K.K. Downing recalled a “horrible” moment during Judas Priest’s Operation Rock & Roll North American tour of 1991 when Rob Halford fell off his motorcycle on stage in Toronto.
The incident led to Priest’s last performance with Halford for 14 years, but Halford’s departure was unrelated to the accident.
Downing described the mishap as an “absolute Spinal Tap moment.”
Downing also revealed that the band initially felt disappointed by the reception of their “Painkiller” album.
The transitional period in metal between “Painkiller” and emerging metal styles like death metal and speed metal may have contributed to the album’s initial lukewarm reception.
Despite the initial reception, “Painkiller” eventually became revered in metal history, with Downing comparing its timing to Judas Priest’s album “British Steel.”
