Fronted by Tim "Ripper Owens", Beyond Fear was formed in 2005, after Tim left Judas Priest. With him he brought players from bands such as Winters Bane (another band Tim used to be in), Iced Earth and Seven Witches, to name a few. A 5 track demo was recorded and sent around, landing them a deal with SPV. Their self titled debut album was released in 2006. By this time Tim was already heavily involved with Iced Earth, thus a follow up has yet to see the light of day.
BEYOND FEAR (2006) STEAMHAMMER/SPV
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Line-up: Tim "Ripper" Owens - Vocals Dennis Hayes - Bass Dwayne Bihary - Rhythm Guitar Eric Elkins - Drums John Comprix - Rhythm & Lead Guitar |
After his stint with Judas Priest, Tim "Ripper" Owens made a name for himself. And when he later on joined Iced Earth, he cemented his name into the metal hall of fame forever. Personally I still think the album he recorded with Winters Bane is his masterpiece so far. It's no doubt that the man can sing though, as he has the perfect metal voice. So of course the man's first solo effort was eagerly awaited. Going for a band name doesn't hide the fact that most consider this Tim's project nonetheless. Beyond Fear's self titled debut is heavy! This is as metal as it gets, and whilst I would hesitate to call it power metal, it is definitely some powerful stuff to be heard here. Close to the 'Painkiller' era Judas Priest, but with a much more modern production, and downtuned guitars, I guess this was Tim's way of showing us what might have been, if he had more of a say when he was with the British legends. The opening "Scream Machine" is great metal tune, and a classic to come. And the entire album is filled with similar stuff, but without ever really reaching the same greatness. And herein lies the "problem" with 'Beyond Fear'; the music is good, but it doesn't really ever grab hold of you. You keep wondering if you're listening to the same song over and over. A little more variation would have been preferred, like in "Your Time Has Come". Still, this is a strong debut album, and as I've already mentioned there is no denying Tim's talent as a singer.
Killer tracks: Scream Machine, Save Me, Dreams Come True, Telling Lies, Your Time Has Come
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