JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing is featured in a new interview with Robert Gray as part of a new series at Ultimate-Guitar.com entitled Hit The Lights. An excerpt appears below:

What's it like touring alongside MEGADETH and TESTAMENT?

"We kicked off with the exact same lineup in 1991 on the Painkiller tour in North America, so it feels like déjà vu in some respects."

Has much changed since 1991?

"Yeah, I think. Could we call 1990-1991 a pinnacle in metal, somewhat? At that time, a strategic point in metal emerged, where there was a change over from the seventies and eighties. The nineties brought about a situation where metal became slightly harder, faster, and with a little more attitude. Things have to evolve though, and music has to move on. It was an important point for us, most likely. At that particular point, Rob (Halford, vocals) had actually left Judas Priest. It seemed to cause a change, and people thought 'Well, this has gone, and that's gone. Now Priest have gone.' The Painkiller (1990) album that we recorded at the time even - that record was very much looked upon as not being the Priest fans knew and loved. Fans expected British Steel (1980), and the likes of Sin After Sin (1977), and albums of that nature. It seemed to set a precedent, as we not only toured alongside Megadeth and Testament in the States, but we also toured alongside PANTERA and ANNIHILATOR in Europe. Those groups have, like I said, a Pantera type raw, harder edge. With Priest recording Painkiller, and the emergence of groups like Pantera, it seemed to basically catapult another new wave of metal."

Awhile back, it was reported that Judas Priest is in the midst of having an official biography written. Can you provide a progress report?

"I can't, actually. We hooked up with one writer, and we thought that was going to go ahead, but it just about changed. We're on the case, and we'd very much like to issue an official biography. It'll be a more difficult task, given the fact that some pretty good material has already been unofficially issued."

Is there any unofficial material you're referring to specifically?

"I look at the pictures, to be honest. I don't really read the words. At the end of the day, photographs are important. Sometimes, it's a bit scary when you open a book like (BW&BK; Editor In Chief) Martin Popoff's (2007's Heavy Metal Painkillers), and you see photographs which you've never ever seen before."

Has a contract been signed with a publisher?

"Not at the moment, no. Some very good writers have come forward, and said they really really want to write our official biography. It's just a case of us choosing one writer. We've certainly decided that we want to issue an official biography, and we did select a writer. However, that didn't quite work out."

Read the whole interview at this location.