KK's Priest at the Rust Belt -- September 5.
Thursday, September 5, 7:45 p.m.
The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL
An evening of thunderous, high-powered rock is guaranteed at the Rust Belt on September 5, the East Moline venue proud to host a pair of thrilling co-headlining acts: KK's Priest, featuring original Judas Priest musician K.K. Downing, and Accept, who have been thrilling fans as rock trailblazers for close to 50 years.
As stated at the Rust Belt's Web site, "You can’t keep a heavy metal legend down. Although it’s been over a dozen years since guitarist and songwriter K.K. Downing departed Judas Priest, the iconic band he co-founded and played with for 40 years, he was never really going to retire. It was only a matter of time before he reclaimed the spotlight. As his new album title proclaims, The Sinner Rides Again.
"Downing’s recent prolific output comes after years of quietly enjoying life away from the rigors of the road and intense studio recording. He emerged again unexpectedly on stage in August 2019. His former bandmates had been given the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame award at the Wacken Open Air festival that summer, and HMHOF board member Steve Goldby wanted to give the guitarist his award at Bloodstock. From there, the conversation led to the iconic six-stringer performing a few songs with Ross the Boss. The performance electrified the crowd and reinvigorated Downing.
"In November of that year, Downing put on a show in Wolverhampton, UK with former Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, former drummer Les Binks, Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, and Hostile guitarist A.J. Mills. (He had produced two albums for the latter’s band.) Spanning Judas Priest’s catalog, this superb and successful show sent shockwaves throughout the metal world: K.K. was back and the fans were clearly hungry for more. Rather than simply rely on his past successes and go on the road performing classic Judas Priest songs, the renowned guitarist did what he has always done – make new music. Downing assembled Owens, Mills, Newton, and Elg to create Sermons of the Sinner, an album that celebrated their classic metal roots and encouraged us to cherish those iconic pioneers whom we still have with us. Downing jokes that KK’s Priest is 'like a new old band. Or an old new band.'"
Regarding the Rust Belt's co-headliners on September 5, the Web site states, "Founded in 1976, Accept, the long-standing legendary German titans of heavy metal, are back with a fiercely awaited and highly acclaimed new studio album, entitled Humanoid, released on the 26th of April, 2024, via Napalm Records. Once again finalized by leading metal producer Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Amon Amarth, Testament, Saxon, etc.) at his Backstage Recording Studios Ltd. in Derbyshire, UK, Humanoid is a towering musical achievement and another world-class entry in the Accept catalog.
"Humanoid joins absolute genre classics like Balls to the Wall, certified Gold in USA and Canada, Metal Heart, and newer masterpieces like Blood of the Nations or the number-one album Blind Rage. Their albums regularly place in national Top 10 sales charts, with global sales in excess of 17 million to date.
"Accept have never shied away from hot-button issues, and [Humanoid] is no exception. Yet the band’s 17th studio album is certainly not a concept album. It deals with topics like AI and how our reliance on technology is gradually stripping away our individuality. Accept offers a warning in this new album and title track single. Since singer Mark Tornillo will never be an advocate for the digital age, he counterbalances the title track with raw emotions, frailties, significant Rites of Passage we encounter on the path of life and characteristics that make us uniquely human: feeling uncomfortable, getting older, dealing with hurt, disappointment, and the final stop for everyone: death."
KK's Priest and Accept perform their co-headlining engagement in East Moline on September 5, admission to the 7:45 p.m. show begins at $34, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.
