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Editorials

TIM “RIPPER” OWENS BOOTED OUT ON HIS ASS… AGAIN

 Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 at 11:47am by

ripper.jpg
At the risk of sounding condescending to a dude who got to fulfill his childhood dream of recording and touring with his favorite metal band of all time and had his life bastardized and turned into a really shitty movie starring an Oscar nominee and a sitcom star, I gotta say: I feel really bad for Tim “Ripper” Owens.

I mean, things seemed to be going so well for Iced Earth: their latest album, Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked was getting rave reviews, it was selling surprisingly well, and while the video for the lead single, “Ten Thousand Strong,” is just about the silliest, cheapest piece of dung I’ve ever seen (see below), Headbanger’s Ball showed it at least three weeks in a row, which is really all the success you can wish for for a metal video these days.

And yet, Iced Earth didn’t hesitate for a second to kick Owens out of the band so they could bring back Matt Barlow. ‘Cause I guess a classic line-up will always sell more tickets than a latter-day line-up. And I’m not a big enough Iced Earth fan to give a shit one way or another, I’m just saying: Owens is a talented dude and I feel bad that he has been permanently condemned to a replacement spot.

Oh well. Maybe if Dan Nelson doesn’t work out, the Ripmeister can fill the Anthrax slot until Joey Belladonna or John Bush inevitably return.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/ZcyEK-3xV4o" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

-AR

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  • TJ

    I have to say, I was pretty stoked to hear this news yesterday.

    I’ve been getting way into Iced Earth over the past year or so, and I hadn’t really dug any of the Owens stuff, especially when compared to the Barlow-era output.

    Owens was OK on the newest record, but Barlow brings the band to a whole different level.

    Axl- if you never really got into the band, you are missing out on some great metal.

  • J Cantrell

    Why would any band move from Florida to Indiana thats just Stupid!? In other iced earth news I cant say I ever liked the band!

  • J Cantrell

    I LOVE THEIR ALBUM COVERS THO

  • Sammy

    Ugh. Matt Barlow was the only real reason I didn’t much like Iced Earth (or as much as I wanted to). Sounds like Paul Stanley on steroids and I fucking despise Paul Stanley. And steroids.

  • Andres

    Damn Axl, that was a pretty damn mean commentary…

    I feel really bad for Tim Owens as well…I’m a huuuuuuuuuuuge Iced Earth fan, and I love Barlow over Owens alot more…but you gotta feel bad for the guy. He’s truly a great singer…

    And they just finished their newest album…he wont even get to tour it?
    Damn.

  • Sammy

    Never was it more evident how the importance of one individual was to a band’s songwriting than when Ripper fronted Priest. Tipton wrote the bulk of those songs from soup to nut and man those two records stunk it up. Kind of like Maiden’s 8th and 9th albums, after Adrian Smith left. His absence was more like a black hole void. Talk about mailing it in.

  • TTquick

    Truly a bad video. Ripper’s feet are in concrete I think. I’m pretty sure the guy is able to move. He comes across like an evangelist. Lame lyrics to boot.

  • Eric

    I never liked Barlow’s voice, but hey what can you expect with Jon? How many people have been in Iced Earth now, like 40+?

    Ripper is a good singer who just get’s shitted on because he couldn’t fill Rob’s shoes in Priest (You gotta’ admit though, he was a hell of alot better then Blaze in Iron Maiden….)

    He should just keep putting out solo or Beyond Fear Albums. The guy really is talented and I think he’ll always have a fan base.

  • Sammy

    Isn’t Iced really a Jon Schaffer solo project with whoever he can get to fill in? Ripper Owens is like the TV star who’s thankful for the job but forever typecast.

  • Wayne

    God, I can’t get over how bad that video is.

  • NuMallCore Pwns YoMama

    I just got into Iced Earth’s Framing Armageddon, and went backwards to The Glorious Burden. Both albums are pretty solid, and Owens vocal style really grew on me (for the most part, I LOATHE high pitched vocals, but I really like Owens style now). I checked out some Barlow vocals, but didn’t like them at all.

    I think that Owens brought in a lot of new fans to Iced Earth, and I think that Jon Schaffer dropped the ball by giving him the boot for Barlow.

    Reminds me of Anthrax a bit… Lot of fans like Belladona, a lot of fans like Bush. They bring back Belladona, and now they aren’t going to record with Belladona.

    Tim got the shaft for a second time.

  • Pat

    Sucks Rip loses his job AGAIN in similar fashion. He needs to just start his own band so he can’t get kicked out just so the band can live in the past. But if they kick out Troy Seele, look for a Ma Kelley reunion!

  • http://www.hibernum.net Hibernum

    1. Owens was a way better singer than Barlow but…WTF happened to the working in law enforcement and fighting the war on terror crap that caused him to leave the first time?

    2. Actually having Owens in Anthrax is brilliant! I would actually be interested in Anthrax again if that happened. I mean wasn’t Juggulator good? Sure that other one sucked, but I blame that on Tipton trying to make music his son likes (Limp Biscuit). Yeah, that’s so brilliant…

  • http://www.hibernum.net Hibernum

    Also, that video is a molten pile of shit. It looks like it was filmed in the mall at one of those goofy kiosks where you pay 20 dollars and make a “music video” of yourself doing karaoke.

  • NuMallCore Pwns YoMama

    Tim has his own band called Beyond Fear. I’m not familiar with it though, so no commentary.

  • VHunter

    Oh, man… Owens sounded so much more crisp and clear and even more bad-ass than Barlow. I could actually understand Owens. I feel bad for the guy. And is it just me, or do the Iced Earth-Owens albums themselves even sound better overall production-wise?

    I guess the not every band has the balls and dignity to keep a replacement. Well, Helloween does, and look at them. They’ve been successfull in the long run.

  • Pingback: TIM “RIPPER” OWENS TO SING FOR YNGWIE MALMSTEEN! | MetalSucks

  • http://myspace.com/mikepisano11 MIKE PISANO

    Im going on the record and saying this. Have any of you people seen LIVE IN “LONDON”? TIM RIPPER OWENS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE NEW METAL GOD…VICTIM OF CHANGES BLEW THE DOORS OFF ME….DIAMANDS RUST I REST MY CASE. IM A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE RIPPER…YOU PEOPLE COULD ONLY DREAM OF HAVING HIS VOICE..I’LL PUT THE RIPPER AGAINST ANYONE YOU WANT IN A COMPETITION…THEY MADE A MOVIE ABOUT HIM..YOU CANT EVEN SAY HE’S GOOD BECAUSE HE IS AWESOME..YOU SHOW ME A BETTER LIVE SINGER..MIKE PISANO..IM STICKING TO THE NEW METAL GOD… EAT MY METAL..

  • Chaney

    Iced Earth is queer band of posers who can’t play real metal. Fuck ‘em faggsters.

  • jack sherwood

    i love judas and you excentuate the lerycs a o.k i wish icould play in youre band i can play almost every tune youre fan the beast