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September 3, 2010 |
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May 14 & 19, 2005
By Tony Antunovich
All photos Copyright © 2005 METALEATER - Do not use without permission.
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From the metal-engine capital of Europe come hard-hitting German power metal sensations PRIMAL FEAR - to Canada, that is. The band wrapped up studio work in Stuttgart with Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HAMMERFALL) in the first week of May, where they recorded twelve tracks for their brand new forthcoming album. 90% of these tracks were basically cast in iron, with the remaining 10% to be completed with Mike Fraser in Canada. Thus, the band flew out to Vancouver, BC to finalize and mix the material at Warehouse Studio in the downtown core of the city. During their short two-week stay in Vancouver, PRIMAL FEAR managed to set aside a little bit of time from their work schedule to make a few special appearances - an in-store signing/meet & greet at Vancouver's Scrape Records on Saturday, May 14, 2005, and an exclusive listening party where the band showcased some new material from the new album, "Seven Seals" (tentative working title).
PRIMAL FEAR members Ralf Scheepers (vocals), Mat Sinner (bass), Tom Naumann (guitar), and Randy Black (drums) - (second guitarist Stefan Leibing was unable to make the trip because he had just purchased a new house back in Germany) - arrived at Scrape Records roughly around 5 PM, where they greeted awaiting fans. A less-than-normal number of fans showed up (that could also be due to the fact that this was also the night of the STRAPPING YOUNG LAD show, which PRIMAL FEAR attended as well). Nevertheless, the 20-30 some odd people that were present had their chance to speak to the band in the flesh and pose for photos and get all their PRIMAL FEAR material signed. I always respect musicians when they actually take the time to interact with their fans and answer their questions. I've attended many events like this, and PRIMAL FEAR are among the most friendly and down-to-earth guys I've met.
Also present were Steve Dickson and Leigh Righton of PHD Canada (PRIMAL FEAR's hosts during their stay in Vancouver), and BW&BK's Mark Gromen. And as always, shop keepers JJ and Dennis were great hosts.
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On the following Thursday (May 19, 2005), PRIMAL FEAR held an exclusive pre-album-release listening party (generously sponsored by Steve Dickson of PHD Canada) where they revealed seven never-before-heard new tracks from their upcoming album for a select number of individuals. The main focus was to give the fans - yes the fans - the opportunity to share in the experience in being among the first 40 some odd people to hear the brand new PRIMAL FEAR material. Now, I have to state that such events like this happening in this city is a rarity, as is having a band like PRIMAL FEAR coming to town to mix an album. It just doesn't happen every day. Having said that, this was a real sweet treat for the fans in attendance to be able to witness the band's new material first hand - before ANYONE else.
Shortly after sitting down with Ralf and Mat for a 20-minute chat, the sound system was being tested to make sure the sound would be as brilliant as possible. Though not a prime, top-quality system, it sounded well enough to be able to blast some mint new PRIMAL FEAR through the speakers. However, both Mat and Ralf seemed to not care for the sound that much, so after some more tweaking, things were set up to a satisfactory level. Really though, it sounded fine to my ears, and these songs weren't even MASTERED yet!
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After a brief intro and thank you speech from Steve Dickson, the microphone was handed over to vocalist Ralf Scheepers, where he announced that he would be introducing each of the seven songs personally. In anticipation of what we all want - a solid PRIMAL FEAR album - Scheepers revealed the first song titles, "Demons & Angels", "All For One", and "Seven Seals" (the working title of the album), which all clearly SOUND like they would be killer PRIMAL FEAR tracks. Now, you may be expecting lengthy descriptions of each individual song, but I'm going to get straight to the point in each and not bore you with mile-long paragraphs. First of all, those of you who enjoy PRIMAL FEAR's music can expect a solid metal album. The band have taken their sound a step further by incorporating new elements into this new material.
For instance, as the title suggests, "All For One" is a traditional PRIMAL FEAR heavy-pounder with plenty of thunder and lightning, but shows a more diverse vocal lead from Scheepers across a wide, anthemic landscape of guitars and drums. Tentative title track, "Seven Seals", sports quite the Mid-eastern flavour in the beginning and carries onward with some more very diverse vocals from Scheepers. Let me tell you people, the man can sing, and in these (along with the other songs showcased), he has really taken his voice to new heights (in my personal opinion). "Evil Spell" is a quaking groundbreaker if I ever heard one in my life. Holy smokes! The atmosphere here is pure, chain-driving metal with impressive performances on all fronts. This is easily one of the finest of the bunch, and judging from the reaction within the confines of the room, the infectious sting of this song will spread rapidly once heard by all. The fans absolutely loved this one. And then there's "Diabolus".
Ralf spoke of this one earlier on during our conversation, describing it as "epical", and reaching approximately eight minutes in length. Just as Ralf said, "Diabolus" is filled with epic dimensions with a dark atmosphere running in the background and Scheepers delivers some awe-inspiring vocals. This one is a lot like "Devil's Ground" in comparison to sound and feel. The other two tracks are entitled "Question Of Honor" and "The Immortal Ones", both of which stood out on top among the others.
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What more can I tell you? The songs are all unmistakably PRIMAL FEAR, but with more depth and bravery within the arrangements than on previous works. PRIMAL FEAR do a tremendous job of pushing their own limits beyond the threshold of mediocrity, and if the more than pleased looks on the faces of those who were present is any indication of what can be expected from fans come release day, PRIMAL FEAR will have yet another triumph on their hands. From what I heard of this fresh material, I highly doubt that you will be disappointed with what PRIMAL FEAR have created here - a mighty, solid one hour-plus selection of pure metal anthems designed to satisfy your metal hunger - just like they have been since day one. You be the judge. Mark your calendars folks. "Seven Seals" is scheduled to be released on October 26, 2005 through Nuclear Blast. [FIN]
» Official PRIMAL FEAR Website
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