One of the things about heavy metal that I think attracted me to
the genre as a young man – and something I find kind of laughable
these days – is the testosterone-laced machismo that makes up some
of the lyrics. It almost is like a “warrior ethic” for the teenage
boy; an extension of his developing manhood, if you will. Of
course, now that I’m within sniffing distance of 30, I listen to
some of those groups and wonder to myself, “What was I
thinking?!?”
Germany’s Primal Fear is a band that falls under this blanket of
six-string machoness, but to their credit, they don’t take it to
any far-reaching extremes. Their latest disc,
Jaws Of Death, is entertaining, but its overall sound is
typical of other bands who strut their stuff in the name of all
things metal, a la Manowar and Hammerfall.
The band – singer Ralf Scheepers (ex-Gamma Ray), guitarists Tom
Naumann and Stefan Leibing, bassist Mat Sinner and drummer Klaus
Sperling – prove early on that they’re talented musicians, though I
admit I did find myself waiting to hear a real blistering solo for
a while before it seemed like the guitars really kicked in. After
the brief instrumental intro of “Jaws Of Death,” the band kicks
things off with “Final Embrace,” the type of tune that draws on the
experience each band member has with their former groups.
For a good portion of
Jaws Of Death, Primal Fear churn out song after song that
sound similar to some metal I would have listened to when I was a
teenager; be that as it may, the songs are still very listenable,
something I normally wouldn’t expect. Tracks like “Church Of
Blood,” “Under Your Spell” and “Save A Prayer” all have their
moments, but don’t be surprised if you feel like you’ve heard this
stuff before.
What is interesting about this album is that the music near the
end starts to sound a little more commercial – and a little
mellower as a result. Songs like “Fight To Survive” almost sound
like they were created with the idea of releasing a single
(something I honestly doubt the band had planned to do), and is
even more accessible than some of the other material.
Scheepers’s vocals are something that do take a little time to
get used to, especially when he’s not in the higher ranges; there’s
kind of a hoarseness to them at times.
Jaws Of Death is an album that breaks no new ground, but I
wonder if it was intended to in the first place. Fortunately, its
musical strength carries it through, and makes it an album that
today’s young metalheads will want to consider picking up.
