinel 2. Strike Of The Viper 3. Reap The Whirlwind 4. One More Shot At Glory 5. Hymn 66 6. The Sinner Rides Again 7. Keeper Of The Graves 8. Pledge Your Souls 9. Wash Away Your Sins
KK’s Priest is: Vocals – Tim “Ripper” Owens / Guitar – K. K. Downing / Guitar – A.J. Mills / Bass – Tony Newton / Drums – Sean Elg
