One of the most anticipated releases for 2008? Tim's been in-and-out in some legendary Metal names and - though everyone admires his throat and general behaviour - the metallic world would bless him with lack of luck, due to his short of unsteadiness, wishing Tim would find a solid home after his ICED EARTH tale. And then, news is Yngwie Malmsteen hires him; the most 'lineup changes' man in the world. OK Tim, are you really looking forward to a permanent band afterall?
Perpetual Flame's initial manifest should be something in the 'right here, right now, grab you by the balls' pattern. First three-four auditions 'in the raw' confirmed no tricks should you await from this credited axeman. It's long gone the season Yngwie approached a more Hard Rock audience; his post-Facing The Animal deeds have again paved the path to 'neoclassical' Metal recipes; this idea, OK, should include a metallic throat like Tim's. Still, in samples there's some 'melodic' blend lurking quietly.
Case two requires dogmatic imagination: imagine the previous singers of the Malmsteen corporation. Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, Joe Lynn Turner, Goran Edman, Michael Vescera, Doogie White...and now Tim Ripper Owens. Haha, should Yngwie decide to run over PRIEST's legacy now? Nope, he's full of surprises, he lives in his own world and - like it or not - he delivers the goods in his own way. That's the case here, also, in Perpetual Flame; the collaboration stands tall, eventually. Don't imagine something breathtaking but - overall - the album's worth you attention.
Yngwie's recently inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk, he also released a new 'limited' Fender signature model and now has a new album hitting the stores. Perpetual Flame refers to his beliefs for this specific kind of music he's performing all these years, I believe. Three years after the Unleash The Fury CD and Yngwie still writes even more furious songs. Death Dealer, Damnation Game, Be Careful What You Wish For are fast takers, Live To Fight (Another Night), Priest Of The Unholy, Magic City and Eleventh Hour show some 'crawling groove' teeth, Red Devil is in mid-pace mode, Four Horsemen (Of The Apocalypse) and Caprici DiDiablo bear an up-tempo attitude and - last but not least - balladesque emotions rise from Lament and Heavy Heart.
So, what's the case with Tim Ripper Owens? To cut a long story short, he wins the race. Or, to set things better, he wins and is helped to win, too. Even if Tim is not the man for 'neoclassical' duties, truth is he definitely is the man for taking up any performance to hyper-metallic fields. Hence, in a way, Yngwie should not wish for a more suitable chance to grab the mic and deliver harsh singing. Of course, Tim himself adapts the Malmsteen style in unexpected ease, while he does not let the chance to puts in his personal vibe (screams, darkness in singing at times) where needed (surprisingly enough, in the mix his voice is on top - production is handled by Yngwie and mix by Roy Z).
Is he doing the main vocals in Magic City?. Derek Sherinian supplies keyboards in this new album (on tour Michael Troy will handle the job keyboards and Bjorn Englen will be laying down the bass). Most of all, and for your own pleasure, Perpetual Flame is one of the heaviest album's provided by the Swedish maestro. Ever. Hence, his decision on calling Tim Owens to sing over here is surely a noteworthy result. Don't need to talk much on the music identity. You should not wait something different from Yngwie. That's why you love him.
There are two possibilities for such a good Malmsteen release: a) his collaboration with Owens brought up a fresh breeze, resulting in writing good songs b) in the case of writing these songs prior to 'hiring' Tim, Ripper's performance grabbed him by the balls to deliver the best final result he could. In any scenario, truth is Perpetual Flame eventually wins the bet. It surely does.