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Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens
Play My Game
(SPV/Steamhammer Records)
I have a confession to make; when pioneering Heavy Metal veterans Judas Priest announced they were reuniting with legendary vocalist Rob Halford (and were thus parting ways with Halford’s phenomenal--albeit woefully underrated--replacement Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens), I was more than a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong; although I was indeed sincerely overjoyed by the prospect of at long last having the opportunity to at long last bear witness to an ‘…authentic…’ Judas Priest experience, I found myself questioning what the future would hold for the fiery frontman. Now, five inexplicably long years later (following brief stints with the notoriously bombastic Iced Earth and acclaimed Swedish Neo-Classical axeman Yngwie Malmsteen), armed with a stunning solo debut, Owens has returned to kick our ‘ever-willing’ asses. The question is, are you ready?
On the brilliant Play My Game (2009), an expertly assembled twelve song collection of ingeniously-executed Heavy Metal, each track, beginning with the self-explanatory “Starting Over”, and the thought-provoking, Roswell/Area 51-fueled “The Cover Up”, immediately commands the rapt and undivided attention of all parties involved. Wasting little--if any--time silencing the few misguided souls that doubted the frontman’s ability to succeed outside of the structured confines of a ‘…traditional band…’ format, Owens brazenly offers both new and established listeners alike a veritable wealth of archetypical delights. Abandoning the hopelessly clichéd lyrical stance so often employed by the would-be crème de la crème of the genre, the vocalist and his various virtuosic cohorts drive home each key focal point with a previously unparalleled fervor.
Continuing with the relentlessly pummeling “Pick Yourself Up”, and the soaring, emotionally-charged “No Good Goodbyes”, the airtight ‘…all-star…’ combination of vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, guitarists Bob Kulick, Bruce Kulick (Grand Funk Railroad, ex-Kiss), Carlos Cavazo (Ratt , ex-Quite Riot), Craig Goldy (ex-Dio), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), John Comprix (13 Faces), Michael Wilton (Queensryche) and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, ex-Vince Neil), bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, ex-David Lee Roth), David Ellefson (Iron Steel, ex-Megadeth), Dennis Hayes, James Lomenzo (Megadeth, ex-White Lion), Marco Mendoza (ex-Whitesnake), Rudy Sarzo (Dio, ex-Quiet Riot), and Tony Franklin (ex-Blue Murder) and drummers Bobby Jarzombek (Riot, ex-Halford), Brett Chassen, Ray Luzier (Korn), Simon Wright (Dio, ex-AC/DC,) and Vinny Appice (Heaven And Hell, ex-Black Sabbath) steamrolls ahead with a reason-defying ease.
A self-produced affair throughout, other standouts, including the maddeningly infectious “The Light”, and the equally impressive closer “The Shadows Are Alive”, only further solidify the frontman’s reputation as a bona fide creative force not to be ignored, a much-welcomed and increasingly rare characteristic that makes the multi-dimensional menagerie that is the mighty Play My Game one of 2009’s most genuinely pleasant surprises. With Owens’s previously mentioned--and at times outright tumultuous--tenures with Judas Priest and Iced Earth now effectively in the past, the renewed focus and intensity at the molten epicenter of each undeniably bloodthirsty composition is ultimately as palpable as it is extraordinary, resulting in a truly breathtaking collection of material that is, without a doubt, easily worthy of the highest of critical and commercial accolades.
But is it really that freakin’ good? Absolutely! Quite possibly the greatest album Judas Priest never made (!), the majority--if not all--of the decidedly infectious wares contained herein arguably capture the multi-octave frontman at his awe-inspiring finest, easily surpassing both 2004’s The Glorious Burden and 2006’s DTO. Even if you somehow find yourself less than enthralled with Owens’ oft-histrionic efforts, one must, at the very least, sincerely admire the powerhouse vocalist’s seemingly unique ability to persevere amid the direst of circumstances. As a result, if you’ve once again found yourself in search of a refreshingly ear-pleasing, slightly ‘Old School’ alternative to the painfully mindless din and clatter that is so often force fed en mass, then this, my friends, might just be the high octane cure(s) the doctor ordered. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Select Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens Discography
Play My Game (2009) ******
Perpetual Flame (2008) *****
Framing Armageddon (2007) ***
Overture Of The Wicked (EP) (2007) ***
DTO (2006) ****
The Glorious Burden (2004) ***
The Reckoning (EP) (2003) ***
Live In London (2003) **
Demolition (2001) **
Meltdown ‘98 Live (1998) **
Jugulator (1997) **
Heart Of A Killer (1993) *
* as a member of Winter’s Bane
** as a member of Judas Priest
*** as a member of Iced Earth
**** as a member of Beyond Fear
***** with Yngwie Malmsteen
****** as a solo artist