Beyond Fear
Tim 'Ripper' Owens - infamous for his ill-fated stint as the frontman of a struggling, post-Halford Judas Priest and as the current mouthpiece for power metal Yanks Iced Earth - is back with his new outfit, Beyond Fear. Although apparently still very much a member of Iced Earth, Owens has taken advantage of that band's ongoing inactivity (a consequence of Jon Schaffer's chronic back trouble) to prove once and for all that he can stand on his own two feet. It can't have been easy for Owens to be perpetually in the shadow of the popular frontmen he was called in to replace; it must also have been hard to have such little creative input into his career. This, Beyond Fear's debut album, was composed half by Owens alone and half in collaboration with his lead guitarist, John Comprix. Can the singer successfully forge a path without the guiding hands of Jon Schaffer, Glenn Tipton or KK Downing?
In a word: yes. In two: Hell yeah! Beyond Fear may have the blandest moniker (the band was named by visitors to Owens' website), logo and album cover in heavy metal history, but you'd have to be a picky bastard indeed to be disappointed by the music which blasts from your speakers when you press 'play'. The album was recorded and produced by Jim Morris (Death, Iced Earth) at Morrisound Studios, Florida (a venue which truly deserves the epithet 'legendary') but you wouldn't guess that from listening to the CD - the tonal quality is far removed from the 1990s death metal which Morrisound is (justly) famous for. The overall sound and texture of the album is very reminiscent of Roy Z's collaborations with Bruce Dickinson and (ironically enough) Halford. Beyond Fear play hard-hitting heavy metal with a strong debt to the 1980s and a potent, modern production. Although there are few surprises to be had, Owens' song writing is generally of a high enough quality to get you banging your head in appreciation and the musicians (all veterans of numerous small-scale acts) deliver their part of the deal admirably. And of course, there's Owens' voice: the man has some of the most charismatic and powerful pipes in metal today, and his vocals are enough to carry Beyond Fear through some of the less inspired moments on the LP.
It could rightfully be argued that Beyond Fear are somewhat generic, but stuff like this is the meat and potatoes of the heavy metal world - and that's meant as a compliment. It also stomps all over Owens' work with Judas Priest and Iced Earth in no uncertain terms. Straight ahead, down the line, bread and butter, what it says on the tin, no frills, tried and true, if it ain't broke don't fix it heavy metal from one of the best voices in the biz. Give it a go.