TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS: 'I Couldn't Have Joined JUDAS PRIEST At A Worse Time For Heavy Metal'

In a new interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens reflected on his time with the legendary British heavy metal band. The Ohio-based singer created two studio albums with PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Rob Halford.

Speaking about the fact that musical tastes shifted seemingly overnight from hair metal to Seattle grunge after the 1991 release of NIRVANA's sophomore studio album, "Nevermind", Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it was a hard time, wasn't it? It was a hard time. I couldn't have joined JUDAS PRIEST at a worse time [for] heavy metal, could I? I mean, it was just so bad. But it came back right in the time that I left JUDAS PRIEST, that Rob came back, metal started coming back with these big tours again. And it was great. You know what? JUDAS PRIEST needed Rob back at that time. I think that probably was a big help of bringing heavy metal back, was [IRON] MAIDEN getting Bruce [Dickinson] back and PRIEST getting Rob back. I think it gave it a little resurgence. But I was in [PRIEST during] a terrible time of heavy metal.

"But I think that that record ['Jugulator'] was important because we still made a heavy metal record. And JUDAS PRIEST, every record's a little bit different. I think now they make kind of normal heavy metal records. They don't really experiment too much anymore. But they used to experiment, and that's what made me fall in love with JUDAS PRIEST. But, yeah, I think it was important."

Owens also talked about the current status of KK'S PRIEST in which he is joined by former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing, alongside guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

"Well, we have a two-month tour coming up here in September, October with W.A.S.P. in America. It's like 45 shows or something," he said. "It's pretty brutal. It's a pretty brutal tour, to be honest. Hopefully I can survive it. But I'm very excited about that. I'm very excited to be able to watch W.A.S.P. every night and hang out with everybody.

"Listen, the KK'S PRIEST stuff is unbelievable," Tim added. "I mean, there is a reason why K.K. influenced guitar players, him and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] influenced guitar players, and K.K. was a big part of influencing heavy metal guitar players, and different guitar players, to be honest. And you could tell with KK'S PRIEST. I mean, the records are so good and the material's so good, and it's so good live. I mean, live we are really good. I mean, we actually have energy and we do the songs like they're supposed to be sung and done, or at least I'm gonna try on this next tour. But it's great. And K.K.'s just amazing. I mean, the band is amazing. A.J. and Sean — it's an amazing band, amazing players, great friends. K.K.'s a great guy, and he's one of the pioneers of heavy metal. And you can tell on KK'S PRIEST, man, 'cause it's good. It's great stuff."

The 2001 Warner Bros. movie "Rock Star", starring Mark Wahlberg as a salesman-turned-rock star, was loosely based on Owens, who fronted a JUDAS PRIEST cover band before being tapped to become the new lead singer of the actual group.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 after being discovered when PRIEST drummer Scott Travis was given a videotape of Tim performing with the PRIEST cover band BRITISH STEEL.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour.

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs. Released in October 2021, it is the most extensive release of previously unreleased music the band has made from its vast archives.