JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing has updated his website with new entries in his Ask K.K. Downing column. An excerpt follows:

Q: Hello K.K. First of all allow me to thank you for all these years of pure metal because you and your team mates have been the inspiration for my band and myself. We started a Judas Priest tribute band named HELLION over the early nineties when we got the "thrash metal" explosion in my country. So we had to open some shows for these at time very aggressive sounding bands, but you couldn’t believe how amazing was the reception of the public expecting something. I insisted for that time a more brutal sound and tempos when we’d start the riffs of songs like 'Electric Eye', 'Freewheel Burning', 'The Ripper' and many others, even 'Living After Midnight”' These so called thrashers, hungry of death metal used to dance, run, sing, jump,...well the picture is very different by now because there is not much distance in the metal path of these days. Unfortunately we grow up, some of us got married with regular jobs that is why we’ve got distanced but ....recently the other axe man of the band, the one who played the parts of Glenn "came back to life" so we are regrouping again to start a new local attack like the old times because you know you may change your day but not way to live your life. I`m gearing up again and I don’t expect to get the same pro gear than you have for life but so far I’ve been trying the line 6 pod xt which works quite well. I read that in studio you use pro version of this so my question is what do you suggest me to get; the pod xt pro or the Digitech gsp 1101?? If you have tried this last one. Help would be really appreciated. Looking forward to see you on November 6th show!

A: "Hi Benjamin. I am using the line 6 at the moment and Glenn is using the Digitech. They are both very good but it’s down to personal preference. I have both also and I may well change to the Digitech in the future. I can only advise that you judge for yourself at the gig.

Regards K.K."

Read more at this location (click Q&A; in top right corner).