как минимум, вот что K.K. сам думает ,например, в том числе и про вещь"Cathedral Spires" из '97
(если верить сайту _http://kkdowning.net/steelmill/The%20Fuel%20of%20the%20Furnace/cathedral-spires/ )

К.К. : "I can say about this favourite song of mine...
Still the making of this track was pure exhilaration in itself; I think that we all felt that the song would surely become a true Priest classic...
I can only hope that one day “Cathedral Spires” will... eventually take its place amongst the Priest classics.
For me, I will always look back on the Ripper years with true pride and honestly say that it was an honour to have played alongside Tim “Ripper” Owens and to be his lifelong friend.”

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и тоже интересно:
"From 1994 until 1997 group spend working on new material and wading through piles of demos from around the world - plenty of hopeful vocalists trying to get a shot at the mike stand.
Downing’s band mate Glenn Tipton recorded two solo albums during this time while K.K. concentrated on writing material for next Priest album which promised to be the heaviest and the most brutal chapter in band’s history ...

K.K.: “Metal had been evolving, and we wanted to evolve with it. It was seven years after “Painkiller” and we wanted to show where our heads were at. And we had actually detuned our guitars since the days of “Sin After Sin” anyway.”

(тоже, если верить _http://kkdowning.net/steelmill/k-k-downing/biography/ )