Guitarist
Chris Caffery (
SAVATAGE,
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and vocalist
Tim "Ripper" Owens (
JUDAS PRIEST,
ICED EARTH,
CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED) have joined forces in a new band called
SPIRITS OF FIRE. The group, which is completed by the powerhouse rhythm section of bassist
Steve DiGiorgio (
TESTAMENT,
DEATH,
SEBASTIAN BACH,
CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED) and drummer
Mark Zonder (
FATES WARNING,
WARLORD), is halfway through recording its debut album for an early 2018 release through
Frontiers Music Srl. Enlisted to help with the writing and to produce the entire venture, including recording and mixing, is
Roy "Z" Ramirez (
BRUCE DICKINSON,
HALFORD).
"It's going to be a great album!" says
Roy Z.
Regarding how his collaboration with
Caffery came about,
Owens told
Metal Express Radio: "
Chris and I have been friends for years, and he wrote a song [
'The Shadows Are Alive'] with me on my solo CD [2009's
'Play My Game'], and we've always wanted to write together and do something. And he gave me a shout and we've signed a deal with
Frontiers. It's gonna be like a cross between
SAVATAGE and
JUDAS PRIEST kind of stuff. [
Frontiers] is a fantastic label, so we're looking forward to it."
Owens recorded two studio albums with
JUDAS PRIEST —
"Jugulator" and 2001's
"Demolition" — before the band reunited with
Rob Halford.