JUDAS PRIEST's K.K. DOWNING Talks 'British Steel' Anniversary, Possible Solo Album

Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the 1980 album "British Steel", which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year:

"It was the album that really launched PRIEST universally. It was also the album that consolidated PRIEST as a band, both in the songwriting department and the performing. Looking back now, it was a bit of rebel almanac, if you know what I'm saying. It was something the world of rock and metal were looking for at the time."

"I wish we were smart enough to say we had planned the whole thing, but we were just going step by step, doing as good as we could do. There's really no magic formula. You never know when you're making a potentially great album."

On the "British Steel 30th Anniversary Edition", which includes a remastered version of the original nine-track disc, along with two bonus cuts and a DVD of the band performing the album in its entirety last year:

"We really had to regress and go back in time to do that. There were some songs on 'British Steel' that we never played live. So we were a bit apprehensive to start with. We were wondering how it was going to go.

"But obviously, it was a neat thing to do. And as I think you'll see on the DVD, it came out pretty damn good. The reception we got was amazing. To think that we would still be here 30 years on, and that there would be the demand for us to play this record in its entirety, that's immensely rewarding."

On winning thier first Grammy, snagging best metal performance honors for the decades-old track "Dissident Aggressor" from their 2009 "Touch of Evil Live" album:

"Yeah, it's a little bit bizarre — but at least we've got one. It's a pretty cool thing, it's nice to have. And hopefully, it's the start of a conveyor belt of Grammys."

On how the band's early '80s albums "Point of Entry", "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Defenders of the Faith" could also wind up on the 30th-anniversary edition conveyor belt in the next few years:

"It seems to be something that people like considerably. And our most successful record ever in terms of sales was 'Screaming for Vengeance', by far. So it would be kind of interesting and fun for us to go out and play those albums too. They're so well-established and well-known that people know all the songs."

On whether he has plans to put out a solo album:

"That would definitely be cool. I've always thought that when I come up with something really good, I want PRIEST to use it. But I do think about a solo album a lot. It's something I want to do. But when it will be, I don't know."

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