There was a lot of anticipation with the first ever KK’s Priest show in the Chicago area. The band released two records, but haven’t really been touring yet. This was the first time the band faced a live audience, and completely floored everyone from start to finish!
Burning Witches from Switzerland were the opening act. This all-female group brought a lot of excitement onto the stage from the moment they walked on. Their songs were heavy, melodic, and carried a lot of punch. The crowd was instantly into them, and it appeared they already had a faithful audience prior to this show. Burning Witches were excellent, and were able to create some magic during their short stay on stage. There is definitely more to come from this rocking camp for sure.
L.A. Guns were initially not supposed to play this show, but somehow they made it happen. They represented the more sleazy side of hard rock. Their show was slick, to the point, and spiked with many popular tunes. While admitting not being in the best disposition, vocalist, Phil Lewis, delivered the songs with conviction and finesse. Guitarist, Tracii Guns, was firing on all cylinders, twisting and shoving his guitar, as if it was a protective shield. L.A. Guns relied on experience, clearly had fun on stage, and delivered a very solid show.
KK’s Priest took the stage, and started to unleash the fury with each note. Opening with Hellfire Thunderbolt, they were very heavy, extremely tight, and visually entertaining. One More Shot at Glory followed, and it assured everyone on the other side of the stage that this will be a night to remember. The band was moving fast like a runaway train crushing everything in its path.
K.K. Downing was very energetic, unleashing heavy riffs, and shattering solos. He clearly was the star of the concert, but this felt more like a unit rather than a one man show. Vocalist, Tim Ripper Owens, sounded perfect. He was nailing every note with precision, and often managed to stretch his vocals to add that special live feel. No song, old or new, was a challenge for him. In many ways, Owens is singing at his absolute best right now. Despite how he was looked upon while fronting Judas Priest in the past. One thing is clear, he is K.K. Downing’s secret weapon! Guitarist, A.J. Mills was a great match for K.K. Downing. Mills is obviously a very skilled player in his own right, and his dialog with K.K. Downing was very impressive. Drummer, Sean Elg, and bassist, Tony Newton, formed a very strong and dependable rhythm section. They made the band sound big!
The set list consisted of many new tracks from The Sinner Rides Again album, and those songs sounded heavy and powerful when played live. There were also several tracks from Downing’s time with Judas Priest. Tracks like The Ripper, Beyond the Realms of Death
(video available,) or Victim of Changes brought back the classic Judas Priest sound, and very delivered perfectly. Burn in Hell reminded the audience of Owens’ time in Judas Priest, and it was great to hear a track like that. All of those songs sounded heavier, yet not losing any of their original feel.
As it is with such band members split situations, the big question is which Priest is better? You could compare, argue this or that, but at the end of the day this review was written to celebrate the music, and not to stir bad emotions or cause problems. So why not like both? It’s a double win for the fans. One thing however stands out, Judas Priest appears to be going up against their classic catalog while K.K. Downing embraces the essence of Judas Priest, and moves forward with his new project. This makes both of the recent releases extremely enjoyable for different reasons.
KK’s Priest surprised everyone with the intensity of their performance. It was flawless, and extremely well executed. The production of the concert was also quite impressive too. Lots of smoke and lasers, and some cool animation to go with that. All of that was good, but the bulk of the audience was more concerned whether K.K. Downing can still deliver the goods? That question was instantly answered after the first two tracks. K.K. and his band crushed everything that was crushable. The band encored with Strike of the Viper, and Raise Your Fist, and called a night, and what a night it was!
Mark Kadzielawa
GALLERY
BURNING WITCHES
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