TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS Talks About BEYOND FEAR's Debut CD, Touring With ANTHRAX

PiercingMetal.com recently conducted an interview with former JUDAS PRIEST and current ICED EARTH/BEYOND FEAR frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On BEYOND FEAR's self-titled debut album:

Ripper: "I am as happy with this as anything I have ever done, and I have done this in way less time. I think I spent the same amount of time doing my vocals on this as I spent doing them on [ICED EARTH's] 'The Glorious Burden'. Close actually, about 4.5 days on 'The Glorious Burden' and 3.5 days on this but when I listen to the whole product we did it really quick. Yet that is because we were very prepared. The fact that we were a band and were actually working on parts left us prepared to do it. You're always going to hear something that leaves you thinking that you would like to change it a little bit, but I don’t hear that on this. The songs are how they were written and how they were meant to be and we didn't screw with them like some others have done. They're done and they finish the album and then they start going, 'Oh, let's take this out and move this.' They start building these things too much and they become these giant piles of crap. The way we completed this was exactly the way we wanted to do it and I think that is why I am happy with it."

On BEYOND FEAR's upcoming European tour with ANTHRAX:

Ripper: "I'm excited because I toured with ANTHRAX when I was in JUDAS PRIEST and they had John Bush on vocals. I am a giant fan of ANTHRAX with John Bush but I'm also a giant fan of ANTHRAX with Joey Belladonna. So I grew up with 'A.I.R.' and I am a big fan. Good stuff, but then you have ANTHRAX with 'Only' and 'Black Lodge' and all this other great shit that they had with John Bush. Two totally different singers you know, and if you could mix those two together you would have one of the best singers in the history of metal.

"I think it's a perfect combination and I can't wait. The tour is set to run through all of April in Europe so if you start rowing that boat across now you will be there in time for the shows. Like I said, this is a whole tour of people not knowing the material because the record is not out yet, but on the other hand this is one of the best promo tours you could ever have hoped for. The album hits on May 9 in US and May 11 in Europe. We don't know officially of any touring possibilities for the U.S. right now, but hopefully it will be a little better than the last one we did here."

On whether BEYOND FEAR's existence will affect his status in ICED EARTH:

Ripper: "If it's done right it shouldn't. John's [Schaffer] writing and working on stuff for the new record. Because once ICED EARTH gets up and rolling again everyone knows that I do ICED EARTH. When it is not touring then I focus on BEYOND FEAR. The next time we do BEYOND FEAR, it will be a lot more touring and I would imagine all summer if possible. The label knew this and if they had put it out a month earlier like I wanted them to we would have had a month more touring to do. Or we could have done the ANTHRAX tour and the album would be available for the audience. Yet it was pushed back, but there is no problem because it's great that you can get out there. It's great for BEYOND FEAR for when I get out there with ICED EARTH I am playing for a lot more people and that many more will be able to know about what we are doing in BEYOND FEAR."

Read the entire interview at PiercingMetal.com.