I am really rather glad that I got this release to review. It's no surprise the band have their tracks showing up on X-box games and being used by Major League Soccer. It clever without being pretentious, progressive while being catchy, and quite a bit of thinking music fan’s fun. This is very much worth seeking out.
Primal Fear: 16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead)
Former Gamma Ray vocalist Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner from the eponymous named band started this bunch in 1997. This year finds them releasing another bunch of Germanic power metal. And the quality remains in droves, with each song continuing to show the best of the genre. Now, to some its an acquired taste, but I have always loved this sort of metal.
It's heavy driving and riff-heavy while retaining the catchiness quotient perfected by Iron Maiden. There are songs on here that are clearly written for their sing-along potential live. The title track has got one of those choruses that sticks in your head and will not let go. Americans will love their ode to a famous gun-maker in the form of “Smith & Wesson.” That is not to say the rest of the tracks are not great slabs of Kraut metal.
There are few bands that actually get it right with this amount of consistency. There is no duff track on here, nothing that makes you cringe with its cliché lyrics and cheesy chorus. Primal Fear know what works and what doesn’t. While this release might not break any new ground its consistency is to be welcomed. Any way you cut it this is a great metal album.
A couple of DVDs and some great CDs is not a bad collection for this week. Have fun out there next week, check out some good live music, and if you are stateside have a good 4th of July weekend.
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