Review: KK’s Priest – The Sinner Rides Again

Napalm Records (September 29^th, 2023)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

Legendary guitarist KK Downing and band KK’s Priest return to the metal scene. Having streamed their debut album released in 2021, I found that it did not connect with me, in the same way the Judas Priest album ‘Jugulator‘ (an album predominantly written by Downing) did little to excite me. I gave little thought to the follow-up until the singles were released. All three of them (thus far) had something to offer that was better than anything I had heard previously, which led me to seek out this release to review.

‘The Sinner Rides Again‘ has some killer songs that harken back to Judas Priest’s best material, but there’s a few bumps in the road that stop it from being on par with KK’s former band.

One of those bumps shows up with the first track.  ‘Sons of the Sentinel’ is a solid opener with a chorus that slows things down a tad but wallops the listener with a bombastic melody. The issue is with the vocals. Tim “Ripper” Owens does a great job on the album, but here he is reaching for an octave that is just too high for him. His vocals come across as screechy.  ad he brought it down just a notch, this would have been one of the best tracks on the record.

The album gets back on track with third single ‘Strike of the Viper’. Ripper stays with a good range, only using his highs to layer the background vocals. A fast, powerful melody that hits like a sledgehammer. My only issue is the song is not even 2 ½ minutes long. Something this great should have been fleshed out more.

The next two tracks have also been released as singles. ‘Reap the Whirlwind’ and ‘One More Shot at Glory’ have been out for some time, so people can make up their own minds on how they sound. In my opinion, it was wise to release ‘One More Shot at Glory’ as the first single. It’s the standout track on the album and is the best song the band has recorded thus far. The chorus demands the masses to shout it back to the band in a live setting. A top 10 song of the year for me.

Side 1 of the album ends with the epic ‘Hymn 66’. You can hear a call back to the classic track “The Ripper” in the opening riff. A mid-tempo, thick and powerful groove that I can see being the opener on their tour. You’ll find Ripper’s second-best vocal delivery here, with great use of his highs as background vocals in the chorus. However, this is the first of three songs to come where the opening of the song has a speech/voiceover that is atmospheric but ultimately unnecessary. This track thankfully keeps it brief.

The other two tracks that feature extended intros vary in quality. ‘Keeper of the Graves’ has an intro that is just too long. The music coupled with Ripper’s dialogue goes on until the 1:46 mark and does nothing to add to the song. Once the song kicks in, it’s a blast to listen to and I would rank it as the third best song on the album. A wonderful groove by Downing that easily reminds you of Painkiller-era Priest.

The other song with an extended, unnecessary intro is a track that does not work and it’s all down to the lyrics and chorus structure. ‘Wash Your Sins Away’ begins at the 2-minute mark and has a decent rhythm but a poor, almost non-existent chorus. Ripper may be a stellar vocalist, but there’s no way to make the line “Time to wash!” sound menacing, even with his lower, growling register. The line sounds as ridiculous as it reads here.

Ultimately, this release left me quite satisfied. I feel like the band found their footing with this album. To borrow from a movie released a few years ago, their first album had my curiosity, but their second one has my attention. Outside of a few critiques, this is sure to please long-time fans of Downing and Judas Priest.  Horns up everyone!

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