PRIMAL FEAR is a Traditional Heavy Metal band from Esslingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. This is their fourteenth full-length album and first since the 2020s ‘’Metal Commando’’. Magnus Karlsson and Ralf Scheepers’s gang is back again with this new opus. After a slew of great albums starting from 2012’s ‘’Unbreakable’’ to ‘’Rulebreaker’’ back in 2016, they released an awesome live album but two very mediocre albums called ‘’Apocalypse’’ and the aforementioned ‘’Metal Commando’’. Is it the start of the downward spiral of this long beloved band? But wait there’s more…

I make no bones about it, PRIMAL FEAR are in my top 15 favorite bands. You have one of the very best vocalists of all time with a very Traditional Heavy Metal sound, hell, the guy did audition for JUDAS PRIEST after all! I love the band, I love the vibe of the band and they give a killer live show. The band commands the stage like almost no other band. Their strength relies on a singer that can sing both live and in the studio without a false note. When the band is on, they are awesome but when they are going through the motions, they feel uninspired and boring, unfortunately.

The first single is a big indicator of what will bring forth the album. ‘’Another Hero’’ could have been a B-Side from ‘’New Religion’’ or even ‘’Seven Seals’’. I am pretty sure I have heard these riffs before and they are just recycling or hashing out old ideas. It’s very cliché and the lyrics are kind of boring or unimaginative. It’s a paint-by-numbers Metal song that is overly produced and has way too many layers added. This song is pretty much an afterthought. It’s a big headbanger but it just falls flat.

The soaring voice of Ralf Scheepers does save the album from total blubbery. He does a fine job on ‘’Cancel Culture’’, ‘’Steelmelter’’ and ‘’Fearless’’. These songs really stand out from the rest of the album, this is the PRIMAL FEAR of old, intense songs like they are accustomed to. These songs could have fit with any of their great albums, they get your heart pumping and your blood boiling. I am pretty sure these songs will be added to their live repertoire. I am also a bit tired of seeing songs with the word ‘’fear’’ in them, it’s getting a bit ridiculous. I know it’s like an inside joke and a sort of running gag but it’s lame honestly. We know we know, you guys are called PRIMAL FEAR, get over it!

It’s a cohesive album, when you hear an album by them, you pretty much heard them all. It’s not going to reinvent the wheel and some songs really are great and you have those subpar tracks that should have been left on the backburner. They always establish their distinctive sound to an album, you have the faster songs, the mid-tempo songs, and the pure headbangers. It’s the formula, it’s their formula and it usually gives the listener something for everyone. This album has decent production but it felt way too overproduced and I think a fresh pair of ears could be beneficial for their next album. They can wait more than three years and really work on these songs and I think Magnus Karlsson should take a bigger place in the lyrics department. He does a masterful job with his solo project and PRIMAL FEAR would benefit from a bigger input by the main shredder. The lyrics are beginning to be too straightforward and unimaginative. The well is dry per se and the album suffers from the poor lyrical content.

The album finishes strong with ‘’Fearless’’ but the almost 60-minute album just lacks direction and momentum. It’s always the same formula and you kind of want to move on to another band, especially after this release. It’s ok but uninspired would be an understatement. I enjoyed the growling parts in the chorus on ‘’Deep in the Night’’ but other than that, it’s just run of the mill album.

I am still a fan even after three consecutive disappointing albums in a row and I would not hesitate one second to see them again in concert, I honestly think Primal Fear should give themselves more time for the next album and come refreshed. They are really starting to run out of ideas and the machine isn’t rolling as it was 5-10 years ago. ‘Code Red’ is a good album but nothing to write home about.