Summary of interview October 26th

with

JUDAS PRIEST

Album: Jugulator

JUDAS PRIEST
October 27th, 1997 is the date and year JUDAS PRIEST, one of the greatest Heavy Metal bands in the world, made their comeback releasing their new album, Jugulator. In my mind, the most brutal album the band's ever released. After 7 years, the band is back, with a new album and a new vocalist, Tim "Ripper" Owens. Sunday, October 26th, Tim was visiting Oslo to talk about the band and the new album, and naturally, HIGH VOLTAGE hooked up with him at his hotel for a chat. Tim was in a particulary good mood, no wonder. After all, he got the job as the new vocalist in PRIEST, well aware of that over 1.000 hopefuls had delivered tapes trying to get the job. Tim explained that the band was really excited and ready to prove to the world that the band will never turn their back on Heavy Metal, no matter what!!! Today is the end of the 7 bad years, now comes the 7 good once. That is the focus for the band at the moment. It's impossible not to look into what happened in the PRIEST camp during the last 7 years. Like, was there times when the band thought about ending the band, after Rob Halford left? Well, of course there were times explained Tim. It isn't easy splitting up after so many years together, but they pulled through and from then on, they were determined to get the PRIEST machine back on track. It was a hard an difficult job to find a replacement for Rob Halford having been such a focal point in the band. Other major bands had been there before, like BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE and VAN HALEN to name a few. From their experiences, Tim says the guys obviously learned a thing or two when they decided what to do and not to do. They received 1.000 tapes from vocalists all over the world hoping for the job. There was many great vocalists there, but there was allways something wrong. So how did you get the job? I asked. Lucky video tape, Tim smiles. He explained that he earlier was vocalist in a band called WINTERS BANE back in Ohio where he comes from. In 1993, they released a great album called Heart Of A Killer. Do to lack of offers to play live-gigs, their promotor said: You should go on tour as a PRIEST tribute band, guys!. Having been related to PRIEST as WINTERS BANE, they went for it and called themselves BRITISH STEEL. This way, they got gigs and finally they could put some food on the table. At the very last gig Tim did with B.S., some girls videotaped his performance. After the gig, they approached him and said they were going to send the tape to JUDAS PRIEST who by then were looking for a new vocalist. Time went, and suddenly Tim got a phone call from PRIEST. They had received the videotape and after seing it, they wanted Tim to come over to England for an audition. Tim went over, did one song, and got the job!!!! His nickname Ripper was given after hearing him do The Ripper first time. I said I heard him for the first time when the WINTERS BANE album was released in 1993. The funny thing is, I think he sounds more like Rob Halford on that album than on the new Jugulator album. How come? Well, said Tim, he had developed as singer through the years. Also, there was never the intention to get a Rob Halford clone in the band. Glenn and K.K. said that he should branch out his vocals and extend his range. This was like being set free from a cage. The result is a much more raunchy vocals, tough, but with the high pitched parts wich is so related to PRIEST. Jugulator is a very updated album, related to the '90s. I asked him this: Let's toy with the idea: Rob didn't leave PRIEST. His heart and soul was PRIEST, and the band had 5 albums between Painkiller and Jugulator. Do you think the album would have turned out similar to Jugulator? Tim cracked up in a big smile. Musically, yes. Vocally no. I don't think Rob would or could have done the vocals like that. But you are the first one who's said that. First of all, there is two albums missing. Five is a little to much, don't you think? Anyway, this is exactly how it works with PRIEST. Jugulator is the end product of a process which normally would have had two albums released in between. As I said, musically, no doubt the album would have turned out similar to what we got here. Glenn has been writing the lyrics for the album, and Tim thinks they are great. However, on the next album, Tim will definitly be writing lyrics. Realizing that the album was going to be released the day after this interview, I asked: Do you sense the same sensation of Hunger in the band, like they must have felt in the early days? Of course, says Tim. If not more. you know, you really asking the right questions. The thing is, this is in fact the only thing JUDAS PRIEST can really relate to, this sensation of Hunger. The PRIEST machine is well oiled and ready to hit the world with Raw, Brutal Heavy Metal!!!! How about touring plans I asked him. It seems like they will hit The States in January next year. Then they will come over to Europe in March, then Japan before returning to The States in the summer. He's hoping to return to Oslo with a ferocious Heavy Metal show. They are currently working on the setlist. At the moment they have to pick out from 50 songs. The time on stage will probably be 2 hours, maybe a little more. Tim will not enter stage on a Harley Davidson, but on a selfmade bike of some sort. He loves the Harley, but it has become to much corporate, so they are going for a selfmade bike this time.
In the end, all that matters is that the world will know that JUDAS PRIEST is back and people will realize that Heavy Metal is still a force to be reckoned with!! says Tim when we've reached the end of the interview. I wished him and the band good luck. In my mind JUDAS PRIEST have found the right man for the vocal-job in Tim "Ripper" Owens. He's belting out the Metal with authority and dedication, and he is a damn nice person to. PRIEST rules!!!!!

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