Primal Fear
Seven Seals

November 2005
Released: 2005, Nuclear Blast/Sound Pollution
Rating: 5.0/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall

Primal Fear is quick to release albums. DEVILS GROUND was released last year and now this German act has already unleashed the follow up. The bands musical similarities with the English legends Judas Priest is pretty obvious but where their last albums didn’t reach all the way this one does. SEVEN SEALS is also the first album with the latest line-up.



Primal Fear invites us to take part in the extremely well played and solid heavy metal on SEVEN SEALS, they have dared to tread outside their natural frames and the similarities with Judas Priest are toned down. The latest addition to the band, the Canadian drummer Randy Black, is a far more varied drummer than Klaus Sperling was and he introduces the guys to a new way of playing.



SEVEN SEALS is produced by the bands mastermind Mat Sinner together with Charlie Bauerfeind (Blind Guardian, Halford, Motörhead etc) and Mike Frazer (AC/DC, Metallica, The Cult etc) have done the mixing. It feels like Mat did the right thing co-producing this album with another producer. Vocal wise Ralf sounds a lot more “grown” and he uses his voice differently from before and if DEVILS GROUND had a solid line-up it was nothing compared to the current one.



All of the 10 songs feels justified to be on an excellent high score album like SEVEN SEALS and the album sure gets better and better the more you listen to it. It doesn’t contain a dull moment at all. I can’t pick any favorite tracks instead I have to recommend the whole album. This is a mile-stone in the bands career and it’s going to be hard to top this album, I list SEVEN SEALS as one of the better heavy metal album of 2005 no questions about it.



The band have already begun their support tour with Helloween and it’s a tour that’s going to continue during 2006. SEVEN SEALS is a masterpiece and even their updated version of their logo the Eagle looks outstanding!





Label

http://www.nuclearblast.de

http://www.soundpollution.se