I really wanted to like this. I know the Ripper era for Judas Priest is considered to be even sub-"Turbo"…I know, but his rise to prominence is still the stuff of rock n' roll legend and Metal lore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_%22Ripper%22_Owens#History. Has Marky Mark starred in a crap movie based on your life?

Ripper also has a reputation for being one of the good guys in metal, much like his primary protégé: Rob Halford. You want to root for him. But unfortunately, this album just isn't good.

Tim Owens' vocal abilities are never in question. The guy has range and power, obviously honed over a long childhood of singing along with Halford and Ronnie James Dio. Although he was the head of a Judas Priest cover band, and then famously the replacement frontman during Priest's fractured years, his style on "Play My Game" tends closer to RJD.

Yes, this is Ripper's debut solo album, his chance to really shine, but the vocal tracks still should have been slid down a notch or two at the mixing board. It's too much; it comes across awkwardly, and doesn't do anything to enhance the already-dodgy base material. His idols always brought/bring tons of power with harsh, operatic steel, but they still managed to blend and mesh with the music (Sorry for all of the comparisons with Halford and Dio, but this is Owens' legacy. There will be more comparisons before this review is done).

It is also interesting that, with the cavalcade of all-star guests including Bob Kulick, Rudy Sarzo, James Lomenzo (White Lion, now in Megadeth), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot, now with Ratt), Billy Sheehan, Doug Aldrich (Hurricane, Dio, now in Whitesnake), David Ellefson (ex Megadeth), Michael Wilton from Queensryche, and Chris Caffery (Savatage), Tipton and Downing are absent. . .? And while we're at it, how cool would it be to hear a duet between Ripper and Halford?? I don't know the gossip, but if there's no bad blood, then let's make this happen for the sophomore Ripper album.

In the meantime, I'm sorely disappointed with "Play My Game". I just can't get past the mediocre-at-best song quality. No standout songs. Jeff Loomis' Midas Touch can't even save his track ‘The Cover Up’, which, unfortunately, is probably the strongest on the album. On top of that, the lyrics are just beyond cheesy. I own both Helloween "Keeper of the Seven Keys" albums on CD; I can handle corny lyrics. And let's face it; Halford's lyrics even get a little goofy sometimes (don't send me angry emails. "He. Is. The Painkiller"?? "I'm your Turbo Lover"???). But even with Rob's hokiest moments, there's a tongue-in-cheek that's missing here. There are also poetic phrasings that truly encapsulate the power concepts conveyed by Priest's music. Ripper's silly calls to arms vs. the invading aliens (for example) just fall short, and the music isn't there to pick up the slack and salvage the poor songs.