Title: TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS - Play My Game
Description: TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS - Play My Game
Description: TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS - Play My Game
metal4life - May 20, 2009 03:11 PM (GMT)
TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS - Play My Game
SPV
Tim 'Ripper' Owens has certainly made his mark in the world of metal since he was brought into replace Rob Halford in Judas Priest. Apart, that is, from having the silliest name since George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher took up vocal duties with Cannibal Corpse. Since he was ousted by a returning Halford he's sang with Iced Earth, his own band Beyond Fear and, most recently, has been the latest in a long (long) line of temps hired by Yngwie Malmsteen. But this is his debut album under his own name, one he doubtless hopes will make him the headliner, rather than his employers.
And it's good. It's not great, but it it does stand up well as a modern heavy metal record. And modern is the key word here, as the production does veer towards a 21st century metal sound that may not be to everyones taste. However, one thing Ripper is, is an excellent metal vocalist and this is one of the finest performances he's put in yet. Unfortunately, he's decided to bring in a bunch of well known musicians to bolster him, something that actually works against this standing up as an album in its own right.
He's got into cahoots with Bob Kulick, a man well known for his production line of rock/metal tribute albums, and a lot of the people enlisted are straight out of his phone book. But when you end up with five different drummers, seven different bass players and a similar number of guitarists, things do get a bit disjointed. There's no question that the supporting cast, which includes Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), Michael Wilton (Queensryche), Marco Mendoza (ex-Whitesnake / Thin Lizzy), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, ex-David Lee Roth), Rudy Sarzo (Dio, ex-Ozzy), Tony Franklin (ex-Blue Murder), Simon Wright (ex-AC/DC, Dio) and Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath / Heaven And Hell), are all top notch musicians, but you need to be an even bigger personality to impose your vision on the music.
That may be why the best tracks on offer are the ones written by Ripper, featuring his Beyond Fear bandmate John Comprix on guitar. 'Believe', 'Is It Me' and 'The World Is Blind' can stand up against the material he's recorded with others down the years, and are songs that live up to his desire to "write songs that the fans can really get into and get their fist pounding in the air." A few more songs like those and this could have been a great heavy metal album. As it stands, there are some great metal tracks, just not enough to go round.
:twisted :twisted :twisted 1/2 / 3.5 out of 5
Buy @ Amazon
SPV
Tim 'Ripper' Owens has certainly made his mark in the world of metal since he was brought into replace Rob Halford in Judas Priest. Apart, that is, from having the silliest name since George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher took up vocal duties with Cannibal Corpse. Since he was ousted by a returning Halford he's sang with Iced Earth, his own band Beyond Fear and, most recently, has been the latest in a long (long) line of temps hired by Yngwie Malmsteen. But this is his debut album under his own name, one he doubtless hopes will make him the headliner, rather than his employers.
And it's good. It's not great, but it it does stand up well as a modern heavy metal record. And modern is the key word here, as the production does veer towards a 21st century metal sound that may not be to everyones taste. However, one thing Ripper is, is an excellent metal vocalist and this is one of the finest performances he's put in yet. Unfortunately, he's decided to bring in a bunch of well known musicians to bolster him, something that actually works against this standing up as an album in its own right.
He's got into cahoots with Bob Kulick, a man well known for his production line of rock/metal tribute albums, and a lot of the people enlisted are straight out of his phone book. But when you end up with five different drummers, seven different bass players and a similar number of guitarists, things do get a bit disjointed. There's no question that the supporting cast, which includes Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), Michael Wilton (Queensryche), Marco Mendoza (ex-Whitesnake / Thin Lizzy), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, ex-David Lee Roth), Rudy Sarzo (Dio, ex-Ozzy), Tony Franklin (ex-Blue Murder), Simon Wright (ex-AC/DC, Dio) and Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath / Heaven And Hell), are all top notch musicians, but you need to be an even bigger personality to impose your vision on the music.
That may be why the best tracks on offer are the ones written by Ripper, featuring his Beyond Fear bandmate John Comprix on guitar. 'Believe', 'Is It Me' and 'The World Is Blind' can stand up against the material he's recorded with others down the years, and are songs that live up to his desire to "write songs that the fans can really get into and get their fist pounding in the air." A few more songs like those and this could have been a great heavy metal album. As it stands, there are some great metal tracks, just not enough to go round.
:twisted :twisted :twisted 1/2 / 3.5 out of 5
Buy @ Amazon