Skip to content
May 24, 2025
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • XS ROCK On YouTube
XS ROCK

XS ROCK

Hard Rock, Metal, Alternative, Punk, Goth, Electronic Rock and Pop News, Reviews And Interviews

  • Home
  • Featured Articles
  • New Music Releases
  • Interviews
  • News
  • Lists
  • Photo Galleries
  • Reviews
  • About XS ROCK
  • 80s Heavy Metal
  • Home
  • Featured Articles
  • Former Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing Should Shut Up And Put His Money Where His Mouth Is
  • Featured Articles

Former Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing Should Shut Up And Put His Money Where His Mouth Is

Bobby Caughron May 3, 2021 3 min read
570

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
Can K.K.'s Priest Compare To Judas Priest?

I don’t know about everyone else, but I for one, am sick of seeing interview after interview with former Judas Priest guitarist, K.K. Downing complaining about his exit from the band. Now, before all of K.K.’s fans attempt to crucify me for daring to take sides on this issue…I’m actually not taking sides. I actually prefer what I consider to be the classic era of Judas Priest that featured the guitar duo of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. K.K. is an immensely talented guitarist and someone that I have had a lot of respect for over the years in the heavy metal community. K.K. Downing officially left Judas Priest on 20 April 2011, noting that he many reasons to leave, without supplying a lot of details about why he chose to leave. So, for the last ten years, Judas Priest has continued to move forward recording and touring without K.K.’s involvement in the band. Downing’s irritation toward his former Judas Priest band members seemed to intensify after it was announced that longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, and apparently because the band did not invite Downing to return to the band in place of Tipton.

So in interview after interview, I have listened to K.K. dwell on his exit from Judas Priest and complain about how he believes it was orchestrated, in what seemingly amounts to Downing coming off as feeling like he’s been victimized by the band. Now, for the record, I’m sure that every story has two sides. But, I can’t help but feel like Downing is being immature with all of these statements and it feels like a kid in the schoolyard trying to convince the kids that he’s being picked on. For the record, K.K. Downing will be 70 years old in October of 2021. So, it does seem a little petty for him to go on about this subject at not only his age but to complain about it repeatedly. So, yeah, I’m sure there’s some bad blood between K.K. and some of the members of Judas Priest, but let’s not forget….no matter what the reason was…K.K. Downing ultimately chose to leave Judas Priest.

These days, K.K. has been putting together a new band called “K.K.’s Priest” (how original!) with one-time Judas Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens. And as far as I’m concerned, this where the beef with Judas Priest should end. It’s time for K.K. to shut up and quit whining about the past and show the world first hand, why Judas Priest would have been better with him, still in the band. I mean, he’s clearly set himself up for the comparisons to his former band by calling it K.K.’s Priest and bringing in Ripper Owens. So the best way for K.K. to end this chapter and start a new one is to make an incredible, kick-ass album that will simply blow metal fans away. It’s time to get in the ring and go head to head.

When the debut album is released, then it’s finally time to see if K.K. is “Delivering The Goods” or “Has Another Thing Comin'”.

Everything in this article is an opinion. My personal opinion. You may agree or you may not. Not everyone at XS ROCK agrees with me and that’s fine as this opinion piece reflects my opinion about this matter and not theirs.

About The Author

Bobby Caughron

Bobby Caughron is a music journalist and Editor-In-Chief for XS ROCK. He began a life-long fan of hard rock and metal music after hearing KISS as a kid. He is still an avid fan of the 80s metal scene and continues to discover and write about new music in all rock genres today.

See author's posts

Post Views: 29

Like this:

Like Loading...
Tags: classic metal judas priest k.k. downing

Continue Reading

Previous: The End Machine – Phase 2 (Review)
Next: Interview With Jeff Pilson From The End Machine, Dokken and Foreigner

Trending

Sheryl Crow Shares New Song ‘I Know’ for Mental Health Awareness Month Sheryl Crow Shares New Song ‘I Know’ for Mental Health Awareness Month 1

Sheryl Crow Shares New Song ‘I Know’ for Mental Health Awareness Month

Bobby Caughron
Green Day Now Has Their Own Slurpee Flavor “Kerplunk Kandy Grape” Green Day Now Has Their Own Slurpee Flavor "Kerplunk Kandy Grape" 2

Green Day Now Has Their Own Slurpee Flavor “Kerplunk Kandy Grape”

Bobby Caughron
Listen To Doro’s New Single “Warriors Of The Sea” Listen To Doro's New Single "Warriors Of The Sea" 3

Listen To Doro’s New Single “Warriors Of The Sea”

Bobby Caughron
Rock Legend Billy Joel Suffering From Brain Disorder, Cancels All Scheduled Concerts Rock Legend Billy Joel Suffering From Brain Disorder, Cancels All Scheduled Concerts 4

Rock Legend Billy Joel Suffering From Brain Disorder, Cancels All Scheduled Concerts

Bobby Caughron
Listen To New Joe Bonamassa Song “Drive By The Exit Sign” Listen To New Joe Bonamassa Song "Drive By The Exit Sign" 5

Listen To New Joe Bonamassa Song “Drive By The Exit Sign”

Bobby Caughron
David Reece (Ex- Accept) Signs New Record Deal And Is Releasing A New Bangalore Choir Album David Reece (Ex- Accept) Signs New Recod Deal And Is Releasing A New Bangalore Choir Album 6

David Reece (Ex- Accept) Signs New Record Deal And Is Releasing A New Bangalore Choir Album

Bobby Caughron

Related Stories

80s Rewind Skating World Gets Ready To Go “Back In Time”
11 min read
  • Featured Articles

80s Rewind Skating World Gets Ready To Go “Back In Time”

Alexander Sink March 29, 2025 1288
The Top Hard Rock And Metal Albums Of 2024
2 min read
  • Featured Articles

The Top Hard Rock And Metal Albums Of 2024

Bobby Caughron January 7, 2025 2534
Ranked: Metallica Albums “Best To Worst” Ranked: Metallica Albums "Best To Worst"
6 min read
  • 80s Heavy Metal

Ranked: Metallica Albums “Best To Worst”

Bobby Caughron December 27, 2024 9391
The Top Goth Rock Bands That You Should Hear
22 min read
  • Featured Articles

The Top Goth Rock Bands That You Should Hear

Chad T. Gephardt November 28, 2024 3109
Over 100 Rock Bands From The 70s That You Should Hear Over 100 70s Rock Bands That You Should Hear
46 min read
  • Featured Articles

Over 100 Rock Bands From The 70s That You Should Hear

Chad T. Gephardt November 15, 2024 7176
The Top Southern Rock Bands The Top Southern Rock Bands
8 min read
  • Featured Articles

The Top Southern Rock Bands

Chad T. Gephardt November 5, 2024 1696

You may have missed

Sheryl Crow Shares New Song ‘I Know’ for Mental Health Awareness Month Sheryl Crow Shares New Song ‘I Know’ for Mental Health Awareness Month
2 min read
  • Rock

Sheryl Crow Shares New Song ‘I Know’ for Mental Health Awareness Month

Bobby Caughron May 24, 2025 80
Green Day Now Has Their Own Slurpee Flavor “Kerplunk Kandy Grape” Green Day Now Has Their Own Slurpee Flavor "Kerplunk Kandy Grape"
1 min read
  • Punk

Green Day Now Has Their Own Slurpee Flavor “Kerplunk Kandy Grape”

Bobby Caughron May 24, 2025 84
Listen To Doro’s New Single “Warriors Of The Sea” Listen To Doro's New Single "Warriors Of The Sea"
1 min read
  • Hard Rock & Metal

Listen To Doro’s New Single “Warriors Of The Sea”

Bobby Caughron May 24, 2025 144
Rock Legend Billy Joel Suffering From Brain Disorder, Cancels All Scheduled Concerts Rock Legend Billy Joel Suffering From Brain Disorder, Cancels All Scheduled Concerts
2 min read
  • Rock

Rock Legend Billy Joel Suffering From Brain Disorder, Cancels All Scheduled Concerts

Bobby Caughron May 23, 2025 238
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • XS ROCK On YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • XS ROCK On YouTube
Content by XS ROCK LLC. All rights reserved.
%d