Primal Fear's 'Apocalypse' - Album Review

Given how much heavy metal music I consume, it may surprise some to learn that Germany's Primal Fear have never been a band that I have given much attention to. I remember buying one of the band's albums (2009's 16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)) not too long after it's release, and remember enjoying it, but I was never persuaded to invest more time and money into the band's extensive back catalogue. The band was formed in 1997 by frontman Ralf Scheepers and bassist Mat Sinner, and have release an album almost every two years since. As much as I love getting into new bands, sometimes when the said band has an extremely large catalogue of music it can be a daunting and mammoth task - especially when the band tends to rely heavily on one formula which leaves little to choose from or distinguish between albums. That being said, Primal Fear are a great band. With metal such a diverse genre in the 21st Century, featuring more subgenres that can probably be counted, it is good to hear a band sticking so rigidly to the genre's roots. While traditional heavy metal might not be as cool as it used to be, Primal Fear do not seem to care and seem content to churn out tough riffs, anthemic choruses, and shredded solos for eternity. The Judas Priest comparison has been made a lot in reviews etc. of Primal Fear's work, but it is an apt description. While Primal Fear are probably slightly heavier than Judas Priest because of the more modern production values the band employ, the classic heavy metal sound pioneered by Judas Priest definitely forms the basis for Primal Fear's music. In fact, I believe Scheepers formed Primal Fear after he left the power metal act Gamma Ray and unsuccessfully auditioned for the then-vacant frontman spot in Judas Priest! Primal Fear has been his main creative outlet ever since, and last month the band put out their twelfth studio album Apocalypse. Fans of the band will know exactly what to expect with Apocalypse, but this is the first Primal Fear album that I have really made the effort to consume. It is exactly how I expect it to be however, and it has been enjoying regular spins in my house over the past month. Apocalypse is the second album with the band's current six-piece line-up, with Scheepers and Sinner joined by no less than three guitarists and a drummer. Founding guitarist Tom Naumann is now fully re-entrenched in the band since his 2015 return, and he joins Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt to form a formidable guitar attack. Drummer Francesco Jovino completes the line-up. Karlsson, who is usually absent from the band's shows due to his numerous other commitments (one of which is having the dubious honour of being one of Frontiers Records in-house songwriters/producers), has written the majority of the album with Scheepers and Sinner - with the three having formed a strong songwriting partnership over the past decade or so. With Primal Fear's recent announcement that have returned to the Nuclear Blast label for their next albums, it will be interesting to see if Karlsson will choose to remain a part of the Primal Feat set-up given his long-standing involvement with Frontiers.

A heartbeat and a tolling bell heralds the album's beginning, and the instrumental title track sets the scene for what is to come with a checklist of dramatic, gothic tropes. While it may not be the most original of pieces, the menacing twin-guitar riff that forms the bulk of the piece certainly has some weight to it, and this gradually builds into the song New Rise - the first proper piece here. New Rise opens with a fairly fast-paced riff, with Scheepers' high-pitched scream showing that he has lost none of his vocal chops over the years. The song is a fast piece of power metal, with Jovino's fast footwork driving the piece, with the three guitarists lock in to a melodic pattern that mixes soaring double guitar leads and tough rhythms together nicely. Being an opener, the pace never really lets up, with the energy remaining high. A tough pre-chorus sees Scheepers employ a slightly rougher vocal style which injects a little thrash attitude to the song, before the chorus explodes in a flurry of guitar notes and vocal harmonies. Songs like this are a staple of the Primal Fear catalogue, but New Rise still hits hard and opens the album nicely. The Ritual slows things down a little, introducing a tougher, mid-paced sound to the mix that allows Sinner's bass to shine through and Scheepers uses more of his slightly rougher vocal style. The main guitar riff here is plucked straight from the Judas Priest songbook, and has that simple molten metal style that is instantly enjoyable. I feel it is songs like this where Primal Fear really excel, and that is evident here during the chorus which is packed full of raw energy thank to Scheepers' shrieking vocals. A melodic dual-guitar solo is another highlight, which explodes with playful melodies from what is an otherwise tough piece. King of Madness opens more subtly, with a moody clean guitar intro and some wordless vocal chants. This soon gives way to another mid-paced riff however, but this one seems more sombre in tone which sets it apart from the heavier previous song. In fact this song overall feels less heavier, with Scheepers' vocals sounding cleaner and a more liberal use of atmospheric keyboards being employed throughout. This different vibe does not harm the song however, and allows it to stand out from the crowd. There is still plenty of metal here to go around, but it is presented a little more thoughtfully to allow a more emotive vocal performance to shine through.

Blood, Sweat & Fear ups the tempo again, with a stuttering guitar riff to drive the verses and Jovino's tight drumming pulling everything together. The Judas Priest comparisons are once again apt here, with the song building from a very simple foundation to provide a powerful and memorable tune. The chorus is probably one of the album's best, with the cleaner vocal style once again employed with subtle harmonies to help bulk out the sound. Songs like this just have such a muscular power behind them that it is hard not to become wrapped up in what is going on. A shredding guitar solo raises the tempo further, and shows that Primal Fear can boast skills in that department also. Supernova slows things down somewhat and has more of an emphasis on keyboards than much of the band's material. Karlsson also performs the album's keyboards, so is responsible for the piano-based intro, as well as the synths that form a big part of this song's sound. Scheepers' voice sounds different here too, and there seems to be a bit of an effect placed on his vocals to give them an even cleaner sound. That might not be the case, but that is certainly what it sounds like and it gives the vocals a somewhat processed and unnatural sound. I am not sure that I like it, but it does not really detract from what is another solid effort. It is the closest thing on the album to a ballad, so it does provide a welcome change of pace and allows the band to use some different sounds. Hail to the Fear is a more typical Primal Fear song with an upbeat power metal-esque guitar riff and a big driving bassline from Sinner that cuts through the mix. It boasts another powerful chorus, with Scheepers sounding more like his usual self with some soaring harmonies. While the initial riff is quite fast, the song itself is a powerful mid-paced effort that really shows the band at their best. There are some pretty impressive high vocal screams from Scheepers at times too (especially towards the end) which show why he was given a chance to audition for Judas Priest all those years ago. Hounds of Justice is another stand-out track for me, and boasts a really catchy opening riff and probably my favourite chorus on the album. The chorus has a cleaner feel than much of the album, but it is packed so full of big melodies that this slightly change of tone does not feel jarring. It has a bit more of a modern feel than much of the band's material, but the riffs hit just as hard and the melodies really sink into your brain.

The Beast is another powerful piece, with a gang-vocal chorus that feels like the heaviest moment on the album. Gang vocals are not something used that much throughout the album, which makes their use here have a big impact. There is certainly a big chunk of fellow Germans Accept throughout the song, with the tough mid-paced riffing that that band built a long career on. The simplicity of this song makes it really stand out, and it is one of my favourite pieces on the album as a result. I can imagine the chorus working really well live, and I hope the band choose to play it live when they next go on tour. Eye of the Storm is the album's penultimate song, and it is the album's longest at around eight minutes long. Despite the song's length, it never feels over long and is certainly more involved than any of the other songs found here. Parts of the song have a more blatant symphonic feel, with Karlsson's dancing synths adding an orchestral backing to many of the song's sections, with more typical tough metal riffing forming the rest of the song. While I would not call it a progressive piece, there is certainly more going on here than during your average Primal Fear track. Delicate acoustic passages add depth, while sombre twin-guitar solos add some emotional weight. Lengthier songs have to keep things interesting with varying content, and this song does well to avoid falling into the trap of repeating itself. The album's closing number Cannonball is more of the band's typical fare, and ups the pace again to create a powerful closing statement. The double bass drumming keeps rolling throughout the piece, and the staccato chorus is packed full of angst and attitude. Scheepers always sounds at his best for me when he has the slightly rough edge to his voice, and this song makes good use of that - especially during the chorus which seems him at his raspy best. There are catchier songs here, but the heaviness of the piece makes it a perfect closing number, and the album ends on a punchy high. Overall, Apocalypse is another solid entry into the Primal Fear catalogue that continues the band's impressive legacy and re-establishes their reputation as one of the the premier traditional metal acts in the world. While the album adds nothing new to the band's sound, it is full of powerful anthems that are sure to please long-time fans.

The album was released on 10th August 2018 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for King of Madness.