Artist: Primal Fear
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 5/14/02
Rating: 4 Skulls
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Title: Black Sun Artist: Primal Fear Label: Nuclear Blast Records Release Date: 5/14/02
Rating: 4 Skulls |
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Death's Review:
Hot on the heels of the domestically well-received Nuclear Fire release and the band's triumphant first U.S. performance at Metal Meltdown III (2001) in New Jersey, Primal Fear are back with a new release that is power-packed with traditional heavy metal glory. This time around, Metal God worshipper Ralf Scheepers' vocals are as strong as ever, while the melodies and guitar lines on many of the tracks have moved a bit closer to the more modern German power-metal type of sound, lessening the direct Judas Priest comparisons leveled at previous efforts. Still, that classic Halfordian essence is there, as tracks like "Revolution," "Mind Machine" and "Fear" (helped along by a guest solo from Halford's current guitarist, Metal Mike Chlasciak) proudly display. This is kick-ass meat and potatoes heavy metal, with dual leads, midtempo, hard-hitting drums, power chords and high pitched wailing galore. There is a bit of that unnecessarily "triumphant" feel to this record that German bands often seem to gravitate to, and overall, I think Nuclear Fire felt darker. Still, this is a good album. I love the solos on tracks like "Magic Eye" and also really dig "Silence," which reminds me of Priest stuff like "Out in the Cold" or "When the Night Comes Down." Primal Fear evoke the old days of metal, the early to mid 1980's glory days when metal was still "heavy metal" and the power chord reigned supreme. The best thing that could happen to Primal Fear in the U.S. right now is probably an opening stint with someone like Iced Earth. Those looking for a currently active band mining the classic NWOBHM sound, look no further than Primal Fear and check out Black Sun.
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