My full review:
3/5
Beyond Fear...
...but beyond reproach? Far from it, although from the score of glowing reviews, you'd think so. It's too bad really, I'd like to give Tim Owens' and his band a high five and a pat on the back, job well done. Sadly, this album falls short. First off, I'll admit, I have a general disdain for Tim "Ripper" Owens' image. Not the man himself, as his storied rise from unknown band to superstardom is amazing, but the image he carries needs a little help, which is to say is quite wince worthy at times. It's harsh but true. His omnipresent goofy grin detracts from his apparent mission, to bring back the glory in metal. Simply put, his image screams "poser," he emulates past greats (Halford), sometimes quite well, but the appearance speaks of someone not quite in the right place. So why does this matter, it would seem to many that this is but a trivial complaint, hardly noteworthy, easily ignored. However, this is the symptom of a much deeper problem, his workman like ethic , while often admirable, is pushing it to the point where it's obvious he is a "try-hard." He needs to stop trying to prove himself, and assume the role as the great singer he is, his career depends on it, metal needs him. In competition there are winners and losers, this is a worthy effort, but in the end, this is not a winner. Better luck next time Tim, you deserve to win, but this is not the next great metal masterpiece destined to bring metal from the abysmal state it's in now. Onto the review...
With the opening track we are treated to the fist pumping, energetic, pulsating song. Simply put, this is an awesome song. However much I enjoy this song, there is the nagging tug of familiarity here. Showcased is the aggressive riffage, intricate lead, and machine gun drumming, but the lyrics, oh the lyrics... Don't be fooled, Halford had no part in writing these lyrics, but to many of the blinded faithful hoping for the messiah, these lyrics will do just fine. To me and anyone concerned with the progression of metal, these are fourth rate Halford ripoffs. It's not only the lyrics that give this away, but the lack of charisma and power throughout the song. While at times brilliant, sometimes it is lacking, sad but true. Just turn it up, throw up your horns and enjoy it for what it's worth, an f-ing thrashy tune.
"And You Will Die," starts off, but you might just want to take a nap, you'll need it for later. Where Tim tries to be epic and dramatic, the trick of slowly building up ends in emptiness. Opening chugga riffs, A-ok, then the build-up, still waiting...alright, now it becomes a strain...hold on it's gotta get good...wait..."Just who are you/You cannot die..." Commense the groaning, musical blue balls is what you get here. Deflation is the key word here, a potentially killer song turns limp, and then fades away. An utterly forgettable song.
"Save Me," isn't too shabby, while somewhat repetitive, I think it's alright. There is one problem that is apparent here, Ripper can at times lack soul, or power behind his voice, and this song surely shows it. Possessing a less than earth shattering set of pipes at times isn't criminal, just irksome. The pace is picking up, though, look out for song number 4.
Alright, we're getting pumped here, "The Human Race" capitalizes on this and delivers a flurry of punches to your ears. I only wish this song didn't trail off as quick as it does, the groove here is irrisistable, enough to get your head pounding back at them punches. While sometimes irritating in other singers, Tim reaches back and rips some vocal chords with the aggressive vocals, great stuff. I'm only disappointed when the song ends, best song on the album so far.
Ergh...the following song, "Coming At You," should have met the blade at the chopping block. So begins the descent for the album. Upon reading the lyrics, I find this should have been an interesting song, yet the emphasis on the chant of a chorus is detrimental to the the potential it surely posesses. Alas, there is one thing to look forward to, this song will become a crowd favorite and will play well to a hyped up bunch of headbangers, a la Priest's classic, "Revolution."
The lyrics, while oftentimes unimportant, can lead to quite the let down when the music does not match. "Dreams Come True" is the second example so far on this album. I'm a sucker for slow songs, so don't get me wrong, it's just that Tim doesn't carry the song like he should, he lacks the emotion. Although I don't doubt his sincerity, this song does leave something to be desired. A disappointment.
I wish Tim would display a wider range of emotion, "Telling Lies" is a pretty good song, sung with a genuinely angry voice, this song would be among the best. Slower paced, but heavy, I have a feeling this song will grow on me. So, can anyone guess who's being refered to here? Hmm...
"I Don't Need This Anymore," is forgettable, great guitar work around 2/3 of the way through though, I wish more of this was going on, rather than Tim going on, and the boring guitar work that pervades the rest of this song. No groove, nothing.
Now here comes a song with a good groove, "Words of Wisdom" is quite the catchy tune, you'll have this song on repeat. Tim's voice isn't all too overpowering, I do enjoy the dueling vox, but the drums and guitars mesh pretty easily here and are easily the high points of the track. A thrasher for sure, sweet lead too.
The disc seems to be on the upswing, and "My Last Words" continues this. Obviously at least semi-autobiographical, this song kicks it into gear with the riffage. Tim's got my ear on this song, some fine singing here. One of the finest tracks on the album because it actually feels whole, complete, and the cohesion between the band is finally displayed here. While some songs are great heavy tunes, this one's worth remembering as a great song as a whole, not just the solos, riffs, drumming, or vox, but all of these elements mixed perfectly. Possibly the best song on the album.
Thundering drums kick off "Your Time Has Come," ushering the riffage. That's sort of where this song should stop, I hate to say it, but Tim's voice get's tiring to listen to sometimes. Annoying, maybe, but still no doubt about his skill. Perhaps with better lyrics, as these do seem a bit cliche, practically every metal band has this song in their catalogue, and now so does Beyond Fear... The song's not especially spectacular, and the dread of impending doom isn't there, furthermore, the song just trails away...
Hoping, against hope that "The Faith" isn't as lame as the title sounds...too bad... A terrible endcap to the album, the last song is occasionally the defining moment of a band, although it is often left to languish, this is the case here. This is one remarkably boring song. Repeating "I have the faith" a million times doesn't make it more powerful each time, bro, wish it were true.
Time for some harsh words. Tim, and the band deserve the A for effort, but truthfully, this is an album to forget. Metal heads resting their hopes on Ripper are only deluding themselves. Please folks, do metal a favor and demand MORE. Demand originallity, cohesive song writing that doesn't consist of scream/riff/solo fest formulas, less posturing, and more substance. Priest, Saxon, Nevermore, Imagika all pushed metal these few years, this does not, sad but true. Make no mistake, the effort put into this project will certainly gain fans, but the fact is this album remains mired in mediocrity, save for the few notable standouts.
