Band:	Primal Fear
Album:	Primal Fear
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	1998
A review by:	Pierre Tombale

01. Primal Fear
02. Chainbreaker
03. Silver And Gold
04. Promised Land
05. Formula One
06. Dollars
07. Nine Lives
08. Tears Of Rage
09. Speedking [Deep Purple cover]
10. Battalions Of Hate
11. Running In The Dust
12. Thunderdome
13. Breaker [Accept cover] [Deluxe bonus]
14. Chainbreaker [Live version] [Deluxe bonus]
15. Running In The Dust [Live version] [Deluxe bonus]

Out of the power-metal-mass-production-facilities of Germany arose Primal Fear to record their same titled debut Album in 1998. Of course this band is member of the 'Helloween-GammaRay-Iron Saviour-family' or how do you explain the guest appearance of Kai Hansen? (The man !seems! to appear on every german power metal production). Soundlike the album is oriented towards Judas Priest's Painkiller and the 'you-know-how-to-play-GammaRay' stuff. Even the cover makes you think of Judas Priest, but rather the 'Screaming For Vengeance' album, since the picture (or better all covers) contain iron eagles that remind you of the mentioned Priest album.

Enough of comparison, back to originality. The album was produced by Mat Sinner (from the band Sinner), containing one Deep Purple cover version of Speedking and guest appearances of Kai Hansen, Frank Roessler and The Hollywood Blasers (whoever they are??). Ralf Scheepers (Ex-GammaRay) is the gifted vocalist with a voice quite comparable (yes, I know I said enough comparison) to that of Rob Halford, so decision was easy to create a power metal band of several influences, talents and skills. The outcome luckily mostly doesn't sound like the rest of the family, rather like a mix of the given bands driven to a point where you can no longer deny the originality of Primal Fear. Of course there are always melodies that remind you of the heritage (this can be heard especially in the song 'Nine Lives'). Influences can be heard in the song 'Chainbreaker' and in 'Nine Lives'.
The opener, or when you put it like this: artist - album - title track number one is Primal Fear - Primal Fear - Primal Fear, which looks quite strange and unoriginal when you read it, is just an instrumental intro, mainly with synthesizers. But ist's only the opening for an album that goes through the usual stages of a power metal album with speed songs, ballads and everything in between. It is to say that the debut is not the best record Primal Fear made, but it sets the pace for what is to come, style and influences clearly mark the way, the musicians are talented and as mentioned the lead singer is very gifted, being able to sing and scream in abnormally high pitched tones. A bit outstanding among the other songs are 'Chainbreaker' and 'Tears Of Rage', Speedking' is an interesting cover.

There nothing to complain about the quality of the production (as expected), weighing pros and cons of the presented songs you can say among all visible (hearable) talent and solid appeal (and after all the contradicitions above) it's worth nothing more and nothing less than a 7.5.