You can’t keep a heavy metal legend down. Although it’s been nearly a decade since guitarist and songwriter K.K. Downing departed Judas Priest, the famous band he co-founded and played with for 40 years, he was never really going to retire. It was only a matter of time before he reclaimed the spotlight.

K.K. has had metal coursing through his veins from the beginning, starting in the Midlands region of England where Judas Priest was born. He chronicled his life odyssey in his 2018 autobiography, and his passion for his chosen genre is well represented with his new band K.K.’s Priest and the thunderous debut album Sermons Of The Sinner.

The album cover features a mysterious figure robed in a monk’s habit, whom Downing slyly states may or may not be him, holding a book of sermons. He says the “sinner” in the title refers to his famous solo in that classic song of the same name and also reflects his sense of alienation from the groundbreaking group that he helped create. “The whole concept is the fact that I continue proudly to be who I am and what I am and do what I do,” declares Downing. “It's been nearly 10 years. I'm back making music.”