Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing - who left the band in 2011 - recently guested on Brazil's Inside With Paulo Baron. During the interview, which can be viewed below, Downing offered up some insight on the reasons for his departure and expanded on his feelings towards the situation. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

Downing: "I don't mention this in the book (Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest - released in 2018) but a few months later I changed my mind. It's like with your girlfriend or your wife... I've never been married, but I've had lots of arguments with my partners and girlfriends; after a while you think, 'Oh, God. Was it my fault?' In April (2011) it was a farewell tour. I said to Ian (Hill / bass): 'I think I'm having a change of mind. I think I should do the tour...' and I asked me to send me the setlist over that they'd been working on. He sent me the setlist, but the very next day they released it to the press that I had retired from the band. I was really angry because they were obviously talking. So, I don't really feel as though I left the band; I feel as though it was orchestrated for me not to be there."

Previous members of Judas Priest - guitarist K.K. Downing, vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens, and drummer Les Binks - along with guitarist A.J. Mills (Hostile) and bassist Tony Newton (Voodoo Six) have formed a new band called KK's Priest.

Downing formally introduced six-stringer A.J. Mills back in May 2020:

"A.J. was just 14 when he saw his first ever concert at our show in Birmingham, England in 2001 with Ripper on vocals, since then he has aspired to be a guitarist. Years later I was introduced to A.J. and his band Hostile through his uncle Steve who I went to school with. Needless to say I became involved and started to help where I could, producing their two albums and writing a song for them. The band went on to support internationally bands such as Megadeth, Manowar, Machine Head to name a few."

"A.J. is from my home town, so I feel very comfortable having him as a guitar partner and it’s good to keep connected to the origins and the birthplace of the original Priest."

"A.J. has gone from strength to strength as a guitarist, and please check out A.J. playing 'Beyond The Realms Of Death' with me at our one-off gig at the Steelmill last November (see video below)."

"We very much appreciate your support and look forward to presenting to you a new album which is well on the way and a world tour as soon as possible."

“Forging ahead with KK’s Priest was not only inevitable, but was essential for me to perform and deliver everything that is expected from me and KK’s Priest” says K.K. Downing. “Due to the massive demand and overwhelming support from fans around the world, I feel this is where I belong, and a set combining the true, classic songs and sound of Priest, together with great, newly forged metal tracks, is what fans can expect when KK’s Priest takes to stages around the world.”

KK’s Priest is hard at work in the studio creating the band’s debut album, which will be released globally by Explorer1 Music Group.

For further details, visit kkspriest.com.