K.K. Downing has been relatively inactive since leaving Judas Priest about a decade ago. He was back in the spotlight after Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton had to leave the tour due to Parkinson's, and Downing expressed sadness for not being considered to fill the roll.
Then, last year, Downing made his return to the stage at a festival performance with Ross The Boss, where he played Priest songs for the first time in a decade. Shortly after, he joined former priest vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens for a one-off show of Priest covers, that also featured ’70s-era Priest drummer Les Binks.
Well, it turns out they all had such a good time, that they decided to go and form their own version of the band, which will be called KK's Priest.
Filling ou tthe band will be Hostile guitarist A.J. Mills and Voodoo Six’s Tony Newton. Downing notes:
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. 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.
There will be a tour where they will play classics as well as new material. In January, Downing teased he was working on a solo album, so we can assume these will be those tracks. The band singed a deal with Explorer1 Music Group.
We'll keep you posted when dates and music are announced.
