Tim Ripper Owens - Play My Game

July 31, 2009

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

Over a decade in the game and five bands later, Tim "Ripper" Owens finally releases a solo album.  While Beyond Fear and working for Yngiwe are still on his plate (and he just announced another project with former band mate Richard Christy), those expecting something akin to his previous outings may be a bit disappointed as Play My Game teeters somewhere between traditional Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.  According to the laundry list of guest musicians and co-writers, this is not really a surprise or a negative.  Current or former members of Dio, Megadeth, Whitesnake, Mr. Big, Halford, Queensryche, Demons & Wizards, Quiet Riot, Nevermore, W.A.S.P., Beyond Fear and even Kiss lay down the goods while Owens proves he is a fierce vocal force in the wide world of metal.

Starting out with "Starting Over," Owens and co-writer/guitarist Bob Kulick craft a soulful and bluesy piece that has enough energy to keep heads moving.  Those expecting his typical Power Metal bite will either dig this reserved approach or just wonder why Owens isn't melting speakers with his shattering falsetto.  "Believe" is slightly similar but with much more of a groove, stomp and blistering midsection not to forget a blazing solo from Craig Goldy. A more typical approach appears with the silly UFO-conspiracy themed scorcher "The Cover Up." Jeff Loomis tries to steal the show with his shredding but Owens keeps him at bay with the first true appearance of his trademark high-pitched vocal hysterics. Things get back to toe-tapping with "Pick Yourself Up."  The song weaves a nice groove but really doesn't have the impact of the previous songs and Steve Stevens gruff solo doesn't pick things up. 

Things get ornery and much heavier with "It Is Me." Owens delivers a much more varied performance and the harder edge of the song nicely restarts the disc. Perhaps one of the better songs on the disc, the hard rock rush of "No Good Goodbyes" moves with emotion and blistering leads from Bruce Kulick. Owens uses the song to show off, but the riff and grinding tempo really drives things home. "The World is Blind" runs pretty standard until the midsection comes and bassist Billy Sheehan lays down a thick groove that commands the song and steals the show.  Anthem-friendly metal appears with the varied "To Live Again".  Part ballad, part melancholy metal madness, this track is the first to really find the guest blending together nicely.  Dave Ellefson's low end and Michael Wilton's guitar combine to form an excellent mix of mood and melody.

"The Light" is the first of three tracks to really focus on some slick grooves.  Bob Kulick's playing on the aforementioned track is excellent but the song has this weird Alt-metal swagger that doesn't fit all that well with Owens' vocal histrionics. However, the title track fires on all cylinders with its more Mod-metal and chugging grooves. The heaviest track on the disc, "Death Race" is perhaps the most expected Owens offering with its more traditional monstrous Power Metal leanings and is bound to please fans of Beyond Fear and his Priest days. And with a pretty blatant nod to Black Sabbath, "The Shadows Are Alive" is a perfect close to the album. Guitarist Chris Caffery channels Iommi while Owens really ignites his vocal chords.  The Doom is perfect and Owens sounds more than comfortable and competent at this snail's pace. Things do pick up and Caffery unleashes one of the best solos on the disc and the swelling molten metal makes this best track on the whole disc.

While not perfect, Play My Game is a fine solo outing. The fact that Owens got such a caliber of musicians to play along is an impressive feat.  Unfortunately, some spots within the album take the focus from Owens and places it on the guest musicians, especially the guitarists. With the amount of shredding and soloing, the album probably should have been called Play Some Solos.  However, as a writer, Owens shows he is more than just a premiere vocalist and a loyal employee. As a boss, he clearly is doing what he wants and it would explain the lack of a cohesive style on the album.  There are a few rough spots and some songs just don't go anywhere and this will ultimately allow the hyper-critics of Owens to really sink their teeth in. But the fact that this album really doesn't sound like his previous or current bands, makes it worth the price and as a vocal performance, it's flawless.  Owens proves not only can he handle the heavy stuff; he can sweeten up the most standard FM radio rocker.  But that still doesn't make Play My Game for everyone. It's just that Owens' fan will be more than satisfied and awaiting more collaborations and solo outings in the future.

TRACK LISTING

1. Starting Over
2. Believe
3. The Cover Up
4. Pick Yourself Up
5. It Is Me
6. No Good Goodbyes
7. The World is Blind
8. To Live Again
9. The Light
10. Play My Game
11. Death Race
12. The Shadows Are Alive

Total playing time:  52:54

TO THE TOP

Release Date: May 15th, 2009
Label: SPV/Steamhammer Records

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