I love Ralph Scheepers, Heading for Tomorrow and Lust For Live by Gamma Ray were two of my early power metal acquisitions. I wish Ralph had joined Scanner after Ball of the Damned. That said I like these two powerful, mid paced, anthemic singles. Great choruses and great vocals! I am looking forward to this.

Track listing:

1 – Another Hero
2 – Bring That Noise
3 – Deep In The Night
4 – Cancel Culture
5 – Play A Song
6 – The World Is On Fire
7 – Their Gods Have Failed
8 – Steelmelter
9 Raged By Pain
10 – Forever
11 – Fearless

Lol @ Cancel Culture, right up there with having an album called Rulebreaker despite being one of the most formulaic bands to ever exist.

I don't think I've ever seen a band go that route and not straight up embarrass themselves.

I always get new PF album.

But why didn't they call 'Steelmelter' as 'Smelter' (Skyrim fucken rules!). Maybe the song isn't really fast, so 'Steelmelter'.

But yes, 'Cancel Culture' as a song title sucks bratwurst.

Well, think about breaking rules: When a band does that, then they get all the hate. PF aren't working with just one template like some...

It's just a damn title.
Why are you so angry about that?

I mean I don't get the issue, look at Ministry's last garbage album.

“Bring That Noise” is a far more egregious title. It’s practically a crime against humanity.

Or everything since Dark Side of the Spoon.

Cool songs... I forgot how this band even really sounded, but these were surprisingly smooth, melodic tunes. Not really much of the overdone shrieking you usually get with these sorts of acts. Going to have to revisit their old work.

It was not that long ago that I would have said that Primal Fear was one of the best modern power metal band. Their run of Unbreakable, Delivering The Black, and Rulebreaker was basically perfect. Since then, I've found my enthusiasm dying down with each subsequent album - none of them are bad (in fact, there are a lot of great songs on Apocalypse and Metal Commando), but I don't find them as interesting as those three.

^idk, even Rulebreaker felt like dollar store Delivering the Black. Some good songs that have lived rent free in my head, but the rest weren't quite there. In retrospect, Apocalypse was definitely the most mid album they had done since the late-2000s. I'm not sure if Code Red here will stay Code Red or flat out become Code Beige - the songs here so far are fine enough I guess, but there's always a surprise track or two, as even Metal Commando had with its long song.

The first few times I heard Rulebreaker, I held a similar opinion, but the album is a huge grower. I'd probably rank it slightly below Delivering the Black, but I still think it's one of their best albums.

Strangely, I actually don't think Primal Fear's original run was as strong as most other people. Nuclear Fire is really strong, but the band didn't hit their stride until Unbreakable for me.

Agreed. Their earlier stuff was too bland...

Unbreakable is a damn good album.

Will have to include Rulebreaker in the next Primal Fear listening session.

Yeah, definitely not hearing much if any praise of their first two albums from yours truly. Just seemed like they were trying to find their footing, with the debut having a few good songs (not so much the sophomore) but were otherwise generally okay if not really focused. The trilogy of Nuclear Fire, Black Sun and Devil's Ground was closer to that of peak Primal Fear... and as long as we pretend they did nothing else since, it certainly continued with Unbreakable and Delivering the Black.

everything until around delivering the black is at the very least good. the first four albums are fantastic. i've found them to be getting progressively more uninteresting past that point and both of those songs in the op maintain that trajectory. well, ok, the deep in the night one kind of just blows, but the other one is very by the numbers as expected.

i will say that with their lyric writing that cancel culture song is probably going to be very stupid-funny, so i am looking forward to that

I think the later Primal Fear stuff is very much middle of the pack PM, nothing outstanding but nothing terrible too. Based on the singles released for this album I don't think that opinion is going to change very much.

For anyone who wanted to hear what that cancel culture song would sound like, here you go:



I'd say it's about exactly what you'd expect from a bunch of middle aged men addressing this topic.

I have my critics about inquisition culture myself, but bands like Primal Fear should stick with sci-fi/fantasy themes, the social commentary is quite lame.
Anyway, the song was decent.

Meathead lyrics from a meathead band.

Being against "inquisition culture" is essentially just being mad that people have opinions about shit. It can be taken too far at times but so much of the way people talk about why they hate this stuff is extremely narrow minded. You can't stop people from judging stuff.

Anyway despite how goofy that whole circus is, I'm looking forward to the album.

LMAO

"They were free to say I was an asshole for having a shitty opinion. THEY WERE BASICALLY TORTURING ME AND FORCING TO RECANT MY BELIEFS"

The problem of the song is not being against cancel culture, which is debatable, is that the song really blows. It has an awful autotune in the mix, the vocals really suck. And the riffs are generic as fuck, why I would listen to this instead of Judas Priest, I don't know, that is a case for you trad metal fans to figure out.

Actions have consequences. That's ok. It's fine to stand against racism and whatnot. But being judge and jury at the same time. Not a chance to redeem yourself. That's my problem with the "cancellation" thing, essentialy. Some people are openly hateful, I agree, but some others are just interpreted in a forced way. It's a thin line.

So don't fall into strawman.

Anyway, the album has been leaked. Sounding good so far. Your usual meat-and-potatoes power/heavy metal

Just the perils of free discussion, sometimes people take it too far. Not much to do except try and have a level head ourselves.

When I first read this I thought your wrote "meathead and potatoes" and that was the funniest thing I had read in a long time. But then I read it again and I was severely disappointed.

Cool album. I think they avoided going down the route of the dumber pandering I somewhat expected. Just solid, hard hitting metal.

Indeed, it was a solid album. Was definitely better than I expected and it is certainly better than the last couple of albums. About on par with Rulebreaker, but maybe further listens to either album will change that much. The Cancel Culture song was actually quite enjoyable in that sorta "When Death Comes Knocking" kind of way with the background symphonics making it bigger. Sadly, no "One Night in December" kind of song, but what are ya gonna do.

I enjoyed it but I think Metal Command is significantly better in my opinion. I will keep listening Code Red anyway, it's a solid album

Man I guess I should hear Rulebreaker and some of these other 2010s ones I never heard.

This one works because it just sounds comfortable. Isn't trying too hard to sound like Priest or anything and the band just dialed in on writing big meaty riffs and strong loud vocal hooks. Ralf Scheepers is a tremendously charismatic singer. I forgot how cool he could be.

Good album, but needs more pinch harmonics.

This turned out well.

2 things I wish would happen. 1. Kai Hansen does another Gamma Ray album and brings Ralph back and they share vocal duties. Maybe invite Michael Kiske to do a song or two as well. 2. Axel Julius does an album with Ralph.

It looks like Mat isn't playing bass for them on their current tour. He was looking pretty stiff in the music videos, so he must not be fully recovered yet. It's too bad because he's really a metal legend that doesn't get enough appreciation.

He's got a terrible screechy voice and he's the reason why the early Gamma Ray albums are essentially unlistenable.
However, he's grown more tolerable over time but has been, and likely will continue to be, a bitter pill to swallow.

He's got a terrible screechy voice and he's the reason why the early Gamma Ray albums are essentially unlistenable.
However, he's grown more tolerable over time but has been, and likely will continue to be, a bitter pill to swallow. I enjoy this band despite his presence.

Interesting - on this one anyway he sounds very smooth and charismatic, not really a lot of grating wailing or anything like that. Just strong solid aggressive vocal work.

a lot of older bands think that singing about topics like this or "but muh cellphones" are cutting social commentary and making a statement, but fail to realize that it's basically impossible to do so without coming across as really cringe or out of touch. it's borderline impossible to pull off. Primal Fear does not have, and has never had, the lyrical chops to handle something as difficult to pull off as this. the best you can hope for is for it to be catchy enough to get past the lyrics. Accept's "Overnight Sensation" is a good example. awful, boomer-y lyrics, but it's a catchy tune so i dig it.

this song mostly meets that criteria. not amazing, but solid. though it is very funny to write such an epic, serious sounding song about what is basically just people getting mad at each other on Twitter.

i am so happy that song was just as stupid as i was expecting it to be. an old ass man wailing about getting banned on twitter over images of cops dragging people into the darkness, perfection

I didn't watch the video, but yeah that one really comes close to having the lyrics ruin it. Funny how it's such a pompous, over the top epic of a song too, yeah.

the cancel culture song is incredibly embarrassing imo. one of the worst "Latest Fad" songs from a bunch of elderly men. Accept's seem a bit more tongue-in-cheek than this (see also Analog Man), at least they don't compare people telling you're wrong on the internet to being crucified. album overall is meh, just gradually stepping down from the career highlight Delivering the Black in my reckoning.