Rulebreaker
Primal Fear
•
February 17, 2016
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Breaking the rules, breaking the rules... Predictably or irreparably in the purest Heavy Metal genre and of course head and shoulders above their competitors , in 2016 PRIMAL FEAR will came and will divide the audience, but one thing is for sure the mighty German Commando behind the Metal Eagle is consistent, armed, dangerous and stronger than ever ("Bullets & Tears" the guitar brigade is now up to three! All are experienced players with notably the returning the former axeman Tom Naumann but Swedish Magnus Karlsson (happily the gifted composer known for his great stuff with ALLEN/LANDE or FREEFALL/STARBREAKER/exLAST TRIBE/exMIDNIGHT SUN is still on board), PRIMAL FEAR is set in clear musical direction staying in the same focus against all odds still providing proudly the solid steady Heavy grooves, with their glorious Halfordian soaring melodies!
The stalwart Mat Sinner (SILENT FORCE/VOODOO CIRCLE/LEVEL 10/SINNER/GODDESS SHIVA) and his main collaborator the great guitar player Alex Beyrodt (SILENT FORCE/VOODOO CIRCLE/exTHE SYGNET ) helped by the iconic exGAMMA RAY vocalist Ralf Scheepers (particulary in great shape on "The Devil In Me" or reaching easily stellar high notes in the PRIESTian "The End Is Near") are back to back on the forge once again to work on the true Germanic alloy and like each time it has the destiny to become one of the highlights of the year. Time will tell; I can take the appointments and open again the discussion within twelve months!
If the style is necessarily very typical and symptomatic of their Teutonic roots (sometimes the ACCEPT similarities are jubilant like on "Constant Heart"), the real innovations are also present punctuating each albums since "Seven Seals" in 2005, with more or less the same result: An absolute brilliance and an obvious mastery. It proves to all his cynic critical detractors that PRIMAL FEAR is not so one-dimensional or so simply predictable like some had chosen to describe them! "We Walk Without Fear" reveals a new successful test eyeing towards a more epic and emotional dimension, updated and enhanced in an exceptionally long format with some outrageously big bombastic orchestral arrangements.
Do not worry guys, bad habits dripping like honey die hard, the original method that was based on headbanging mania and red hot hymns made for the stage efficiency are still there, the evidence are the good old "The End Is Near" or the downright brutal "Angels Of Mercy" that kicks in at the overture, with a flurry of down-tuned Heavy guitars barrage, embellished by some dense hard hitting drums patterns and of course the stunning high pitched vocals. The title track is also notable for its stylistic coherence with their genuine Magic; it's also true for "At War With The World" (I like this maverick politically incorrect thematic) and the future flagship live title "In Metal We Trust". Metal is forever and PRIMAL FEAR is invincible and unbreakable... Don your leather and go; it's time to break the rules!
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
![](http://metal-temple.com/wp-content/uploads/ma-gdpr-youtube-thumbnails/MLRjJQCqCeo/MLRjJQCqCeo_mqdefault.jpg)
"Rulebreaker" Track-listing:
1. Angels Of Mercy
2. The End Is Near
3. Bullets & Tears
4. Rulebreaker
5. In Metal We Trust
6. We Walk Without Fear
7. At War With The World
8. The Devil In Me
9. Constant Heart
10. The Sky Is Burning
11. Raving Mad
Primal Fear Lineup:
Ralf Scheepers - Lead Vocals
Alex Beyrodt - Guitars
Magnus Karlsson - Guitars & Keyboards
Tom Naumann - Guitars
Francesco Jovino - Drums
Mat Sinner - Bass & Vocals
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