Primal Fear is a power metal band from Germany formed in 1997, maintaining Germany’s incredible legacy for producing great power (thrash and heavy) metal bands – bands such as Accept, Grave Digger, Kreator, Helloween and Rage, to name just a few! In a career spanning twenty five successful years, the band have released fourteen studio albums, including a 2022 deluxe re-release of their 1997 debut album ‘Primal Fear’, featuring three bonus tracks!
For over two decades, Primal Fear has been one of the world’s leading lights in the realm of power metal, staying at the forefront of the genre ever since their eponymous debut album. The band have been there, done that, and are still doing it – loud and very fucking proud! ‘Code Red’ contains eleven heavy-hitting metallers to amaze and wow listeners with the band’s relentless desire to deliver top-drawer power metal – album opener ‘Another Hero’ blazing into life with an incredible intensity and energy level, the bombastic nature deafening! The heavy foot stomp of ‘Another Hero’ is also anthemic, blasting holes in the ground with immense force, every metalhead around the world head banging and raising their clenched fists high in the air. What an absolutely terrific opening salvo – just how do you follow that? By bringing a fast-paced gallop to the fore that’s how! ‘Bring That Noise’ is the epitome of European power metal – the iconic sound and pace is sheer perfection. But then I’d expect nothing less from the German stalwarts – planting their feet firmly on the monitor, adopting the classic metal pose. And the chant-style chorus too – simply gorgeous!
And what’s more than gorgeous? ‘Deep In The Night’ that’s what! The most beautiful guitar sound lights up the album, and I think I just wet myself! That tone is the stuff of orgasms – ‘Deep In The Night’ marching on with an anthemic call to arms nature that’ll have everyone nodding their heads hard in appreciation of such a fucking great song! Now then, the modern world we live in has produced a phenomenon called “cancel culture” – a “withdrawal of support for public figures or celebrities who have done things that aren’t socially accepted today”. What a load of fucking bullshit! These youngsters know absolutely fuck all – their feelings are constantly hurt because people speak their minds! And tell the truth! To quote Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men (1992) and risk being cancelled myself, “you can’t handle the truth”. So get off your high fucking horses and live in the real world, ’cause I ain’t gonna fucking tip toe around you. Accept what I do and say or just fuck off! I got more important things in my life to care about than your petty feelings, boo fucking hoo!
Anyway, Primal Fear deal with “cancel culture” in a much more diplomatic fashion than me, via the high velocity ‘Cancel Culture’ – a scorching slab of power metal that’s gonna bang heads so fucking hard they’re liable to fly right off! The band are absolutely ferocious here, ‘Cancel Culture’ an incredibly fast paced metaller to send mosh pits into overdrive! Comments bass player Mat Sinner “there are countries where you just disappear if you speak your mind. These are intolerable conditions, but I’m not backing down”. Singer Ralf Scheepers adds “all these ‘keyboard warriors’ out there who hide behind a made up user name to release their hate, jealousy or frustration. It’s simply a no go”. And I for one wholeheartedly agree – the album moving on with the gloriously energised ‘Play A Song’, and a feeling of “party metal” rising high in the air, ‘Play A Song’ oozing a feel good factor that’s gonna spread smiles a mile wide on the faces of every listener, fan and follower. ‘Play A Song’ is top notch power metal from a top notch power metal band.
In my eyes, Primal Fear are one of those bands that never let you down, constantly delivering the goods, and in the shape of ‘Code Red’ the band has done it again, and then some! A more aggressive feel hits you right between the eyes, ‘The World Is On Fire’ a more menacing and intimidating song than anything heard so far. The band are hitting hard and kicking harder, demolishing everything in sight with immense power and force, no-one and nothing is safe from the barnstorming barrage of metal on offer! Have Primal Fear produced an Album Of The Year contender? Damn fucking right they have! ‘Code Red’ is gonna be right up there when awards and accolades for 2023 are dished out – the album moving into hymn-like territory for the majestic elegance that is ‘Their Gods Have Failed’. A staggering cinematic feel descends upon the album, Primal Fear adopting an anthemic swagger bigger than Manowar, Powerwolf and Sabaton combined! And with an arsenal of power metal hot enough to melt steel – that’s around 2.500 Fahrenheit (or around 1,300 Celsius) – Primal Fear roar on with the perfect power metaller ‘Steelmelter’. And the iconic sound of European power metal emanating from my speakers is fucking orgasmic – methinks I’ve just wet myself for a second time! Excuse me for a moment.
Right, I’m back – and so are Primal Fear! Did they ever actually go away? Hell no – ‘Raged By Pain’ returning the aggressive nature of earlier, furiously banging the heads of every single metalhead in the world. And another simply terrific chant style chorus that’s surely gonna down a storm live – should the band perform it on stage! Boy I hope they do! ‘Forever’ brings a mellower touch to the album, soulful vocals accompanying the serene atmosphere that’s just floated overhead – a majestical hymn-like nature rising high in the air. And a touch of the anthemic once more too, ‘Forever’ reining in the power that threatens to explode any moment, just like popping a balloon! And bringing the album to a close, ‘Fearless’ is a bullish barrage of bombastic power metal to keep the hearts of every listener beating fast, and the adrenaline flowing faster! To say ‘Code Red’ is a power metal masterpiece, may be one of the biggest understatements of the year, but we’ll see at the end of the year when the title of Album Of The Year is awarded – it may just be to this one!
Overall, a superb album of infectious power metal from legends of metal Primal Fear, a thoroughly enjoyable ride you’ll wanna enjoy time and time again.
TRACKLIST
Another Hero
Bring That Noise
Deep In The Night
Cancel Culture
Play A Song
The World Is On Fire
Their Gods Have Failed
Steelmelter
Raged By Pain
Forever
Fearless
Primal Fear: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Atomic Fire Records
Category: Album
Country: Germany
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
