The Sinner

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is one of the greatest achievements in orchestration by any composer in jazz history. Charles Mingus consciously designed the six-part ballet as his magnum opus, and – implied in his famous inclusion of liner notes by his psychologist – it's as much an examination of his own tortured psyche as it is a conceptual piece about love and struggle. It veers between so many emotions that it defies easy encapsulation; for that matter, it can be difficult just to assimilate in the first place. Yet the work soon reveals itself as a masterpiece of rich, multi-layered texture and swirling tonal colors, manipulated with a painter's attention to detail. There are a few stylistic reference points – Ellington, the contemporary avant-garde, several flamenco guitar breaks – but the totality is quite unlike what came before it. Mingus relies heavily on the timbral contrasts between expressively vocal-like muted brass, a rumbling mass of low voices (including tuba and baritone sax), and achingly lyrical upper woodwinds, highlighted by altoist Charlie Mariano.

KK's Priest is a supergroup founded by ex-Judas Priest six-stringer K.K. Downing. Formed in 2019, the band is comprised of Downing, former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals) and Les Binks (drums), guitarist A.J. Mills (Hostile), and bass player Tony Newton (Voodoo Six). The band released their Billboard-charting debut album Sermons of the Sinner in 2021, followed two years later by its sequel, Sinner Rides Again.
Emulating the sound, speed, and style of his flagship band's halcyon days, KK's Priest released their first single, the thrash-fueled "Hellfire Thunderbolt," in early 2021. It was followed later that year by their first full-length effort, Sermons of the Sinner, which hit number four on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and made several charts around Europe.

On the blazing heels of their highly-lauded 2021 debut album, Sermons Of The Sinner - which debuted within the Top 20 on charts in the United States, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland and more - KK's Priest return to sin again with their savage sophomore offering, The Sinner Rides Again, out September 29, 2023 via Napalm Records. The powerhouse heavy metal amalgamation of iconic Judas Priest alum and Grammy Award winning/nominated musicians K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals), along with A.J. Mills (guitar), Tony Newton (bass) and Sean Elg (drums), double down on the ripping melodic force of their debut - which Metal Hammer UK dubbed “hugely enjoyable” and Metal Injection cited as boasting “catchy hooks and plenty of guitar wizardry”. The Sinner Rides Again boasts nine tracks of pure hellfire, produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.