PRIMAL FEAR – album review of their new album METAL COMMANDO #primalfear #metalcommando
Review by John Erigo
PRIMAL FEAR has been a metal fans dream band. These guys ALWAYS deliver the goods, album after album. They’ve been at it a long time, they are very talented and they are dedicated to the metal!! It baffles me how this band isn’t much bigger than they are, nit slighting where they are in the metal pecking order, but they are a band that needs to be higher up to the top of the metal food chain. Their latest album METAL COMMANDO does not disappoint on any level.
When you combine 2 metal veterans like RALF SHEEPERS and MAT SINNER you might expect a one or 2 album supergroup running through the motions to collect a cash grab but that isn’t even close to what these rockers have going on here. Combing classic elements of metal bands we all love Primal Fear has carved out their sound, their metal stamp. Great production (by Mat Sinner), great playing/songwriting and of course, the soaring vocals of Ralf Scheepers, makes the combination for some deadly and extremely necessary METAL!!!
Hardcore metal fans will no doubt hear the heavy Judas Priest influence in the music, mixed with elements of classic European Power Metal. Great songs that are heavy but also have catchy elements to really grab your ear. “I AM ALIVE” kicks off the album and instantly you know what you’re in for! FUCKING METAL!!!
One of my fave songs on the album is “THE LOST AND FORGOTTEN” – it really has everything – the riff is so killer, I love the vocals and it is just a solid metal tune. Primal fear can hang with the big boys, and this tune proves it!
There’s some killer double bass work by the bands new drummer Michael Ehré (GAMMA RAY, THE UNITY) on a few songs, especially “MY NAME IS FEAR”. Steady and solid double bass with machine gun-like precision – nice! Let’s not leave Primal Fear’s guitar slingers either – Alex Beyrodt (Voodoo Circle, Silent Force) and Tom Naumann – both excellent shredmeisters in their own right. I am telling you friends, this is band to be reckoned with!
“HEAR ME CALLING” is a great example of all the band has to offer. The softish parts show that Ralf Sheepers should ALWAYS be in the conversation of top vocalists. Not just in metal. He really displays a full range of emotions on this tune, and the verses crescendo into full blown belting-it-out metal choruses. See the video above**
Above is another example of the band flexing it’s metal muscle – with riffs that would make Accept fans grin, Ralf soars into a higher register and then hits some great howling screams in between lines the choruses. Brilliant!That’s the difference between a person with a good voice and a person that’s a good singer. A lot of people don’t know how to use what they got, but Ralf and his bandmates have it figured out. Let’s not forget mat Sinner who is an accomplished bass player, but also is a lead singer in his other band SINNER. So on the these big metal choruses you essentially have TWO guys that are talented lead vocalists. I am gonna say it again, this band, this album, is ESSENTIAL for all metalheads. ALL killer, no filler. Fall in line and become a METAL COMMANDO!!!!
Check out PRIMAL FEAR online —-
Get the album here —-
https://media.nuclearblast.de/shoplanding/2020/PrimalFear/metal-commando.html
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