KK’s Priest / The Metal Heaviness Of The Sinner Rides Again

The Sinner Rides Again, the follow-up to Sermons Of The Sinner, has found KK’s Priest delivering a superbly savage sophomore album. With KK Downing back thrusting his Flying V’s at eager fans, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, along with A.J. Mills, Tony Newton and Sean Elg, took their thrilling, ripping melodic force around the UK recently. New MetalTalk writer Jodie Louise took another look at this new album.

KK’s Priest – The Sinner Rides Again – (Napalm Records)

Release Date: Out Now

Words: Jodie Louise

The album opens with Sons Of The Sentinel, instantly drawing you in with melodic riffs. As soon as I hear the drums, I know this album will be a power trip the whole way through. Defenders From Hell defines the energy shown here, bringing an exciting feel to a long-lasting genre. 

I’m proven right as we move into the next and shortest track, Strike Of The Viper. This successfully showcases the impressive range of Ripper’s vocals and the power of a solid rhythm section. Following closely behind, Reap The Whirlwind is almost designed with the intention of getting the crowd in a whirlwind of their own, with hair-raising harmonics and shredding solos with impressive speed. 

One More Shot At Glory takes a different turn, with a melodic Iron Maiden-style bass opening instead of the usual twin axe attack. It’s interesting, and when partnered with the chanting vocals, it’s a great twist on the original Heavy Metal sound and the format of the other tracks.

Another surprising twist in the tracklist is Hymn 66. Playing to the age-old stereotypes of Heavy Metal and the devil, the song has a slower tempo than the rest. But there’s no compromising on the power KK’s Priest are conveying. The slow and low metallic punches throughout leave no room for stopping. 

Just over halfway through the album, we finally meet the title track, The Sinner Rides Again. This is a song that straddles ballad-style verses and an intense headbanging chorus with ease. 

Welcoming us with ominous bells, Keeper Of The Graves brings gothic energy to the start of the song, another welcome turn in the album before firing up into the classic KK’s Priest sound we’ve come to love. 

Pledge Your Souls is sure to be a crowd favourite. I am always fond of songs that speak directly to the audience. The lyrics “We’ll be a force together, We’ll march on to glory” radiate the energy and sense of community felt in the throes of the pit. 

Closing the album is the rollercoaster epic Wash Away Your Sins. Alternating between the solemn, melodic guitar solos and the unwavering power, this drives the album into being the must-hear Heavy Metal album of the year. It’s a great end to a great album.

It seems that KK’s Priest are firing on an upward trajectory while staying true to themselves and never straying from their signature sound. It’s a strong, loud album with a classic Metal heaviness that is sure to delight Metal fans everywhere.