Album Review: A New Revenge - Enemies & Lovers

In all the time I've been writing about music, I think this is a first. A New Revenge marks the third time in just three months I am reviewing an album featuring the vocals of Tim 'Ripper' Owens. There have been a lot of musicians who have been part of multiple records in a given year, including at least two I can remember who were on three, but they never came out so close together. I don't know if it was happenstance, or intended to try to ride the wake, but it also runs the risk of having us completely burnt out by the time the third offering comes along. And given that the first two albums Ripper has 'gifted' will wind up among the very worst records of the year, that threat is very real.

This time, thankfully, we aren't dealing with shriek-filled true metal. A New Revenge is rock and roll, driven by Ripper and Keri Kelli, who has played with Slash's Snake Pit. After what I've already heard from Ripper, that is welcome news indeed.

The album opens up with "The Distance Between", which is very Slash-like rock, with the exception of the odd laser-whoosh sound effects that pop up here and there. I'm not sure what they are supposed to be implying. Is the band somehow existing in a bad 80s sci-fi movie? Remove those, and it's a decent track. Actually, the record is much better than I thought it was going to be. Given his track record, and the spotty results from these supergroup bands, I wasn't expecting much of anything. To my surprise, what we have here is a solid record that gets in and out, throws a few punches, and doesn't try to fight above its weight.

What becomes clear as the record moves on is that Ripper's choices have limited his future. When he reaches back for a stronger note, he sounds fine. When he's singing in a more restrained manner, the cracks in his voice are undeniable. The years of shrieking over loud metal have done damage to what used to be a good voice across his entire range. I remember listening to him singing "The Clouding" with Iced Earth and believing he was better than Matt Barlow. Hearing him sing this material, his voice has deteriorated in those tones, which explains to me why he is so reliant on his high piercing voice in most of his work.

It's interesting to hear this record, as over the course of two decades, this is probably the catchiest and most melodic record Ripper has ever been a part of. Hearing him in a new context adds information I didn't have before, and what it does, at least for me, won't be something he wants to hear. A New Revenge tells me he's wasted a lot of years making generic shriek-metal, when he had the chops to be fronting a rock band that is bigger and better than any of his other projects.

Trust me, that's supposed to be a compliment. In all honesty, "Enemies & Lovers" is a good record that holds its own against all the other bands put together from 80s and 90s personalities. It's a short and sweet record that delivers fun rock and roll, the kind that's hooky and not concerned with posturing how 'rock' you are. It's refreshing, and something we need more of. I like this record, and I would certainly welcome a follow-up. A New Revenge shows a lot of potential here.