KK's Priest's 'The Sinner Rides Again' - Album Review

After returning to the stage for the first time in a decade when he joined Ross the Boss at the 2019 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air to run through a handful of Judas Priest classics, Kenneth Keith ' K. K.' Downing Jr. clearly wanted to return to full-time active duty. Having left Judas Priest in 2011, Downing had essentially retired. Despite his departure from Judas Priest being presented as an amicable retirement at the time, over the years it has become clear that the split was pretty fraught - and Downing has often spoken at length, likely to his detriment, about the reasons that led to his departure and what appears to be his frayed relationships with many of his former colleagues, particularly Glenn Tipton. There are multiple sides to every story of course, but I do not think that Downing has done himself too many favours by airing his dirty laundry so publicly. The rest of the band have generally not been drawn into responding in a significant way - but the fact that he was not invited back into the band when Tipton's diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease essentially ended the latter's touring career probably speaks volumes. Downing has certainly burnt his bridges with Judas Priest, although he did perform with his former band when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year - but, by all accounts, it was a pretty strained experience for all involved. In fairness to Downing, though, he does seem to have somewhat let his departure from Judas Priest go, if only because in recent years he has been focusing on KK's Priest - a band which he formally launched in 2020 following a show by a one-off, somewhat all-star, line-up at his own KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton which included former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks and former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. With a less star-studded line-up solidified, KK's Priest set to work on their debut album, which came out in 2021 as Sermons of the Sinner (which I reviewed here). There was a lot to like about Sermons of the Sinner. It definitely harked back to 1980s and 1990s Judas Priest, with Downing's riffs being as sharp as ever - and the vocal performance of erstwhile Judas Priest frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens was suitably histrionic. The album was let down by a handful of weaker cuts, though, and some of the worst lyrics ever written by a 'named' act. A number of songs about heavy metal itself would have even had Manowar, who famously take themselves extremely seriously, turning their nose up and sniggering at the childish lyrics. It was unclear at the time whether KK's Priest would become a permanent fixture or not, but it seems that the band are here to stay. Downing and the band trekked around the European festival circuit this summer, and have just completed a UK tour - which, by all accounts, was very successful. This recent tour tied in with the release of the band's second album The Sinner Rides Again - which came out at the end of September. In some ways, the new album is a step up in quality. The lyrics are never going to win awards, but there is nothing quite as braindead as there was on the previous album - and the compact length allows for each song to get in and get out without outstaying its welcome.

Perhaps the strangest thing about The Sinner Rides Again for me, though, is Owens' vocal performance. I have generally been a fan throughout his career, but I do not think that this album contains his best work - and his voice often seems to be drenched in effects which take the edge off his famous screams. Whether this was done to patch up some cracks in his performance or for genuine effect is hard to say - but I would have preferred a more natural vocal delivery throughout. He still sounds strong in spots, but the vocal effects hold this album back in my opinion. There is still plenty to enjoy here, though, and the album kicks off in fine fashion with Sons of the Sentinel. Generally I find the first half of the album to contain the stronger songs, and it also contains a number of songs with significant call-backs to Judas Priest favourites. The opening cut is one of them, but gothic keyboards and a harmony guitar lead intro set the tone nicely - before the first of the album's many big riffs kick in and the urgent track gets going. The guitar work throughout the song is snarling, whilst the pummelling drumming of Sean Elg keeps everything moving. Lots of double bass drumming ensures that the song has a pretty snappy pace, but a crunchy chorus slows things down to present a more anthemic tone. The chorus sees Owens singing in a rawer manner, which gives it more power, but his verse delivery is drenched in the effects mentioned previously. A more natural delivery would have been welcome, and I am not sure why this overly layered approach has been taken. Owens lacks some of his usual power during the verses, then, but he comes into his own during the fist-pumping chorus - and the guitar solo sections sees Downing and fellow guitarist A.J. Mills trading shredded licks back and forth. One of my favourite cuts here follows, though, and the barnstorming Strike of the Viper impressed from the off. It is a very short song, but as a result it just hits the listener between the eyes with its Painkiller-era power - which features a mixture of mid-paced groovy riffs and thrashier sections. The opening guitar melody harks back to The Ripper somewhat, whilst the rest of the song is heavy - and includes one of Owens' best vocals of the album. His voice generally sounds more natural here, and when there is some layering during the chorus it tends to serve the song nicely. The raw edge to the vocals really helps to the song to sound alive, and Owens showcases his power during the snappy chorus - and he also takes on a more haunting edge during a brief bridge section. Occasional shredded guitar leads and a brief solo section add colour - but in general the song is just full of energy. Reap the Whirlwind harks back to the 1980s a bit more, and it feels a bit less intense overall. The song is still pretty heavy, but the riffing and mix feel a bit more organic - and there is less of a thrash and groove influence here. The old-school riffing is welcome, and Elg's drumming is more straight forward - despite a few explosions of double bass drumming keeping the tempo high. Owens sounds a bit more organic here, too, and his screams are given a bit more space to breathe. He is a bit less over-the-top throughout, too, and his more restrained performance suits the song's 1980s feel - with the guitar solos of both Downing and Mills being a bit bluesier than average, too.

After three pretty fast tracks, the pace slows for One More Shot at Glory, which is much more of a mid-paced piece with an anthemic stomp throughout. It opens with the ominous bass playing of Tony Newton, before some trademark harmony guitar leads are laid over the top to create a surprisingly atmospheric intro. Once the main riff kicks in, though, the song becomes a heavy, groove-laden piece - with chugging guitar patterns throughout and a much simpler drum performance from Elg. Everything here serves the song's grooves, and the pace is deliberately kept on a leash to ensure that the anthemic mood remains throughout. This is best seen during the chorus, which features Owens really barking the vocals in a rhythmic manner that is sure to go down well live. It is certainly a song made for the stage, and the pumping grooves are sure to get a crowd going. There are moments that speed things up somewhat, such as during a pretty lengthy guitar solo section, but nothing ever really reaches the thrash territories that the band sometimes dabble in. The song is very much an old-school headbanger, then, and it is one of the real earworms here as a result - with the chorus being one that sticks in the brain from the off. Hymn 66 is a moodier piece, which opens with some more gothic keyboards and some rather demonic-sounding narration. It soon gets going, but it is another pretty mid-paced track - perfectly grounded throughout by Newton's bass playing, which is pretty high in the mix. The song pretty much chugs along, then, but there is quite a lot of focus placed on guitar leads - particularly early on. The opening guitar melodies recall Victim of Changes somewhat, but much of the song is creepier in tone - with crawling, chugging guitar leads and plenty of high-pitched vocals from Owens. Brief moments of respite occur when the keyboards from the opening return to add depth - and there are a few somewhat anthemic moments which see the keyboards acting as a bit of a choir over which Owens lays some wordless vocal hooks. These are the song's most anthemic moments, but the track on the whole is not one that goes for big hooks - with it instead focusing on presenting a strong atmosphere. The crunchy riffing does just that, and this is one song where the vocal effects do have a positive impact. The guitar melodies throughout add some additional hooks, though, and the atmospheric approach taken overall helps the song to stand out - as much of the rest of the album is much more in-your-face. The album's title track follows, and it initially sounds as if it is going to be another more murky piece. The opening keyboards and slow-burning guitar leads set a similar tone to the previous song, but this vibe is short lived as the track soon morphs into another mid-paced crunchy rocker - with some straight ahead drumming and plenty of power chord riffing. It is a bit of an old-fashioned headbanger, but this is the sort of music which Downing has been writing for years. The chorus could be a bit catchier, but Owens' vocals sound suitably evil delivering the snappy hooks. His pseudo-growls give the chorus a bit of a unique feel despite the hooks perhaps not being as anthemic as they could be - and a lengthy guitar solo adds some flashy shred to the mid-paced cruncher.

Keeper of the Graves also opens slowly, with a gothic choir and some acoustic guitar creating a creepy atmosphere - which Owens soon adds some slightly whispered vocals over the top of. Owens' vocals during the early part of this song remind me some of the performances he delivered on Iced Earth's Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked - Part 1), and the mix of gothic choirs, keyboards, and acoustic guitars is very typical of that Iced Earth album's quieter sections. The Iced Earth comparisons actually continue somewhat once the song kicks in proper - as the hard driving riff from Downing and Mills is like an anthemic and stripped back version of something Jon Schaffer might have written. As such, this song adds something a bit different to the album overall. Unsurprisingly, much of the material here has a strong Judas Priest vibe - but Keeper of the Graves does not actually remind me much at all of Judas Priest. It does not 100% sound like Iced Earth either, but there are plenty of similarities to the Owens era of Iced Earth - and it is perhaps fitting that he tends to shine throughout this song. Despite the grandness of the song overall, his vocals feel less processed here - and where there are effects used they fit in with the song's overall scope. The mid-paced chorus is pretty anthemic and epic-sounding - and the track is a highlight of the album for me thanks to its dynamic approach. Pledge Your Souls does away with the atmospheric intros of the previous few songs, and instead goes for a high-octane guitar lead to kick things off - before the song proper morphs into another mid-paced groove-fest. The song is generally slower than it perhaps often seems, with Elg's drumming deliberately holding back - before he takes the brakes off a little during other sections to up the overall energy. Again, the chorus could be better - but I do generally like the song's overall approach and groove. It feels typical of Downing's style, and the harmony guitar solo section sees him and Mills delivering some great guitar melodies straight out of the 1980s. The album then comes to a close with Wash Away Your Sins, which opens in a similar manner to Hymn 66 with demonic narration and gothic keyboards. Acoustic guitar and spacey guitar leads soon take over, and the more organic feel actually harks back to Judas Priest's early days somewhat - over which Owens delivers some melodramatic, but organic, vocals. The song slowly builds from this point, and it feels as if this is the song which the band consider to be the most epic and theatrical on the album. In some ways it is, but I think that many of the same tropes have been done better on previous songs - although there is something pleasing about the way the song explodes after a couple of quieter minutes, and morphs into a fairly up-tempo heavy rocker. There is a lot going on, though, and some great guitar showcase moments allow for some melodic soloing - whilst the mix of heavy and more atmospheric sections throughout gives the track and expansive feel. There are better songs here, but it does end the album well - showcasing a lot of Downing's guitar talent in the process. Overall, then, The Sinner Rides Again is, for me, a better album than the band's debut. My complaints about Owens' vocals aside, the album packs a real punch and there are plenty of hooky songs here. There is nothing original to be found, but as an old-school heavy metal album it ticks a lot of boxes - and many of these track would certainly go down well live.

The album was released on 29th September 2023 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for One More Shot at Glory.