Do KK's Priest (featuring ex-Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing and Tim 'Ripper' Owens, Priest singer 1996-2003) provide a credible alternative to the real thing? They do not.
The Sinner Rides Again, the band's second album, suffers from the same faults as their first. In Downing's eyes (and ears), nothing has changed in the heavy metal world since Priest's Painkiller in 1990. It's all grinding desperation and lank-haired perspiration. There's no light and shade, only doom and demolition. If you're gonna get mauled by a lion, at least make it interesting.
This album is so one-dimensional that one begins to question the very existence of the Spider-Verse. Echoes of Accept and Manowar exacerbate the archaic vibe. We've heard it all before – and better. The album's highlight is Hymn 66, even if it is basically a rewrite of Dissident Aggressor.
In old-school reviewing terms, The Sinner Rides Again scrapes a – sadly appropriate – KK rating. In other words, 4/10.
