ALBUM REVIEW: Primal Fear (reissue) – Primal Fear
Ralf Scheepers is unlikely to ever escape the shadow of JUDAS PRIEST, but he’s probably okay with that. Back in the mid-90s, he came within a whisker of fronting them after Rob Halford’s departure, only for Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens to get the job instead. In the aftermath, he formed PRIMAL FEAR with several like-minded friends and musicians, intending to just have fun and blow off steam. Nu-metal was dominating the airwaves and his new band was only meant to be a hobby.
Instead, things escalated and the unexpected enthusiasm from the music industry took them off guard. PRIMAL FEAR signed to Nuclear Blast and went on to be a cornerstone of Germany’s rich heavy metal scene. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, they’ve decided to re-release their debut album in a shiny new deluxe edition.
Listening to it now, it’s obvious they were very much a new band when recording this. Primal Fear is a scrappy, uneven album that’s a long way from perfect, but gets by on enthusiasm and general likeability. This is old-school metal played by guys who really love what they do and you can almost hear them smiling. PRIMAL FEAR would write better records than this, but there’s still a lot to recommend.
For one thing, the PRIEST worship is stamped all over it. There are several songs here which could easily have appeared on a successor to Painkiller. Promised Land, Nine Lives and Tears Of Rage are all shameless love letters to Glenn Tipton and friends, and they’re arguably better than anything that appeared on Jugulator. Opening track Chainbreaker is a cast-iron belter as well; a timeless, fist-pumping metal anthem with a big chorus and a riff made of pure adrenaline. It’s been a regular fixture of their live shows for decades and for good reason; it rules.
On the downside, it’s also got some clangers. Formula One is so cheesy it could make your speakers drip fondue, and the cover of DEEP PURPLE’s Speedking is earnest but disappointing. A couple of the tracks go on too long, there’s an unremarkable chorus or two and while there’s nothing to completely derail it, this isn’t the strongest album in the PRIMAL FEAR back catalogue.
And that’s okay. They were still very much in their infancy and this record was a decent enough launch pad to kick start their careers. It’s the sound of a band who love JUDAS PRIEST trying to find their own feet and managing to hit enough bullseyes to deliver a respectable debut. If you’re a long-time fan who already owns the original, there’s not much reason to own this version, but newcomers will want to check out their formative years. It’s also entirely possible that a few members of the PRIEST camp looked enviously at Chainbreaker and wondered, what if?
Rating: 6/10
Primal Fear (reissue) is set for release on July 15th via Atomic Fire Records.
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