Primal Fear's 'Code Red' - Album Review

Whilst following bands who regularly switch up their approach is often very exciting, as each new release from such acts is likely to be a unique experience, there is something comforting and enjoyable about those bands who regularly release albums within a pretty rigid framework and continue to excel at their chosen sound. Bands like that are often good refuges to return to after branching out into unfamiliar territories - and the German metal titans Primal Fear having been providing such a refuge for fans of old-fashioned heavy metal since releasing their self-titled debut album back in 1998. Formed a year earlier by frontman Ralf Scheepers, who was relatively fresh out of Gamma Ray and filled with disappointment after loosing out to Tim Owens in the race to become Judas Priest's singer, and bassist Mat Sinner, Primal Fear have now released 14 studio albums - and have remained extremely consistent sound-wise despite undergoing a few line-up changes over the years. Scheepers and Sinner have always kept Primal Fear going, though, have kept the band on the straight and narrow. The band are sometimes seen as part of the European power metal scene, and there are power metal moments to be found throughout their catalogue, but in truth Primal Fear just channel the best of heavy metal throughout the years - with the heavier end of Judas Priest's signature sound certainly being a key touchstone. Earlier this month, the band's latest platter of wholesome heavy metal was released into the world - with Code Red being the band's 14th studio album and their first to be released through Atomic Fire Records. It is the band's first album for three years, following the enjoyable Metal Commando (which I reviewed here) which came out in 2020. Whilst a three year gap between albums is pretty normal these days, this is actually the longest gap between albums in the band's career. Primal Fear have generally released an album every two years, and early on even released albums in consecutive years a handful of times. The pandemic likely did not help, but the relative delay was likely due to Sinner's recent health issues. I am not exactly sure what Sinner has been going through, but it seems as if his health took a significant downward turn over the past couple of years. He is recovering, and is clearly now well enough to co-write, record, and produce Code Red, but he is still not back to full fitness so is currently not touring with the band. It is great that he appears to be on the road to recovery, though, and as one of Primal Fear's main songwriters and their producer I am sure that the band are happy that he is well enough to at least write and toil away in the studio. The slight delay has not had much of an impact on Primal Fear's classic sound, though. There has certainly been a slight smoothness to the sound since guitarist Magnus Karlsson came on board in 2008, but Code Red is as heavy and as hard-driving as ever - and is very similar to all of the band's other recent releases. It is the second album to feature the band's current line up, with Scheepers, Sinner, and Karlsson joined by original guitarist Tom Naumann, long-time guitarist Alex Beyrodt, and relatively new drummer Michael Ehré.

Following some sparkling synths, the album kicks off with Another Hero - a mid-paced metal anthem which is very much well within the band's core wheelhouse. The main riff is a real slab-like effort, and drives the song from pretty much the off - forming the basis of the heavy verses along with Sinner's pounding bass and the precise punch of Ehré. The song's intro and various instrumental sections which feature the riff see Ehré taking more of a percussive drumming approach, but the verses feature a very straight forward beat - which is the perfect backing for Scheepers' voice, who sounds as good ever. The chorus does round the off song's edges a little, and the band's dalliances with power metal are evident. Subtle keyboards are added to the mix to create some melodic depth, whilst Scheepers sings with less grit. The chorus is very hooky as a result, and it adds a slightly pop edge to what is otherwise a pretty crunchy song. A lengthy guitar solo features a mix of lead styles - from shredded phrases to more precise dual-guitar leads - and it is clear that the song is another strong effort in a long line of mid-paced metal anthems from the band. Bring That Noise is somewhat similar, but the song has more of an urgency to it. It is no speed metal piece, but it feels more kinetic than the stomping previous track - with some harmony guitar riffing early on, which is augmented by some double bass drumming from Ehré. This drumming approach makes the song feel faster than it actually is, but the riffing throughout generally remains pretty mid-paced - which is typical of the band's molten approach. The harmony guitar riffs are quite modern sounding, showcasing that Primal Fear are not just nostalgia merchants, whilst a soaring pre-chorus section sees Scheepers pushing himself vocally and delivering a surprisingly smooth performance - before a gang vocal-led shout-along chorus returns to something more typical. The song feels pretty anthemic as a result, power metal melodies and Accept-like stomping riffs mixing well to create something instantly memorable - and it would not surprise me to see the song become a live staple. Deep in the Night returns more to the Teutonic sound of the album's opening cut, but the pace has been slowed further to ensure that the piece feels even heavier. Despite Judas Priest being the band's main influence, there is also quite a lot of Accept to be found in Primal Fear's sound - and Deep in the Night very much channels Primal Fear's countrymen throughout. Scheepers' is not as guttural-sounding as any of Accept's frontmen, but he is gritty enough to suit the headbanging riffing style which Accept made famous - and the occasional higher-pitched note from him ensures that Primal Fear are set apart from Accept. The song is a simple one overall, though, with strident riffing, another real shout-along chorus, and a surprisingly bluesy solo section which features some excellent melodic guitar playing. It rounds off the album's opening anthemic triple-threat nicely - and sets up some of the more expansive pieces to come.

Cancel Culture is more of a longer-form piece, and it allows the band to both stretch out somewhat and indulge in something more speedy. Occasionally the band write longer pieces, and this is one of two found on the album. There is also a strong speed metal influence here, and the track generally operates at a faster pace than what has been heard up to this point. It also feels bigger overall, thanks to some subtle symphonic elements and more of a keyboard presence at times. The opening feels more epic, then, but a thrashy riff soon kicks in - and Ehré leads the charge throughout the verses with his fast footwork. This ups the overall heaviness, and the driving riffing throughout is full of power and thrashy accents. The whole song is not like this, though, and the arrangement of the longer song is somewhat more dynamic. As mentioned, there are some symphonic trappings here - and the chorus is slower overall with a big string backing to allow Scheepers' powerful vocal display to rise above the more mid-paced riffing which is featured here. There is also more of a focus on symphonics later, with an instrumental section which features stabbing strings and plenty of keyboards - before a lengthy guitar solo section takes over which likely features all three of the band's guitarists trading licks. Play a Song returns to something a bit more straight forward akin to the album's opening tracks. Despite this, though, the band's power metal side is featured a bit more throughout the track - with Scheepers generally singing in a slightly cleaner manner throughout. His grit is generally replaced with more of a soaring approach, and he really soars during the hooky chorus - whilst the punchy mid-paced drum grooves and the occasional harmony guitar leads create a decent amount of energy. There is still plenty of crunch, but the song does not feel as intense as some of the others here. The melodies have been pushed to the fore this time, and there are certainly similarities that can be drawn to bands like HammerFall here - despite the overall punch which is still present. The World Is on Fire returns to the band's much crunchier side - and the track is one of my favourites on the album. It opens quite slowly, with a guitar melody which slowly builds up - before the song explodes into a big riff, and the mid-paced verse sets the tone. In many ways, this is a song which features a lot of the band's trademarks in one package. Scheepers growls his way through the headbanging verses, which are punctuated by hooky little riffs, whilst a lengthy pre-chorus features the band's more melodic approach - with some higher-pitched and smoother vocals. This sections returns to the power metal of the previous song, but there is still plenty of crunch, whilst the chorus which follows is a good mix of hard-driving, gang vocal-led hooks and some smoother counter-melodies. Lots of the hooks here really sink into the brain, and the track is a real favourite thanks to this mix of approaches. It is not as dynamic as Cancel Culture, but it still feels more 'developed' - and has been a favourite since my first listen.

Their Gods Have Failed is similar, and it is the album's longest song at over seven minutes in length. It is easily the most dynamic piece here, and the song channels a few progressive influences despite the band still sticking pretty closely to their usual script. The song opens slowly, with acoustic guitar melodies, but the track is not a ballad - and it soon builds up, exploding with some folky harmony guitar leads which transition into a bigger riff. There is a lot going on during the song's early sections, then, and the verse introduces another sound - as Sinner's bass tends to dominate, with the guitars adding big, clean sweeps which add plenty of depth. Much of the song is heavier, so these more atmospheric verses are welcome - although a fat bass tone helps to keep the song from feeling too mellow. The song builds towards its chorus, which sees the band return to their usual mid-paced, crunchy approach - but the symphonics of some of the earlier songs return here, and the chorus is packed full of strings to make the song feel much more epic overall. A dramatic spoken word section makes more use of the strings later on, adding a theatrical side to the piece - before a pretty lengthy guitar solo takes over. The solo is not as high-octane as might be expected, and instead the phrasing throughout is generally pretty slow-burning. This fits in with the song's more expansive tone, and quite a large portion of the solo is given over too smouldering harmony guitar leads - which again leans into the song's bigger overall sound. The song feels like the album's centrepiece, and it is another overall highlight for me thanks to its dynamic arrangement and overall approach. Unsurprisingly, Steelmelter returns to something more typical of the band's hard-hitting sound, and there is plenty of Judas Priest to be found throughout the simpler track. The main hooky mid-paced riff is a big focus throughout, whilst the verses feature some old-school chugging to keep the song grounded in the band's core sound. After a couple of more complex pieces, the simplistic chug of Steelmelter is welcome, but it is very much Primal Fear 101. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though, and there are some excellent harmony guitar moments throughout to add additional melodies, whilst a decent chorus shows that the band can be melodic without sacrificing too much of their trademark grit. The guitar solo section returns to something more shredded, too, and the band's guitarists let rip a bit more here - after recovering from their more precise and cultured approach to soloing in the previous song. Raged by Pain is similar, and it is the album's shortest song at just over three minutes. Generally Primal Fear songs are somewhat longer to allow a chance for the riffing and soloing to hit home, but Raged by Pain takes more of a smash-and-grab approach - with another Accept-like shout-along chorus and plenty of rasping vocals during the chugging, albeit faster, verses. There are certainly more interesting songs here from an arrangement perspective, but as a burst of energy Raged by Pain succeeds at doing the basics right.

Forever then changes the overall pace quite considerably, as it is the album's only ballad. Given that it is the album's penultimate song, it does feel a bit late in the day for a ballad - and perhaps it could have come earlier in the album to break up the more relentless riffing found elsewhere. Despite this, though, the song is succeeds at being a ballad - even if its placing on the album feels strange. It opens slowly, with delicate piano melodies, which Scheepers soon starts to singer over. Subtle strings are added to the mix, and the first verse in general is pretty sparse throughout - with just the piano and strings to back Scheepers' different vocal approach. All of his usual grit is absent here, but his delivery suits the low key approach - although he returns to something more typical during the chorus, which is heavier thanks to the band crashing in. The symphonics remain, making the chorus sound pretty big, and the song remains pretty epic in scope despite being a ballad. Later verses are more involved, with a punchy drum groove and more of a propelling bass presence, but they still feel pretty restrained - which allows the chorus to hit harder with its symphonic arrangement each time it returns. The guitar solo here is unsurprisingly quite slow-burning, too, but it is not as lengthy or as epic as it could be. I would have preferred much more of a showcase solo moment here, but it is on the short side somewhat - with a more typical instrumental section featuring the strings taking more of the focus. As the album's only ballad, Forever does its job - but for me it feels too late in the tracklist to provide much of a genuine change of pace. The album then comes to a close with Fearless, which returns to the band's core sound in a big way. It is another mid-paced metal anthem, although it has a bit of a snappier overall sound with some power metal vibes again making their presence known. The song is not as smooth as some of the other power metal pieces, but the focus on melody throughout feels power metal in nature. The riffing feels pretty nifty throughout, with speedy little melodies rising out of the mid-paced crunch, whilst Scheepers' voice is not quite as gritty throughout as it can be. There is still plenty of big riffing throughout, though, and the chorus is another hooky moment - which is fitting given that it is the last one on the album. The chorus melodies feel a bit more strident than is typical, with more of a classic rock approach to vocal melodies perhaps the grittier sound generally taken. The band's core sound is still very evident though, and a final solo section features some more knotty guitar leads before the song comes to a somewhat slow close thanks to a fade out and more crunchy riffing. Primal Fear are one of those bands who rarely disappoint, and Code Red is therefore exactly what their fanbase would expect. A couple of more longer-form pieces help to ensure some variety, but in general the album sticks to the band's well-established template nicely - and those who love old-school heavy metal will find plenty to enjoy here considering how many big riffs and choruses there are throughout the album's 11 songs.

The album was released on 1st September 2023 via Atomic Fire Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Another Hero.