OH MY METAL GODS, KK’S PRIEST IS TOURING AND PLAYING ALL THE JUDAS PRIEST SONGS YOU FORGOT EXISTED!!! 🤯 I mean, who needs the actual Judas Priest when you can have KK’s Priest, right? 😂 The band, featuring former Judas Priest members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals), alongside guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX), and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE), is currently touring North America as the support act for W.A.S.P. Because, you know, the world was just missing a Judas Priest cover band with a few original members thrown in for good measure 🙄.
So, KK’s Priest played their second show of the tour at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, California, on September 11, and from what I can gather, they played a bunch of Judas Priest songs that Judas Priest themselves don’t even bother playing anymore 🤷♂️. I mean, who needs “Painkiller” when you can play “Before The Dawn” and “Victim Of Changes” instead? 🤔 The setlist was a whopping 12 songs long, featuring a mix of Judas Priest classics like “Breaking The Law”, “Living After Midnight”, and “Turbo Lover”, as well as some KK’s Priest originals like “Strike Of The Viper” and “Raise Your Fists”. Because, you know, the world was just missing a song called “Strike Of The Viper” in their lives 🐍.
The Setlist: A Journey Through Judas Priest’s Forgotten Discography
The setlist was as follows:
01. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
02. “Breaking The Law” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
03. “Living After Midnight” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
04. “Strike Of The Viper” (KK’S PRIEST song)
05. “One More Shot At Glory” (KK’S PRIEST song)
06. “Hellfire Thunderbolt” (KK’S PRIEST song)
07. “Heading Out To The Highway” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
08. “Beyond The Realms Of Death” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
09. “The Sentinel” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
10. “Victim Of Changes” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
11. “Turbo Lover” (JUDAS PRIEST song)
12. “Raise Your Fists” (KK’S PRIEST song)
I mean, it’s not like they’re trying to make a statement or anything by playing all these deep cuts 🙃.
Tim “Ripper” Owens: The Vocalist With A Vision (And A Lot Of Judas Priest Songs To Choose From)
In a December 2024 interview with Metal Mal, Tim “Ripper” Owens mentioned that KK’s Priest is performing Judas Priest songs that Judas Priest itself doesn’t play or has never played before. Because, you know, that’s not a recipe for disaster or anything 🤦♂️. Owens said: “Oh, we did do, yeah. We did ‘Before The Dawn’. We do ‘Before The Dawn’, and PRIEST never played that, ever. Ken said he’s 100 percent [sure] they never played it live ever.” I’m sure Ken is just thrilled to be playing all these obscure songs 🙄.
Owens also explained that they made some changes to their setlist, including adding “Beyond Realm Of Death” and “Victim Of Changes”, and even threw in some songs from their own albums, “Sermons Of The Sinner” and “The Sinner Rides Again”. Because, you know, people are just clamoring to hear KK’s Priest originals 🤣. Owens added that he would like to play more songs that Judas Priest has never performed live, but it’s hard when you’re not an established band and have to learn new songs on the road 🚀.
KK’s Priest’s sophomore album, “The Sinner Rides Again”, came out in September 2023 via Napalm Records, because the world was just missing another KK’s Priest album 🙄. The band made its live debut on July 6, 2023, at Downing’s KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, and has been touring ever since 🚂.
K.K. formed KK’s Priest after Judas Priest turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour 🎉. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year 🤝.
In conclusion, if you’re a die-hard Judas Priest fan who’s just missing the old days, then KK’s Priest is the band for you 🙌. With their setlist full of obscure Judas Priest songs and KK’s Priest originals, you’ll be singing along to “Strike Of The Viper” in no time 🐍. So, go ahead and catch them on tour with W.A.S.P. and experience the magic of KK’s Priest for yourself 🔮. Just don’t forget to bring your earplugs 🎧.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
