Report

KK's Priest Brings Their Sermon To London With Paul Di'Anno And Burning Witches

Some lineups just can't be missed. With the recent release of their sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again" (you can find our review here,) it was inevitable that KK's Priest would be hitting the road in support of the record. The legendary guitarist of Judas Priest fame wasn't alone with his highly skilled band however, as joining the group on their European tour are the superb Swiss traditional metal outfit Burning Witches, and for the UK dates only, former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'anno. With these three names on one bill, it was essential to get to one of these gigs. But could the show deliver on such a promising night of metal? I think we all know the answer to that.

The Shepherds Bush Empire, located a very short walk from the tube station, is a wonderful venue, it must be said. It's relatively small with a capacity of 2000 and has hosted acts from Charlie Chaplin to the Rolling Stones to Amy Winehouse (and Kid Rock, but we don't talk about that) and feels quite grand upon entry, while the staff were particularly friendly and helpful. This all helps put the attendee at ease as they prepare for the evening, which tonight was kicked off by the heavy metal flag bearers Burning Witches.

With five albums under their belts now, the band appropriately chose one song from each album to represent them in their short set. Burning Witches can work in any environment it seems, from smaller venues like The Dome or The Underworld to the bigger stages such as these, they put in a hell of a performance. Vocalist Laura Guldemond was not only in fine voice, but she understood the audience perfectly and did a great job of getting everyone excited, winning over fans who hadn't heard of them before and delighted those who were already anticipating their set. The quintet tore through the likes of "Wings Of Steel" and "We Stand As One," as well as the brilliant "Hexenhammer," before closing with their eponymous song. Burning Witches continues to be one of the premier young heavy metal bands in the world today with such electric live shows.

Up next, we have the man who brought the edge to Iron Maiden and whose voice is heard on two of the best heavy metal albums of all time, Paul Di'anno. The hometown boy took to the stage and was greeted as a hero by the concert goers in his home city, though he downplayed any tags like "rock star" or "legend," cheekily asking fans to stop chanting his name. The singer's set was quite emotional, as he seemed genuinely touched that people wanted to see him perform and honestly, he was superb, defying any naysayers by putting every bit of energy he had into his show.

As expected, Di'anno only performed songs from the first two Iron Maiden albums, though he does have a catalogue well worth diving into to choose from. He brought the best out of the classics like "Wrathchild," "Sanctuary" and this reviewer's personal favourite, "Murders In The Rue Morgue." The always beautiful "Remember Tomorrow" was dedicated to the memory of his former bandmate Clive Burr and despite quite a lot of discomfort, the singer soldiered on and continued to belt out the likes of "Killers" and "Running Free," before finishing his time with "Phantom Of The Opera." From start to finish, Paul Di'anno was endearing, funny and passionate about playing once again. Let's hope that there's still plenty to come from this wholly original frontman.

Finally, we come to the main event. Still with the same dramatic flair which helped make Judas Priest so iconic, KK's Priest made strong use of the video screens, with the Sinner character that adorns their album covers introducing the group, though it was a bit difficult to make out everything as his voice made Bane sound coherent. Nevertheless, the decision to open with "Hellfire Thunderbolt," for most people their first taste of Downing's new project and almost certainly one of their best songs, was the correct one and the crowd were instantly enthralled. "Ripper" Owens was phenomenal tonight, singing every song with pinpoint precision and showcasing his dynamic vocal range which earned him his ticket to metal lore. It might be KK's Priest, but it's Ripper's voice that is far and away the best thing about the band.

Naturally, there was a healthy mix of original material and Judas Priest classics, including "The Ripper," "Night Crawler" and "Beyond The Realms Of Death." These all sounded excellent and fans couldn't get enough, while new songs "Reap The Whirlwind" and "One More Shot At Glory" also went down a treat. It was also a nice surprise for Ripper's time with Judas Priest to be acknowledged with a rendition of the "Jugulator" single, "Burn In Hell," which was received very well, as did the cover of Fleetwood Mac's, "The Green Manalishi With The Two Pronged Crown," itself a staple of Judas Priest sets. The classics continued with "Metal Meltdown," "Breaking The Law" and "Victim Of Changes," before the band returned for the encore consisting of "Raise Your Fists" and "Strike Of The Viper." KK's Priest will forever be compared to the band where the namesake and veteran singer made their names, but honestly, both bands are worth checking out live when you get the chance. This was a thrilling night of heavy metal and made the nightmare thirteen hour journey home afterwards totally worth it.