{"id":117152,"date":"2025-09-03T16:42:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T16:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/117152\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T16:42:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T16:42:07","slug":"primal-fear-domination-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/117152\/","title":{"rendered":"Primal Fear – Domination Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Ever since Ralph Scheepers left Gamma Ray for greener pastures and an ill-fated tryout for the vacant vocal spot in Judas Priest, he\u2019s thrown his all into Primal Fear, and so, every two years or so, like clockwork, we get a new gleaming chrome platter from them. At first, it felt like he was doing Painkiller-esque album after album to show Priest what a huge fuck up they made by choosing Ripper over him. Over time, though, the Primal Fear sound morphed into a more power metal-centric style with Judas Priest no longer the primary influence. They\u2019ve more or less occupied the same space as bands like Brainstorm and Mystic Prophecy for the last decade, and every release is a familiar buffet of macho riffs and Scheepers\u2019 high-flying Halfordisms. 15th album Domination sees long-time guitarists Tom Naumann and Alexander Beyrodt depart, and Angus McSix axe-mistress Thal\u00eca Bellazecca stepping in to replace them. Well-traveled drummer Andr\u00e9 Hilgers also comes aboard, replacing Michael Ehr\u00e9. Will all this new blood shake up the Primal Fear sound and give us something different and unusual? Yes and no.<\/p>\n

Domination kicks off in typical Primal Fear style with the anthemic and fist-pumping \u201cThe Hunter.\u201d It\u2019s a great example of their \u201cJudas Priest doing power metal\u201d sound, and it hits the chorus and makes you remember it after one spin. It\u2019s what you expect at this point from Primal Fear, and it\u2019s easy to enjoy. They follow that up with a run of equally catchy nuggets from \u201cDestroyer\u201d on through lead single \u201cTears of Fire.\u201d All featuring their tried-and-true blueprint of meaty riffs and commanding vocals with a big(ish) chorus to screw your memory to the sticking point. Five songs in, you\u2019re experiencing a very solid album that checks all the primal cuts.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, things start to get wobbly after that, with hits and misses appearing in random order. \u201cHeroes and Gods\u201d is decent and has some intensity, but the chorus falls flat and grows annoying. \u201cEden\u201d is a 7-minute epic power ballad that\u2019s okay but not epic or interesting enough to justify its length despite some decent guest vocals from Melissa L\u00f8we Bonny (Ad Infinitum). Both \u201cScream\u201d and \u201cThe Dead Don\u2019t Die\u201d feel generic and underwhelming, and this makes for a very soft and doughy middle for Domination. Late album track \u201cCrossfire\u201d brings things back around with a muscular, testosterone-heavy trip that plays to the band\u2019s strength, but things then immediately crash again on the weird and awkward \u201cMarch Boy March.\u201d This one kicks off with weird EMD\/club music before eventually launching into a speedy assault, but it feels flat and forced. I do give the band props for the odd closing ballad \u201cA Tune I Won\u2019t Forget\u201d that starts out like a Leonard Cohen song with Ralph adopting a smoky, world-weary baritone before exploding into his usual power and fury. It doesn\u2019t amount to much, but it\u2019s an interesting new shade nonetheless. At just over an hour, Domination is definitely too long, and since it has several lesser inclusions, it should have been pared down for a tighter, meaner release.<\/p>\n

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As ever, Ralph Scheepers is in fine form. He relies less and less on his upper-register screams and shrieks as the albums pile up, but he\u2019s still the working man\u2019s Rob Halford, and he knows how to push a metal anthem over the top. I\u2019ve been a fan since his Gamma Ray days, and he always hits the mark. Long-time guitarist\/songwriter Magnus Karlsson and new addition Thal\u00eca Bellazecca do a respectable job providing the riff backdrop for Ralph, and on about half the tracks, they work some degree of magic. On the lesser tracks, things bog down into simplistic 80s-centric riffing and leads that just kind of disappear into the background. They do, however, come together for a rousing shred-fest on instrumental \u201cHalluctions,\u201d which is an interesting and moody addition.<\/p>\n

Primal Fear has had a long run of good to very good albums, and Domination is the first miss in my book since 2009s 16.6 outing. Even when they miss, you still get over half an album\u2019s worth of entertaining and replayable gym fodder. I suspect they will right the ship and come back in two years with something more memorable, and until that day, this will have to tide the faithful over. Hold fast for the Fear!<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Rating: 2.5\/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix<\/a>
Websites: primalfear.de<\/a> | facebook.com\/primalfearofficial<\/a> | instagram.com\/primalfearofficial<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: September 5th, 2025<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n