Obviously, this is Primal Fear's self-titled debut album but
the question is - who or what is Primal Fear? Oh well, since the German metal
scene is quite a mystery for anyone outside of Europe such pondering is only
natural, I think. So let me clue you in. Primal Fear is a brainchild of singer
Ralf Scheepers (ex-Gamma Ray) and bass player Mat Sinner (who pulls double duties
with his own group Sinner) and as such, this is somewhat of an all-star project.
And indeed, the guest appearance of Gamma Ray's founder Kai Hansen (who was
also the co-founder of Helloween) sure adds to the excitement. Oh well, what
can be said about the album's sound, then? Well obviously the biggest influence
here can't be missed as much of these tracks could very well fit on Judas Priest's
Painkiller album, but that's also the part of the problem. You see... this particular
offering came out eight years after Painkiller and while the production standards
did change a lot over the years, you couldn't really notice it here since the
keyboards really reek of that oh-so-familiar eighties cheese (as shown in "Tears
Of Rage", between other cuts). Mind you, the music isn't terribly complex either
(eighties influence, again), but the thick production makes up for it. The drums
are handled by the very capable who doesn't mind pounding away on his double
bass, Mat Sinner provides the bass licks (not stellar but still solid) and Tom
Naumann supplies some exemplary guitar work. You might argue that this guy doesn't
do anything that other speed guitarists do, and you would be right, but he's
a true professional so he can't really stink either. The guitar work, however,
really shines on Kai Hansen's solo showcases, most notably on the ripping cover
of Deep Purple's "Speed King", but he gives several strong efforts on a few
other tracks as well. Opener "Primal Fear/ Chainbreaker" is arguably some long
lost Judas Priest out-take... well, not literally, but it might as well be.
Anyhow, it IS a truly tremendous riff-laden speed metal song that would sound
completely at home on Painkiller (aw, come on, it's even entitled "Chainbreaker")
with singer Ralf Scheepers screaming exactly like Rob Halford and even imitating
his regular singing voice occasionally.
Anyway, the Priest-a-thon continues further on "Silver & Gold" which possesses
an awesome infectious chorus that perhaps is a bit over the top in terms of
catchiness but the shredding driving force behind it is relentless and heavy
as usual. Next, "Promised Land" offers yet more of the catchy choruses with
a solid chunk of fast ass-kickin' to back it up. Plus, Naumann pulls off a pretty
darn great flashy guitar solo, but still, Hansen's take on "Speed King" remains
untouched. Anyhow, even though that's more or less irrelevant, I think that
of all of the songs here "Formula One" is hands-down the most Deep Purple influenced,
and luckily it's its turn so let me expand on that thought. The main riff is
expectedly rapid, but it's so thick that it leaves a certain sludgy trail behind
it, even though the guitar isn't de-tuned at all. The lyrical matter of course
holds many similarities with Deep Purple's "speed" classics since it basically
describes the rush that an Formula One driver feels when he's getting ready
to start, which is an grateful topic if you ask me. "Formula One" is an amazing
track but it does suffer a bit from the inclusion of the shabby yet catchy keyboard
parts, although, on the upside, the guitar solos are recommendable (one of which
is Hansen's, naturally). "Dollars" is the first sign of slowing down for the
band and they do it in style with the only gripe I may possibly have in the
somewhat inane lyrics, which of course doesn't overshadows the fact they've
achieved an outstanding power groove which was, as it seems, accepted by Judas
Priest as a basis for their Demolition album. For those in wanting of more speedy
material "Nine Lives" should come handy as it is slick and hook-filled, but
the power ballad "Tears Of Rage" gets my vote for one of the best tunes. While
the sappy keyboards do sound a tad trite and exaggerated they do fit in perfectly
and add to the catchiness of the track so this epic slice of pie stands tall
between most of its peers in that much despised genre. Meanwhile, I'm tired
of writing so I'll just stop for a few minutes.........
*leaves*.....................................................................
...............................................*minutes pass*....................................................................
..................... *comes back scratching his intimate parts*.................
Er, ehm, where were we? Ah yes, the song that follows is Deep Purple's legendary
"Speed King", and, well, it's done beautifully. I might piss off the mighty
George Starostin by saying this but I actually prefer this more metallic version
of the song. Now, George would automatically hammer me to death by saying it
was a metal song already, but I hope you can understand why I feel awkward calling
Deep Purple's original a metal song with its psychedelic "storming" intro and
Jon Lord's organ leads that are rivaling Blackmore's guitar. Sure, the original
is a far more serious artistic statement than this cover piece, but this one
just kicks my ass more. Ya all like my explanation? Too bad, fuckers. Elsewhere,
"Battalions Of Hate" is one of the darker numbers and it's a simple case of
ripping off Priest in a not-too-obvious way which it does excellently. While
"Running In The Dust" was my random "best song" pick of the hour you've got
to understand it's pretty hard to proclaim any song as the "best" without regretting
it somewhere down the line. For now its merciless chugging and colder atmosphere
gives me exactly what I need but basically there's no reason to prefer it over
any other track here. Hell, that's what you get when the songs are all very
even, no duds but no true gold nuggets either. The last track entitled "Thunderdome"
is a perfect example of this. Strong thick chorus, the band's fast relentless
chugging and your standard Halford-influenced screaming by Scheepers. Really
nice. Anyhow, when all is said and done there's one thing I'm completely sure
of; as long as Primal Fear is around the future of power/speed metal is looking
bright. At this point these guys do Priest better than Priest themselves.
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