In a new interview with Andrés Durán of El Expreso Del Rock, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about what it was like for him to join the band in 2011 as the replacement for original guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing. He said: “I think you can never replace someone like K.K. Downing. He was in the band for 40 years. He started the band with them. He helped create what they created together. So you’re never gonna replace that. I don’t think that’s ever been my mindset. But when you get the opportunity for that position, you have to respect what went before but I think you also have to try and create your own sound moving forward with the band.”

Richie continued: “I’m the same with bands like UFO. I love (former UFO guitarist) Michael Schenker or (former DEEP PURPLE guitarist) Ritchie Blackmore. DEEP PURPLE have had different guitar players as well. I love Ritchie Blackmore. Some people love K.K., some people love us all, some people love it all, and it’s great. But there’s always gonna be people that have their favorite guitar players. I’m just happy to be there helping and give what I can and paying respect, hopefully, to what he laid out before.”

Asked by Durán how he feels about the fact that PRIEST singer Rob Halford previously credited Faulkner with “saving” the band nearly a decade and a half ago, Richie said: “I would say, after 50 years the band is putting out new music and we’re still touring in Colombia, around the world. We got nominated for a Grammy in the metal category for new music. I think that it’s a strong message that heavy metal is still relevant and JUDAS PRIEST is one of the bands that’s still making it relevant. Whether you think the Grammys are — whether they mean anything, the fact is the world watches that and they see hip-hop and they see country and they see pop, but they see heavy metal there as well. And it’s GOJIRA, METALLICA, PRIEST, SPIRITBOX — we’re still up there. PRIEST is still up there as a contender after more than 50 years. And I think that feels, to me, like we’re doing something right and we’re still flying the flag for heavy metal, and we’re all proud to do it. And that’s all I can say, really. What it was before, I don’t know, so coming into the band, I don’t know what it was like before.”

Faulkner continued: “I think it’s a really nice thing of Rob to say, but I think we’re a team — we work as a team — not just the band, but management and the label and our crew; the crew’s fantastic. So we’re all part of the machine. And what’s gone before was the same and what will come after was the same. It’ll be the same. We’re part of a team, we’re part of the JUDAS PRIEST family — K.K., Ripper Owens, Les Binks, Dave Holland, John Hinch, so many — we’re all part of that legacy, and the best thing we can do is just give a thousand percent and hopefully still fly the flag for heavy metal 60 years later or 70 years later. I think that’s that’s what the goal is. Whether you achieve that, I think that’s what your focus has to be.”