Judas Priest band photo

Tim 'Ripper' Owens Slams Judas Priest for Erasing His Legacy

By Jason •
The former frontman rages against the streaming blackout of his era's albums, leaving metalheads yearning for the sound of 'Jugulator' and 'Demolition.'

In a no-holds-barred interview with Gustavo Maiato of Brazil’s Whiplash.net, former JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Tim 'Ripper' Owens unleashed a torrent of frustration over the absence of his two studio albums with the band — 1997's 'Jugulator' and 2001's 'Demolition' — from major streaming platforms. Owens lamented, "It’s hard to draw new fans to it when it’s not available on Spotify. You can find it on YouTube, I guess. Yeah, it sucks that they are not available on major streaming services."

Continuing his rant, Owens pointed out the absurdity of this exclusion, especially since tracks from these albums have proven to be crowd favorites during his solo tours. He recounted, "When we played with KK'S PRIEST, ‘Burn In Hell’ went over as good as anything. People want to hear those songs!" He emphasized that while JUDAS PRIEST made the decision to erase those records from the digital landscape, he’s more than willing to keep the spirit alive at his shows.

Owens didn't hold back when he criticized his former bandmates, saying, "It makes no sense to not have them available to fans." He highlighted the irony of JUDAS PRIEST packaging those very albums in a lavish $500 box set while simultaneously neglecting to release them on streaming services. "If someone wants to get 'Jugulator' — I mean, come on. That proves they do have access to put it out, 'cause they put it in that box set!" The bitterness in his voice was palpable as he reflected on how he feels erased from the band’s legacy.

Despite the bitter pill he has to swallow, Owens spoke fondly of his time with JUDAS PRIEST, calling his former bandmates “fantastic guys.” He reminisced about the camaraderie they shared, particularly with K.K. Downing, who often supported his solo endeavors. Yet, the stark reality remains: post-PRIEST, Owens feels like an afterthought, stating, "It was great when I was in the band; now I'm just erased."

In a pointed comparison to IRON MAIDEN’s treatment of their former vocalist Blaze Bayley, Owens underscored the disparity in management and marketing between the two legendary bands. "You just said Rob Halford 'rarely performs' it. Rob Halford's never performed my era of PRIEST songs. There’s a reason why IRON MAIDEN plays in front of 20,000 people while PRIEST struggles for five. They’ve got the management to back them up!" His words echoed the frustrations of many who see the lack of respect for the past as a failure to honor the band's full legacy.