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Primal Fear: 16.6 (before the devil knows you're dead)
27/05/09 || Euthanatos
Life, if nothing else, is funny because it never ceases to amaze us. After ripping Primal Fear apart because of their last album, I was ready and willing to do it all over again with their new one, “16.6”. Well, the band has done a complete 180 on my ass and released a solid metal album, with all of the undeniably fun clichés of the Judas Priest/Gamma Ray/Accept hybrid they intend to be.
Make no mistake, nothing is revolutionary about this album; it is still quintessentially a traditional power/speed/heavy metal album, very German, very Priest-wannabe. But, this time around, Ralf and his troop were fucking inspired (finally!), delivering riff, after riff, after motherfucking riff (yes, I know I ripped that off some obscure band’s album title), and while they’re at it, they manage not to sound repetitive at all. Well, maybe they do sound like some of their past albums, the earlier ones at that, but throughout the album the songs are surprisingly fresh. It’s not just riff-ridiculously high screams-generic solo-riff. Not at all. There are your fast, riff-packed songs like “Riding the Eagle”, “Night After Night” and the ridiculously Priesterized “The Exorcist”, the heavier, mid-paced stuff like “Six Times Dead”, and even some epic slow-but-momentum-building, like “5.0/Torn” and “No Smoke Without Fire”. There’s even a gay ballad at the end, but well, you can’t win ‘em all.
Ralf himself is quite surprising here. No, he hasn’t suddenly started making multiple voices like Mike Patton or Matthew Barlow, but certainly makes an effort at diversity here. Far more than on any album I’ve ever heard of his. That alone is quite appreciated and commendable.
As a matter of fact, that is the overall vibe I get from “16.6”; a valiant effort at stretching their musical territory. A sound “okay, we’re fucking cliché heavy metal and we’re not changing that, but we’ll be damned if we don’t try and blow your mind”. And you know what, it definitely worked.
I know music reviewers can come off as cunts most of the times, and god knows, here at GD we’re greater cunts than anyone, but I’m pleased to take my hat off to these Germans for once. This is fun, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
The cover: A man-eagle surrounded by fire. I believe that’s what you’ll find under “heavy metal” if you care to check on any dictionary or encyclopedia.
6 sixteen point sixes out of 10.
- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Frontiers Records
- Website: www.primalfear.de
- Band
- Ralf Scheepers: vocals
- Henny Wolter: guitars
- Magnus Karlsson: guitars
- Mat Sinner: bass, backing vocals
- Randy Black: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Before the Devil knows you`re Dead
- 02. Riding the Eagle
- 03. Six Times Dead (16.6)
- 04. Black Rain
- 05. Under the Radar
- 06. 5.0 /Torn
- 07. Soar
- 08. Killbound
- 09. No Smoke without Fire
- 10. Night after Night
- 11. Smith & Wesson
- 12. The Exorcist
- 13. Hands of Time
