Guesting on The Vinyl Guide Podcast, KK's Priest frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens reflected on joining Judas Priest in 1996 following Rob Halford's departure. 

Owens would go on to record two studio albums with the band, Jugulator (1997) and Demolition (2001), and the '98 Metal Meltdown (1998)  and Live In London (2003) live records. He left Judas Priest in 2003 when Rob Halford decided to return to the band.

"I was confident," Owens says of joining Judas Priest. "They were confident with my voice. I knew some fans wouldn't like me, but I also knew that I could sing really good, and I could sing really good live. One advantage I felt I had as a singer was I could sing what I recorded in the studio; whatever I recorded, I'm gonna be able to sing that live. And I felt when fans came to the show, they would be happy that they have someone who's coming in that could still keep the voice going. So if someone didn't like me, there's nothing I could do. K.K. (Downing / ex-guitarist) used to always say 'The proof is in the pudding. Come to the show and see....' and I think a lot of people used to come to the shows, and they just couldn't wait to hate me. They hated me showing up and wanted me to fail. And so many of them, I'd win them over when I started singing because they could tell that I loved it. I loved what I was singing and I wanted to do the songs justice, so I always felt confident."

Witness the power, the presence, and the inhuman range of Tim “Ripper” Owens as he brings some of the wildest moments in metal to life, all across Australia.

Joined by the metallic luminary of brothers Joel & Jordan McDonald, Andrew Hudson and Voya Mulitinovic - Ripper's live assault will be molten as hell.

Ripper's unique skills tore open a fairytale career, fronting iconic acts including Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dio's Disciples, The Three Tremors, and the incredibly ferocious Ripper - a collaborative project spearheaded by Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta. And most recently powering Kk's Priest across the biggest stages in the world.

This run of shows presented proudly by Hardline Media will showcase the absolute toughest cuts from Ripper's world of heavy metal. Expect huge hits, deep dives, virtuosic shred, and a heap of fist in the air, full-cavalry style headbanging glory.

Support acts will be announced soon. Ticket information can be found at hardlinemedia.net.

Dates:

February
14 – Melbourne – The Corner
20 – Sydney – Crowbar
22 – Brisbane – Crowbar
23 – Adelaide – The Gov
24 – Perth – Amplifier