So, um... Ripper is the new lead singer for Dio?

exact33 wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Man, ya'll are dogging Ripper hard.

- being out of Priest, not his decision

- being out of Iced Earth, not his decision

- Beyond Fear, he is the only one in the bunch who is a pro musician...not easy to maintain

- Hail!, all-star tribute band for the money...he need's to make a living

- Yngwie, hired gun like any other Yngwie singer, not his decision

- Charred Walls Of The Damned, tried to pull together a band with some known people, it didn't take off...Christy has a day job that makes MUCH more money than being on Metal Blade and it's his project, not Ripper's decision

He's become the Jeff Scott Soto of the Metal world...he goes where the opportunities are. He came into the scene on the back of 2 established bands...he had no other prior known legacy to build on...he's working hard to maintain a living...cut the guy some slack.

I have always felt a little sorry for him actually. He seems to catch projects after the great lead singer is out...

Which is why I was hoping Charred Walls Of The Damned (stupid name) would work out...it was new with established names playing new songs...hopefully with the second one they can make more of a dent...touring would depend on sales and Christy's Howard Stern schedule...

Quote :

I have always felt a little sorry for him actually. He seems to catch projects after the great lead singer is out...

Exactly. He's like the rebound chick that you date after you break-up with your fiancee of 5 years. He's fun for awhile and a breath of fresh air. But then you realize your mistake, take back your old gal and send him packing. Poor Tim.

You forgot Winters Bane. The Heart of a Killer album is excellent and deserves more recognition. Comparing him to Soto fits and look at how many other people in the music biz do this? Ozzy and his revolving door anyone? It's just if you're a vocalist it's more noticeable. Maybe Tim should call all his projects Ripper and then it wouldn't be as obvious.

TheNazgul wrote:

You forgot Winters Bane. The Heart of a Killer album is excellent and deserves more recognition.

Great album, but nobody had heard of it prior to his tenure in Priest.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

TheNazgul wrote:

You forgot Winters Bane. The Heart of a Killer album is excellent and deserves more recognition.

Great album, but nobody had heard of it prior to his tenure in Priest.

I heard it before "Jugulator" came out and thought it was amazing.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

TheNazgul wrote:

You forgot Winters Bane. The Heart of a Killer album is excellent and deserves more recognition.

Great album, but nobody had heard of it prior to his tenure in Priest.

I heard it before "Jugulator" came out and thought it was amazing.

OK, ToB heard it...but nobody else did.

Unit today I did n't know Ripper Owens had released an album prior to JP

manny wrote:

Until today I did n't know Ripper Owens had released an album prior to JP

Check it out if you can find a copy, Manny... it's good stuff. This is a pic of the original European issue from '93. Century Media reissued it about ten years ago (while Ripper was still a member of Priest) with a new cover and some bonus stuff on a 2nd disc.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

TheNazgul wrote:

You forgot Winters Bane. The Heart of a Killer album is excellent and deserves more recognition.

Great album, but nobody had heard of it prior to his tenure in Priest.

I heard it before "Jugulator" came out and thought it was amazing.

OK, ToB heard it...but nobody else did.

I also bought the Winters Bane-HoaK disc before hearing Jugulator, so I was glad when Ripper got the Priest job. I was not as glad when I heard the album and his mostly weak songs and change of style for Priest...

Heart Of A Killer is the best Ripper performance IMO.

labrekk wrote:

I also bought the Winters Bane-HoaK disc before hearing Jugulator, so I was glad when Ripper got the Priest job. I was not as glad when I heard the album and his mostly weak songs and change of style for Priest...

Heart Of A Killer is the best Ripper performance IMO.

Agree with all that! I thought "Jug" was pretty good but after hearing "Painkiller" and HOAK I had much higher expectations!

I heard Winter's Bane awhile before he joined Judas Priest. It is a good album.

I'd heard OF Winters Bane before he joined Priest but didn't hear 'em till afterward.

I did see Owens' Priest tribute band "British Steel" back around '95 or so and they played one or two "originals" in their Priest set, which I assume must've been Winters Bane songs. A few months later I bought a 'zine that had an interview w/Winters Bane in it and when I saw the photo, I sez "Hey, those are the guys I just saw!" They did mention their Priest tribute gig in the article.

I'm the odd guy out but I thought what Priest did with Jugulator fit his vocals perfectly and I was stoked. It was the late 90's and metal was almost a bad word then.

Locky wrote:

Would personally have liked to have seen Mike Tirelli (Holy Mother / Messiah's Kiss) get the gig. A far better singer in my opinion than "Ripper".

Never heard that before. That guy might sound a little too much like Dio. Haha. It's weird. Sound great, though.



Thank guy can sound like Dio as well.

Anyway, I dig Ripper. Why fans get angry with him is beyond me. He'd probably not have to jump from band to band if the so-called fans hadn't ruined the industry he's trying to make a living in.

I do think he's an odd choice to be singing unreleased Dio songs, unless he's got a voice we've not heard before.

I knew I could count on you guys!

Obviously they aren't going to call the band Dio.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

The second Yngwie album he's on was a surprise to him. It's all songs from sessions he did on the first album...he had no idea it was even coming out.

It's also a really, really bad album. I had to review Relentless and I've got to say, it was dull as watching paint dry. Ripper was the only redeeming feature and he's only on a handful of tracks.

I have to admit I am interested in this but I am a Ripper fan I have all of the albums he has been on including Winter's Bane. I am sure that they won't release crap and put Dio's name on it and it is true, better that those songs get a chance to see the light of day then to never be heard, and I am a big Dio fan too I would like to hear them.

Shawn of Fire wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Great album, but nobody had heard of it prior to his tenure in Priest.

I heard it before "Jugulator" came out and thought it was amazing.

OK, ToB heard it...but nobody else did.

Sorry, I guess I read your initial statement incorrectly. I got the album when I heard he had been hired by JP. I listened to it quite a bit before "Jugulator" came out though.

I'm certainly not dogging on Ripper, he's a great singer who just can't seem to catch a steady gig. I'm also not saying he deserves anyone's pity either, after all, he still gets to freaking SING for a living. That's not too shabby and I wouldn't turn it down if an opportunity was offered to me to do the same thing. He's worked hard to get to the point where his name is the first one mentioned if you need a metal singer.

I cannot understand why this guy never settles down in one band.

Wasted talent...

Gilbert wrote:

I cannot understand why this guy never settles down in one band.

Wasted talent...

Because he can't make money that way. Simple.

I agree fully with Shawn of Fire - I'm excited to hear what comes out of it. And calling Ripper a "joke" seems like a dumb thing to say - Just because he sings in a variety of different projects, and doesn't seem to stay in them for long, that makes him a joke? Sure, I was a little bummed that he didn't stay with BEYOND FEAR (I loved the debut), he seemed like he had something there that was actually "his" band, but that doesn't make me the judge of his career - Yeah, he's sung with a zillion different bands, but so what? Most of the stuff he's sung on has sounded awesome - and isn't that what matters?

Eyesore wrote:

Gilbert wrote:

I cannot understand why this guy never settles down in one band.

Wasted talent...

Because he can't make money that way. Simple.

Bingo!

He was in one band in JP ... back when he was making more $$$$.

I thought Ripper was great on Jugulator, but he went down hill after that... and i don't think his voice is suited for DIO's music.

Cathedral Spires is the best song he's ever made.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Bingo!

He was in one band in JP ... back when he was making more $$$$.

...and he wasn't even making much $$ in JP. When they weren't touring, he had next to nothing coming in.