Now THIS is some bad-ass power metal. Squire! My sword!One of the reasons I never tire of heavy metal is that it endures so heartily, and it's because of bands just like Primal Fear that continue to fly the flag of musical irrepressibility. Those crafty Germans have been cranking out quintessential power metal for nearly 20 years, and they're nowhere near done yet, as exemplified by their 10th studio album, Delivering the Black.
Ralf Scheepers and company have fashioned yet another tight production of unstoppable force that kicks off with the thundering beat of King For A Day and only lets up once for the quasi-ballad, Born With A Broken Heart - as every other track on this 52 minute release comes at you like a tornado of flaming circular saws (no wonder metal guys wear so much leather).
While Ralf rocks the vocals so mightily you have to wonder why Judas Priest passed him up when they had the chance, you can't ignore the killer guitar work of Alex Beyrodt and Magnus Karlsson, whose razor sharp rhythms feel like they could cut through a battleship. Now this is power metal!
The Bottom Line: Fans of straight ahead, no bullshit power metal simply must check out Primal Fear's latest album. It's the kind of stuff that reminds us that all of the various subgenres and offshoots that crowd the genre today started somewhere, and this is it. Excellent work, boys!
Tracks To Make You Want To Tear Down The Highway Brandishing A Broadsword: Rebel Faction, Alive & On Fire, Delivering the Black
- Genghis would look *terrible* in all leather...