THE BEAST

In a recent interview with Andrés Durán of El Expreso Del Rock, JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis addressed a long-standing question among fans: why doesn’t the band perform any songs from the two albums made with vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens — Jugulator (1997) and Demolition (2001)?

Travis offered a candid explanation. “I just think it's not something Rob [Halford, PRIEST vocalist] really wants to do, and I totally understand that,” he said, according to Blabbermouth.net. He added that the band’s massive catalog of classics simply doesn’t leave much room for deeper cuts from any era, let alone one without Halford. “You're always gonna have to play those classics,” Travis noted, citing tracks like “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight.” “So you have to do those, and then you've only got so much time left... so we just decided to not mess with it.”

This isn’t the first time the subject has come up. Back in 2021, Tim "Ripper" Owens himself voiced his confusion during an interview with Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks, particularly during the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations. “You're celebrating 50 years of JUDAS PRIEST, but you're leaving out 10 years of it,” Owens said. He pointed out how powerful it would be to hear Halford perform “Burn In Hell,” one of the most well-known songs from Jugulator. “It would sound fantastic,” Owens remarked. “There's nothing wrong with sticking 'Burn In Hell' in a setlist.”

Despite their mutual respect and professional camaraderie, there’s clearly a philosophical divide between Halford and the material Owens contributed. In an interview with Classic Rock magazine, Halford admitted he’s never listened to Jugulator or Demolition. “Because it's not me singing, I'm not attracted to it,” he confessed. “I sound like a twat, but I'm really just not interested.”

That said, there’s no animosity. Halford described Owens as a “friend” and praised his abilities: “I respect his chops; he's a great singer.” The two even met up when PRIEST played in Owens’ home state of Ohio, exchanging hugs and goodwill.

Owens, for his part, has admitted he never really explored Halford’s solo material either — not out of spite, but simply because his focus was on the band at the time. “I love Rob — Rob is a friend and a mentor and an idol,” he said, naming Halford alongside Ronnie James Dio as one of his greatest influences.

JUDAS PRIEST’s decision to not include Owens-era tracks in their live shows might frustrate some fans, but it’s not without internal contradiction. Even guitarist Richie Faulkner, who joined the band in 2011, has praised that period. In a 2019 video chat, he singled out “Hell Is Home” as a standout from the Demolition album: “It’s really heavy, and the vocal melody is really great. I think Ripper sings it really well.”

The absence of Owens-era songs on stage seems especially ironic given that Jugulator and Demolition were included in the band’s massive 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music box set released in 2021. The collection spans every official studio and live album, plus 13 discs of previously unreleased material — implicitly recognizing the significance of those albums, even if they remain ignored in concert halls.

Owens has said he doesn’t expect any grand tribute or acknowledgement, but performing at least one song from his tenure would go a long way in honoring a unique chapter of PRIEST history. “It’s kind of crazy that it’s just been erased,” he said. “It is JUDAS PRIEST.”

Whether or not the band ever revisits that era onstage remains to be seen. Halford has previously said he’d “absolutely” be open to it, calling those records “just as valid as everything else in the PRIEST catalog.” Until then, fans of the Ripper era will have to turn to their headphones — and hope that one day, maybe just once, the scream of Jugulator or the fury of Burn In Hell will roar through the PA at a PRIEST show.

Photo credit: Andy "Elvis" McGovern (courtesy of Live Nation)