Primal Fear: Delivering The Black

There's no doubt that every genre has its leaders. Bands who through a confidence and display of ability, rise above the others who simply seem to follow in their wake. Primal Fear are one such band, leading the Euro Power Metal genre as if it is their own to do with as they please. In essence what they choose to do is, in truth, similar to countless other bands and still reliant on a blueprint created by the likes of Accept and Judas Priest many, many years ago. However with the class of Alex Beyrodt and Magnus Karlsson on guitars, PF already have a head start on the opposition, so when you add to that the bass bombast of Mat Sinner, drumming displays from Randy Black and the ultra powerful vocal viciousness of Ralf Scheepers, then immediately it becomes apparent why Primal Fear reign supreme.

That line-up has been stable for some four years now and it shows on Delivering The Black, amazingly this band's tenth studio offering. What does it sound like? Well truth be told you know that already because Primal Fear do what they do so well, that tinkering with the sound would be merely to stray from a tried, tested and well loved formula. However the sheer energy and conviction behind the likes of "King For A Day", "Alive & On Fire" and "Inseminoid" ensures that what this Beyrodt produced monster of an album delivers, never falls short of fist punchingly good.

However while each and every one of the ten tracks on show here (twelve and a "single" mix of "Death Comes Knocking" if you buy the deluxe version – and you know you really want to...) pulsates, gyrates and convulsates, the two which really stand out as the central pieces of Delivering The Black are the aforementioned, but full version of "Death Comes Knocking" and "One Night In December", both of which reach towards and beyond the seven minute mark. Orchestral embellishments are unobtrusively added and both tracks evolve through a variety of moods and atmospheres, while still sounding 100% like prime-time Primal. Add to that an acoustic based, but bombastically delivered slower number in the shape of "Born With A Broken Heart", where Leaves Eyes' Liv Kristine adds backing vocals and Delivering The Black stands out as an individual and ambitious album, while still being completely and utterly what this band have always been about. Something many acts have tried to do and failed.

While a few new elements are successfully introduced here, the old adage of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" still springs to mind and rest assured that Primal Fear are in full, glorious, working order.

Track Listing
1. King For A Day
2. Rebel Faction
3. When Death Comes Knocking
4. Alive & On Fire
5. Delivering The Black
6. Road To Asylum
7. One Night In December
8. Never Pray For Justice
9. Born With A Broken Heart
10. Innocent Man
11. Inseminoid
12. Man Without Shadow
13. When Death Comes Knocking (Single Edit)

Added: January 21st 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Primal Fear Online
Hits: 3525
Language: english

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