Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear (2006)^{Release ID: 14531}

I have to say, I've always felt sorry for Tim Owens. The poor lad just can't escape the stigma of being a Rob Halford copycat. Both his stints in Judas Priest and Iced Earth (which I really enjoyed) put him in an unfavourable position where he was replacing someone much beloved by the fans (Halford and Matthew Barlow respectively), and as a result he's always remained nothing more than a bit player. His name can add credibility to a project, but only just enough that you'll probably find yourself the only one who cares.

Well, no longer looking to be a hired hand in a group where he has no control, Owens struck out on his own with Beyond Fear, a band which would offer him the chance to get more involved with songwriting and the creative side of things.

Funnily enough, however, while 'Beyond Fear' is a pretty decent effort, it's almost laughable how instantly recognizable the Judas Priest influence is. Owens no doubt wears his influences on his sleeve, and in fairness, there's nothing wrong with that if the music is good. And yes, it's good.

More in the vein of traditional heavy metal, with power and sometimes thrash metal trimmings, 'Beyond Fear' is a balls-to-the-wall metal affair with plenty of high-pitched wailing courtesy of Owens, who, despite sounding identical to Rob Halford, "comes into his own" and sounds a lot more confident when singing over his own material.

Backed by some tight musicianship and a nice beefy sound, 'Beyond Fear' will probably never be anyone's favourite album, but there's definitely something of merit here. 'Scream Machine', 'And... You Will Die', 'Save Me', 'I Don't Need This' and 'Coming At You' are all riffs-galore that deserve a listen, and show that even if Tim Owens is a Halford clone, then he's certainly one of the better ones.