Glenn Tipton says that Kenneth “K.K.” Downing never approached any the members of JUDAS PRIEST about rejoining the band before the launch of the “Firepower” world tour.

K.K. left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as “a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music,” while the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties.” Downing later said that he believed the second letter was “a key reason” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton’s decision to retire from touring.

In a recent issue of Guitar World, Tipton reflected on Downing’s decision to leave PRIEST more than a decade ago, saying: “We spoke about what was probably going to be our farewell tour, and then Ken quit. Nothing could have been worse because after you play for all those years, you plan your farewell tour to sign off in a good way. All of a sudden, Ken quit and we didn’t know what to do. It was a nightmare. It was only when we found Richie [Faulkner] that we realized we could go on and play the tour and then more.”

Tipton went on to say that he found some of Downing’s accusations surprising.

“He left the band,” Glenn said. “We couldn’t convince him to stay. And then he accused me of taking six years off to write two solo albums. I only did the solo albums because we were inactive at the time while Rob [Halford, vocals] was doing his solo things.”

When the interviewer brought up Downing’s claim that he was hurt that he wasn’t asked to rejoin when Tipton announced his retirement from touring, Glenn said: “He never approached any of the band and asked to rejoin, so for all we knew, he didn’t want to rejoin. He said he wanted to leave the band and then leave the music industry. He told us he was desperate for a new kind of life.

“Right before we got Richie, Ian [Hill, PRIEST bassist] said, ‘If you really want to come back, you’d better come back now’ because we were moving on. But he didn’t do anything. He didn’t ask to come back. And then after he was out, he said all sorts of ridiculous things. He tried to take credit for just about everything — the stage clothes, the image, the songwriting. He refers to them as his songs.

“He’s got to be joking,” Tipton added. “Everybody knows who wrote the songs, and that’s being kind. But whatever the case was, we’ve always made it clear that all of the decisions we made were made by the band as a whole, without exception. If anyone doesn’t agree with something, it isn’t used. That’s the way we’ve always worked.”

The 70-year-old Downing, who wrote about his departure from PRIEST in his 2018 autobiography, “Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, said last year that he was unhappy with the band’s live performances toward the end because Glenn “used to have too many beers before and during the concerts at the time. And I don’t know what was going on. We had words about it. But musically, we weren’t as footsure as I felt I wanted to be. I wasn’t really happy with that. It was rock and roll. It’s one of those things — it’s rock and roll, or you’re a band that really wants to lock it in tight. And that’s what I used to get off on musically — was being really solid and locked in with those kick drums. You’re either Keith Richards, and he’s got a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other but you’re still playing the guitar, or you’re really digging deep.”

In the Guitar World interview, Tipton dismissed Downing’s claims as “silly”. “Everyone knows it’s not true,” he said. “Like I said, the fans aren’t stupid and they’ve seen me for 50 years playing around the world. I may have had a couple of beers onstage, but that’s all. It’s never affected the concert or my performance whatsoever and he knows that.”

Tipton went on to say that he “used to piece [Downing’s] leads together” in the studio. “I did a lot of editing to make his lead breaks worthwhile,” he said.

“I would never have talked about Ken that way,” he continued. “It’s just that his accusations have gotten sillier and sillier — and I deserve to respond. He left the band. We couldn’t convince him to stay. And then he accused me of taking six years off to write two solo albums. I only did the solo albums because we were inactive at the time while Rob [Halford, vocals] was doing his solo things.”

Four years ago, Downing spoke in more detail about why he thinks Glenn’s playing during JUDAS PRIEST’s live concerts had deteriorated toward the end of his tenure with the band.

“Glenn, bless him, obviously. Not as though people would particularly notice, but there were times when it was noticeable. I do say in the book, I think there were times in the ’80s Glenn would — I don’t know — party too hard,” K.K. said. “But that’s his choice. It’s rock and roll, and I’m not one to actually condone how people do it, how they do their show. I mean, it’s rock and roll — lots of people go out there with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in their hands, or whatever they do. But there were times before — many times — and it made us all feel nervous, that Glenn was just more of a rock and roll party guy where the rest of us were… I would get nervous about my performance ability. I would wanna play perfectly every single night, and that was me — that was how I do it. Obviously, later on, Glenn [would enjoy his] beers, and that’s harmless enough, but, after a point, it starts to affect the show a little bit. And I was getting nervous, the other guys were nervous. When Ripper [singer Tim Owens] was in the band, he was nervous. It’s no different… I mean, if you’re in a car with a couple of mates, and the driver is the only one that’s been drinking, and he’s still having a few swigs in the car, do you prefer it not to be happening if he’s got your life in his hands? Well, if someone’s got the gig in their hands, that’s kind of how it feels — [it made us] a bit insecure; that’s all. And it just wasn’t for me. That was the main thing. And it just didn’t help me enjoy the shows. If I’m nervous, it doesn’t help me enjoy the show. I wanna listen to the music being absolutely precision — everybody locked into those kick drums and snare — and that’s how I liked it… Everybody makes mistakes and everybody can be a bit sloppy at times if they’re a bit tired and they’re not feeling great. But if it’s self-induced, then that’s not right — it’s what I think. It’s a little bit selfish and inconsiderate, and I will say that now. But it’s not to say that rock and roll is not rock and roll; it’s a difficult one for me. But that, with a lot of other things that were going on, tipped me over the edge. If I had rode through that storm, I would probably still be on stage now. But who knows? It is what it is. If you fall out with your girlfriend, or if she falls out with you, if it’s not reconciled fairly quickly, somebody could find a different partner and they get used to that different partner, and that’s what happened. So, [it’s] sad, really, in a way. I was the one guy… I’d never done a solo career — I never wanted do. I never wanted to have my own web site; never wanted to sell my own merchandise on the back of PRIEST. I was totally dedicated.”

In “Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, Downing wrote that he told Tipton and PRIEST co-manager Jayne Andrews that he had “hated” them both “since 1985.” Last year, he explained his outburst to Classic Rock magazine: “I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn’t like that.”

Downing has called Faulkner his “clone” and revealed that he “never found” Tipton “to be particularly easy to get along with. Very early on, I was fully aware of the limited conditions under which he operated,” K.K. wrote in his book. “If you were going to relate to him, you would do so entirely on his terms.”

Joey Hockin talks about how the ingredients of planning, having faith and never stopping went into Hyperspace Metal Fest 2022.
The post Power and Glory Ride to British Columbia: An Interview with Hyperspace Festival Organizer, Joey Hockin appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

On the 40th anniversary of Christian Death’s Only Theatre Of Pain, Decibel talked to all the living members of the album lineup about the making of this deathrock classic and its legacy.
The post Sharp Tongues Of Hungry Animals: An Oral History of Christian Death’s ‘Only Theatre Of Pain’ On Its 40th Anniversary appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

This Halloween, Z2 Comics and Grammy-winning rock band HALESTORM will transform the group’s barbed riffs and evocative narratives into sequential art for “Hyde Manor”, a harrowing descent into one woman’s fight with the darkest parts of herself. Twins Brittany and Brianna Winner (the “Twin Soul” series), artist Sara Scalia, and colorist DJ Alonso weave a tale of the celebrated group as they seek refuge in the titular Hyde Manor — a sprawling gothic estate perched on the remote end of the Oregon Coast.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2012 EP “Hello, It’s Mz Hyde” and its ensuing LP, “The Strange Case Of…”, the “Hyde Manor” graphic novel depicts the members of HALESTORM encountering sinister doppelgangers of themselves. Within the decrepit halls of Hyde Manor, mirror reflections independently talk back and photographs transform to reveal sordid prophecies, leading the band to slowly succumb to madness while recording a new album. The tale creaks and twists with doom-filled revelations, perfectly tied to HALESTORM’s scorching discography.

“I’m so incredibly excited that this is finally happening,” says HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale. “We are releasing a graphic novel! Penned by our beautiful badass friends the Winner twins and featuring a few of our favorite artists, the story takes you down a rabbit hole of good and evil. An epic battle of Darkness vs Light. Is it truth? Is it fantasy? You decide!”

“We’ve enjoyed HALESTORM’s music for many years; being entrusted to co-create a world and story based on their work is truly an honor,” co-writer Brianna Winner continues. “We wanted to create a story that reflects not only their music, but also their individual personalities.”

“The graphic novel will be a dark, paranormal mystery starring the band members as the main characters,” co-writer Brittany Winner elaborates. “The journey that unfolds will mirror their individual artistic journeys, so each of their personalities will really be able to shine.”

HALESTORM, founded by siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale in their teens, has grown into a Grammy-winning, chart-topping trailblazer in today’s rock music landscape. Along with Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith, the band surpassed a billion streams cumulatively and has sold out shows around the globe, with the San Jose Mercury News declaring them “the best hard rock band in the world” after their November 2021 show. On May 6, the band will release their fifth full-length studio album, “Back From The Dead”. The title track, called “a biting but cathartic howler” by Rolling Stone, claimed the #1 spot at rock radio last fall, and the second single, “The Steeple”, is nearing the top 10.

Z2 Comics and HALESTORM present “Hyde Manor” in both softcover and hardcover formats, as well as oversized hardcover deluxe, and an oversized hardcover deluxe edition. Alison Sampson provides cover art. Deluxe editions include gallery-ready prints courtesy of fan artist Egidija Guobyte, as well as a Lzzy Hale/Ms. Hyde two-sided coin, Ms. Hyde special-edition collector’s card in a plastic frame, and an exclusive Halestorm: Hyde Manor deck of cards. Preorder yours today.

DJ Ashba has clarified his recent comments about Buckethead, saying that he wasn’t trying to “discredit” the fellow ex-GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist “at all.”

This past January, Ashba, who joined GUNS N’ ROSES in March 2009 following the departure of Robin Finck, spoke about his time with the Axl Rose-fronted outfit in an interview with Antihero Magazine. The guitarist said: “I didn’t know what to expect. I was hoping that one day Slash would come back, and the reason I took the gig is that, honestly, I was — no disrespect to Buckethead [former GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Brian Carroll, who was in the band between 2000 and 2004] or anybody — but seeing a guy run around with a chicken bucket on his head, it’s, like, to me, that took the coolness out of the band that I grew up loving, and that’s one of the main reasons I wanted to get in there and try to do whatever I could do to get justice, bring back that reckless rock and roll vibe of what Slash was all about and GUNS N’ ROSES was all about. To me, it was in a sense losing that thing that I loved about the band. And I love Buckethead as a guitarist. No disrespect at all — it’s just, in my opinion, he didn’t really fit the band.”

Two months after BLABBERMOUTH.NET and other media outlets reported on Ashba’s comments, he appeared on The SDR Show, where he was asked to elaborate on his apparent criticism of his predecessor.

“The media, they twist every headline,” DJ said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “I didn’t mean that in any bad way. Buckethead could play circles around me.”

When host Ralph Sutton said that Buckethead is “a phenomenal guitarist” whose “look didn’t go with GUNS N’ ROSES,” Ashba agreed, saying: “And that’s all I was saying. No discrediting him at all. I just, as a fan, that just didn’t… that wasn’t rock and roll, the reckless rock and roll band that we all grew up on. So, you know, to me, it’s, like, I just didn’t feel like he personally fit. And that was just my opinion.”

A year ago, GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus talked about what it was like to work with Buckethead for a couple of years in the early 2000s. The eccentric musician, who wears a fried-chicken bucket on his noggin and talks only through a hand puppet, quit GUNS N’ ROSES in 2004 after becoming fed up with GUNS’ inability to complete an album or tour, his manager told MTV at the time.

“Bucket is very musical, but I think a lot of guys like that — phenomenal, prodigious talent — they’re not necessarily… I think Bucket’s music is great,” Fortus said. “What he does on his own, he’s out there, but he did understand how to make three guitars work, and that’s a very difficult thing. And he would lay out and just stand there and be weird and Bucket-y, and then he would come in on the choruses, and it would be huge. He got that; he understood that. [He’s] a phenomenal talent. But the thing is, socially, guys like Bucket spend so much time in their bedroom practicing that they don’t really — it’s just different for them socially.

“Being in a band, you’ve gotta relate to people,” Fortus continued. “And I think Bucket struggled with that. I always got along with him, but I think he really had a tough time with that.”

Ashba issued a statement in July 2015 saying that he was leaving GUNS N’ ROSES “to dedicate myself to my band SIXX:A.M., my adoring wife and family, and to the many new adventures that the future holds for me.” He later claimed that he was approached about being part of GN’R’s “Not In This Lifetime” tour, but that he declined, citing his desire to pursue SIXX:A.M. full time.

Only Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan from GN’R’s “Appetite For Destruction”-era lineup are taking part in the band’s current reunion. They are being joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them is second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Ashba recently launched a dance/rock hybrid called GDM (Guitar Dance Music) with his ASHBA project. His latest release is a single called “Bella Ciao”, a modern-day EDM-driven makeover of the Italian folk classic. The song marked Ashba’s first release of 2021 and followed a series of tracks that were released in late 2020 through Edgeout Records/UMG/UMe, including “Hypnotic”, “Let’s Dance” and “A Christmas Storm”.

Trestle-block bracing and new, refined FT-5E Filter’Tron pickups make a classic shape punchy, powerful, and more feedback resistant.