Former Judas Priest members K.K. Downing (guitar), Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals) and Les Binks (drums) have joined forced in a new band called KK’S Priest The group, which will pay homage to Downing’s past the lineup, is rounded out by guitarist A.J. Mills (Hostile) and bassist Tony Newton (Voodoo Six).
“Forging ahead with KK’S Priest was not only inevitable but essential for me to perform and deliver everything that is expected from me and KK’S Priest,” Downing said in a statement. “Due to the massive demand and overwhelming support from fans around the world, I feel this is where I belong, and a set combining the true, classic songs and sound of Priest, together with great, newly forged metal tracks, is what fans can expect when KK’S Priest is taking to stages.”
KK’S Priest is working on its debut album, to be released via Explorer1 Music Group. It will also play select shows later this year to mark the 50th anniversary of Priest and Downing’s career as a founding member. KK’S Priest’s setlist will consist of Priest classics and new songs.
Downing, Binks and Owens performed a full-length set of Priest classics with Megadeth bassist David Ellefson in November in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Joining them on second guitar was Mills of Hostile, the British metal band whose two albums, Eve Of Destruction and The New World Disorder, were both produced by Downing.
Binks played drums on Priest’s Stained Class, Hell Bent For Leather (released as Killing Machine in the United Kingdom) and Unleashed In The East albums.
Owens joined Priest in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997’s Jugulator and 2001’s Demolition — before the band reunited with frontman Rob Halford in 2003.
11 Responses
While I wish KK was with Judas Priest, I’m glad he’s performing music again. This may not be the real Judas Priest, but then again, IMO today’s Judas Priest isn’t real Priest, either.
This is just so sad and stupid that KK has to form his own Priest to play songs he performed for years, helped write and create- of course I don’t know how nasty things got when he left priest, emotionally or legally , but to me when you are men in your 60’s behaving like this ,I’m taking about {judas priest and the members keeping KK out } It’s either a tremendous lack of personal and business insight or it’s punitive …. either way it’s just sad and stupid – I will support KK and his new music with his version of Priest- I thought personally les binks was the best and most creative drummer priest ever had ,simon phillips being a very close second- Tim can sound eerily similar to halford when he tries to – and I would rather hear kk play guitar on priest songs since he is the one who wrote them along with glenn and played them for years not falkner or the other guy….. again very sad , when kk and binks priest comes to my neck of the woods I’ll be there . halford and hills priest, not so much….
Eddie never misses an opportunity to remind us that Priest only has two original members, just like with KI$$. It’s a illness like T.D.S.
I’m not feeling sorry for KK, he left Judas Priest voluntarily to pursue other interests.
Judas Priest had to get a replacement, and Richie Faulkner is kicking ass. It wouldn’t be fair to him to bring back KK because of KK’s poor decisions.
I’ve never seen all original JP. I have seen Halford solo, JP with Ripper, JP with Faulkner, all excellent!
KK starting a second “Priest” only tarnishes the legacy. I’m OK with the Bad Company/Iron Maiden model of the singer leaving then coming back. But it’s not cool with 2 competing versions like L.A. Guns, Ratt, Great White, and Queensryche.
Waiting for Dana to weigh in…..hmmmmm? \mm/
The whole situation depresses me.
It is and I still hold out hope that when the RRHOF pulls their collective thumbs from their arse that we’ll have a band ready to jam with KK in Cleveland or wherever they perform. Hard for me to understand why Rob could come and go as he likes, and KK can’t return, if even temporarily. To imagine Scott Travis has potentially more say over Priest than say, KK is strange. I know he’s been gone for sometime, yet, behaviour seems so petty.
I still hold out hope that when the RRHOF pulls their collective thumbs from their arse>
Wake me when that actually happens. Also, pulling that preverbal thumb may cause a deluge of excrement that would bury Cleveland. 😉
D 🙂
Hahaha-may it not reignite the Cuyahoga river fire! Cheers \mm/