Tim ''Ripper'' Owens

Hail!

Since the all-star project HAIL! is coming to Greece in a few days, METAL TEMPLE took the opportunity to send a few questions via mail to Tim Ripper Owens for almost about everything; his recent past, today and his plans for the near future.

By Harry Papadopoulos

• April 20, 2009

Interview with: Tim Ripper Owens from HAIL!

Hi Tim. Where are you right now? Ready to hit the road with the rest of the guys from HAIL!?

I am in Japan with Yngwie and I am ready to kick some ass with HAIL!.

Probably you are exited for what's about to come in the upcoming shows.

Yes I am! The shows in Chile where great, so I can not wait for this run of shows.

How did you decide to do something like that? I mean, who had the idea for this all-star project? Was that in your minds for years or one day you just said Ok, let's make this project and play our favorite songs?

Well, we all like doing things like this on the side and David (Ellefson) and myself played together over a year ago at NAMM in LA and it went great! So, we have been talking about it for a while now, then a friend of ours who is our manager made some calls and put the whole thing together.

How did you decide to make your live debut in Chile? When someone's talking about starting a tour, I don't think that Chile is their first thought, even if those guys over there are some crazy metalheads!

That was just how it worked out, and I gotta tell you, they put a lot of pressure on everybody who comes after them, ha ha ha! They kick ass!

Well, before asking you a few more things about HAIL! I would like to ask you a few things for your past and the not that far away future. First of all, the previous year, you took part in the recordings of Perpetual Flame, the latest album from Yngwie Malmsteen. How did you take part to those recordings?

Well, Yngwie called and we got together, I had the time and I thought: Man... Let's do a CD with one of the best guitar players of all time and it was a blast and the tours have been a blast! Also, it really brings a new fan base to me.

Are you satisfied by the outcome and was that an 'one off' appearance in Yngwie Malmsteen's band? Is there anything that you would change as far as your performance concerns?

Not really. It is his thing, I'm there to get on stage and sing and it is all good.

And as for the future, you are about to release your first album under your name, with the title Play My Game. Can you give our readers some details about it? What is that game that you want us to play?

Can't wait to get it out, straight forward 'fists in the air' Metal... Play My Game is just a song. The label thought it was a good name for the CD, and I agree... Everybody spread the word about it!!!

There are a lot of well known musicians that helped you with the recordings of this album. Can you tell us how did you gather all of them and if there were some others that you wanted to have in your album but due to various reasons couldn't make it?

Just made a few calls and bam! There they where, and they are all great and just did a great job! There where a few I wanted to get but we couldn't get the schedules lined up, but who I got, kicks ass!

Since you have BEYOND FEAR as your personal band, and I'm saying that because you are the founding member, why did you decide to release an album under your name and not with your band? Is BEYOND FEAR on hold or the music that you composed didn't match with the sound of your band?

Well, I think the name says it all, BEYOND FEAR is a band and this is a solo CD! In BEYOND FEAR I write with John and Matt and the solo CD I write or make the decisions....Solo / Band, pretty cut and dry.

Let's go back to HAIL! You've already booked several dates in Europe in late April and early May, starting from Greece. First of all, why did you choose to start the tour from Greece and secondly, is there any chance adding more dates in Europe or to another country of America?

Greece just became the first show, not sure how, and second, I will be touring in Mexico all of May on my own then starting in June some Europe shows with my solo band (Criss Caffery, David Ellefson, Simon Wright, John Comprix). So, I will be busy for the summer, then HAIL! will be touring again throughout Scandinavia and eastern Europe in August and September...

The setlist features classic songs from some of the most well known bands in Metal. How difficult was for all of you to agree playing those particular songs?

A little, but David kinda took the handle on this...kinda hard but we got it down.

Are there any differences in the setlist from your shows in Chile with the ones that you will play in Europe?

We like changing it around for each different show but we're never really sure what we'll do until we get on stage- we have a really cool idea for Greece, I guess we will all find out, ha ha ha ha!

As far as I know, you had the 23rd of January concert at El Huevo in Valparaiso, Chile professionally filmed; are there any plans for a DVD or something?

We are going through the footage from all the shows and we'll see how we can best put it together, we'd love to release something.

Does HAIL! Have a future as a band or it was a one of tour? Secondly, and if you have the will to continue, are you going to release an album or something?

It's been so much fun for all of us. We'd love to get together as much as we can but we are all so busy it makes it difficult to arrange everybody's schedules. We've got a lot of touring opportunities and we're focusing on that for now. As far as an album, if we found the right label interest we'd consider it, sure.

Well that is all from me. I hope that you, the rest of the guys and us will have a great time at your show. Say anything that I forgot to ask.

All right buddy...spread the word of HAIL! ...also check out my solo CD and merch (shirts, fan packs) and the latest news on my sites. Keep it heavy, Ripper.

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