The Sinner Rides Again

In the metal realm, it is quite common for the fracturing of old allegiances to forge new ones, though the notion of one of the founding father outfits of the genre having one of its members construct a colossal tower to rival the current exploits of said metal institution is rare. This is the eventuality that former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing brought to the table four years ago when he formed his own spinoff project dubbed KK’s Priest with ex-Priest cohorts Tim “Ripper” Owens and Les Binks in tow, though sadly the latter would have to leave prior to recording any material due to health concerns. The eventual 2021 debut Sermons Of The Sinner proved a boon for all suffering under the isolation and drabness of the Covid lockdowns, and also saw K.K. and company rekindling the classic Judas Priest sound in a somewhat more conservative fashion compared to said band’s latest and 2018 powerhouse entry Firepower by presenting a sort of road not taken scenario where Owen’s vocals met with a sonic template more akin to the one that typified the early to mid-80s approach of Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders Of The Faith.

True to form, this quintet’s second studio stint dubbed The Sinner Rides Again, an apt tribute to one of Priest’s seminal opuses to be sure, further tightens the few loose ends that dogged the debut and presents a truly formidable collection of old school heavy metal thunder with a modern coat of paint. The dueling guitar assault laid down by K.K. and fellow shred extraordinaire A.J. Mills rivals the frenetic character that often came with the more explosive entries of Painkiller, while the riff work encompassed both the harmonically rich components of the early 80s and the biting, almost thrash-like quality of the tail-end of said decade. Combined with a furious battery out of drummer Sean Elg and a steady yet harrowing bass presence courtesy of Tony Newton, the wall of sound that is erected is unmistakably modern and could stand as any one of a number of recent outings with Owens’ vocals at the helm, though becoming something far more distinctive when blended with that classic, old school Priest approach to songwriting. Likewise, Owen’s vocals come packed full of that same level of grit, edge and kinetic fire that he’s been bringing to the table ever since his early days with Winter’s Bane, to the point where one has to question if the man every truly ages.

Those who have been craving more of that high octane, all speed and no compromises approach to heavy metal that was on full display via Firepower and don’t want to wait a few more years for an eventual sequel will find plenty to satiate their hunger here. Fast paced thrill rides like the opening foray “Sons Of The Sentinel” and “Reap The Whirlwind” push the pedal to the metal with reckless abandon, all the while sporting a classic, late 70s to early 80s inspired riffing assault that has been injected with a nastily distorted gloss that makes every note hit as hard for a 2023 audience as Sin After Sin did back in 1977. The guitar soloing is notably cleaner and more precise relative to what graced much of Sermons Of The Sinner, but often leans towards the more chaotic side of classic heavy metal shred, chock full of rapid fire licks and frequent whammy bar noise. Darker speed anthems like the notably concise crusher “Strike Of The Viper” and the more elaborate banger “Pledge Your Souls” go a bit heavier and see Ripper’s pipes get a bit dirtier, becoming a bit more reminiscent of the modern nods to the Priest formula normally heard out of the likes of Primal Fear, though are not still mindful to throw in the obligatory hooks and melodic guitar glory that gives this style its triumphant air.

Though there is no shortage of high impact mayhem to be found here, what truly sells this album and puts it in territory that is a cut above the rest is the masterful songwriting and execution of ideas that permeates nearly every moment of it. The promotional single and ultra-catchy entry “One More Shot At Glory” has all the makings of a modern heavy metal classic, mixing an infectious to the point of iconic chorus hook with a series of telegraphed twists and turns the marries Priest’s swifter elements with those occasionally epic moments, complete with an auspicious bass intro and generally animated overall performance out of Newton and a tasteful blend of keyboards to further augment an already massive sound. By contrast, the grim atmosphere established on the semi-ballad entry “Keeper Of The Graves” all but transports the listener back to the haunting realm of 80s heavy metal atmosphere building meshed with punchy metallic power. One would also be remiss not to take note of the harrowing journey from a serene clean guitar intro to a biting, mid-paced thrasher of a beast that is the title entry “The Sinner Rides Again”. There are just no real weak links to be found in this newly formed metallic chain at any point of its 40 minute run.

This doesn’t quite get to the point of outclassing the pummeling brilliance that was Judas Priest’s Firepower, but it can definitely stand toe to toe with it, and also arguably presents the first truly great showing by an arguable incarnation of Judas Priest with Owens at the helm. While it is fairly short in duration and opts to keep things more on the compact side in terms of songwriting, there are a lot of layers to the album that will make it a compelling listen even after the early euphoria it is sure to bring the first few times through wears off. Much like the rest of the original membership that made Judas Priest the name that it has been and helped to pioneer the heavy metal style, K.K. is an artist that has no shortage of staying power, and with further refinement his version of the Priest sound could potentially surpass the outfit still holding the original moniker. Those who originally fell in love with the sonic stylings of Defenders Of The Faith and newer trustees of the traditional heavy metal art form alike will not want to miss this one.

Originally written for Sonic Perspectives (www.sonicperspectives.com)

While Sermons of the Sinner was a simple but enjoyable heavy metal record with ten tracks and a running time of fifty-one minutes, KK's Priest's second output The Sinner Rides Again feels phoned in and must be considered a significant step down in terms of consistency and quality. The album title is already as boring as it gets and the childish cover artwork is quite stereotypical as well. This effort only offers nine songs and clocks in at just forty-one minutes.

The quality of the material offered here is only average at best. The melodic guitar play is the record's only redeeming quality but it rehashes past ideas time and again. The bass guitar play could be much more dominant and can only be described as serviceable. The drum play is decent but lacks playful elements and dynamic vibes. The vocals are technically satisfactory but sound quite by the numbers and lack variation. The generic production and the superficial lyrics complete an overall average impression that feels slightly disappointing when considering the charisma and experience of several members involved in this band.

Among the more decent tracks are single ''One More Shot at Glory'' that is quite catchy and dynamic as it should work very decently at concerts and festivals as well as title track ''The Sinner Rides Again'' with its beautiful melodies and concise songwriting. Other songs waste much potential such as the melodious ''Pledge Your Souls'' that ends on an unimaginative fade-out as well as album closer ''Wash Away Your Sins'' with its overlong introduction yet aborted ending.

At the end of the day, KK's Priest's sophomore output The Sinner Rides Again is only recommended to most faithful traditional heavy metal aficionados and uncompromising fans of band leader Kenneth Downing Junior. Everyone else can skip this record without any regrets as it gets attention by its history and name only. If you consider this lacklustre output a genuine highlight of the year, then you definitely need to listen to more contemporary heavy metal music to explore the sincere potential of this genre that is still alive and kicking after more than five decades.

When I discovered Judas Priest when I was still a kid in elementary school, it has ever since remained one of my all-time favorite bands, not just in heavy metal, but in general. Even back then, I knew that a lot of people gave a hard time to the Tim Ripper Owens era of the band, but I think that I had a soft spot for it, especially since I found Jugulator to be a very good album actually. Although people still criticize that era of the band, I think we can all agree that Tim Ripper Owens is by no means a bad vocalist or that he did not meet the band’s standards. However, I was actually surprised to learn a few years ago that KK Downing formed his own band 8 years after his departure from Judas Priest in 2011. The band in question is none other than KK’s Priest, which has been going big ever since the release of their debut album Sermons of the Sinner in 2021, but when I heard the new songs “One More Shot at Glory” and “Reap the Whirlwind”, I got even more excited. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the band’s second full-length album The Sinner Rides Again, released on September 29th 2023 via Napalm Records.

From the get-go, the music is an instant heavy metal thunder with downpicking guitars, heavy roaring bass, drums that occasionally switch from double-bass to mid-tempo drumming, and the majestic Tim Ripper Owens on vocals. Song after song, the guitar work absolutely dominates with powerful heavy metal riffs, but once the melodies and solos come to play, that’s when the real fun begins. Besides the guitars, the vocal performance by Tim is just out of this world, be it his main vocals during the verses or backing vocals in the choruses. The song that still remains an instant classic is the fourth track “One More Shot at Glory”, which stands strong some months after the release of the music video and just like the first time, it’s nothing but an epic heavy metal breakdown. The melodic guitar work in that song is by far one of the best moments on this album, including the heavy banging double-bass drums that just shake the earth. Even the song’s intro is like a hammer hitting the anvil, especially when the bass guitar strikes the main melodic riff. I can probably listen to this song a thousand times on repeat and I still won’t get bored, because it’s like a battle hymn that just empowers the mind of a Judas Priest fan. Besides all the heaviness and the power in every song, there’s also a ton of epic moments to be heard on this album, most common cases being the epic backing vocals throughout a couple of songs which makes these songs shine even brighter with steel and strength. The best example of these epic vocals would have to be during the acoustic outro of the seventh track “Keeper of The Graves”, which created such an outstanding and mesmerizing closure to this song.

The songwriting on this album can only be described with two simple words, and that is “Heavy Metal”. This album has some nostalgia factor to it as well, because there were moments that would take me all the way back to the days when I first heard Judas Priest’s Angel of Retribution. After each song I was left speechless and paralyzed from the witnessed experience, and I am not complaining, because this was in fact what I was expecting from this album. Each and every song is incredibly heavy and catchy as well, but some of the heaviest works on this album would have to be “Reap the Whirlwind”, “One More Shot at Glory”, “Hymn 66”, “Keeper of The Graves”. The acoustic sections are also mesmerizing as the heavy guitar riffs that are obviously the main attraction on this album, especially the acoustics on the final track “Wash Away Your Sins” which are wonderfully backed up with Tim’s vocals.

What can I say that already hasn’t been said? The Sinner Rides Again is an absolute blast of an album, which stands high and triumphant from one song to another. KK’s Priest took on a very difficult task to make this one worth the while, but in the end, it was definitely worth it. The band had one more shot at glory, and they absolutely did it! Some Judas Priest fans might still be uninterested to give this band a go, but for those that have listened to this album and fell in love with it just as much as I did, I absolutely salute you ladies and gentlemen. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do, otherwise you’re missing one hell of a show.

Written for www.Metalbite.com