Primal Fear is one of many power metal
bands that seems incapable of slowing down. “Rulebreaker” is their 11th
release, and much like the last couple of records, it shows the band at their
best. The sheer efficiency with which they knock out pounding metal anthems is
impressive, and this album is no exception. In fact, the consistency of this
record is one of its greatest strengths. You can pick just about any track on
the album and it is capable of being either the lead-off song, or the single
(granted, the band put out 5 songs before the album came out, so I suppose that
speaks to their faith in the record). The best example of this is the song that
should have kicked things off: “Constant Heart”. This is probably the fastest
track, and features devastating, thrashy riffs, not unlike “Rebel Faction” from
the band’s previous record.
“Rulebreaker” has a number of songs that
lean towards Primal Fear’s more mid-paced, rocking, and anthemic side. Tunes
like “Angels of Mercy”, “The End Is Near”, “Rulebreaker”, and “The Devil In Me”
are by no means the band’s speediest work, but the riffs are eternally heavy.
These songs put the focus on the ageless wonder Ralf Scheepers, who’s vocals
sound even better here than they ever have. This is best on display in the
aforementioned “The End Is Near”, where he belts out numerous wickedly piercing
screams in the chorus. His vocal talents drive every single song, no matter how
good the riffs or melodies may otherwise be. Admittedly, I find the songwriting
on “Rulebreaker” to be a little less memorable than “Delivering The Black”, but
I enjoy the records equally simply because Scheepers’ vocal melodies are still
catchy beyond belief.
There are a few tracks on
“Rulebreaker” that lean towards more standard power metal: “Bullets &
Tears”, “In Metal We Trust”, and "At War With The World". Rather than being built around heavy,
Priest-esque riffs, these three songs focus on harmonized guitars over top of
speedy rhythm work. This proves to be quite effective for Primal Fear since
the songs are among the more memorable on the record. Further, “At War With The World” shows off the new triple-axe attack: there is one section with harmonized leads in the song where two guitarists hold the final note of the harmony, and then the third guitar comes in and shreds over top of their sustained note. This is something that Primal Fear should do more often, as it is a luxury that few other bands would be able to recreate live, and it is incredibly effective. It’s worth pointing out,
however, that just because the remaining songs take a different approach
doesn’t mean they’re devoid of harmonized guitars. The title track is almost
overflowing with fantastic dual-leads, and "The Devil In Me" likewise features plenty of guitars playing in unison.
The centerpiece of this record is “We Walk
Without Fear” which is filled with highlights. At nearly 11 minutes, this is
the epic on the album. The intro builds the atmosphere with plenty of symphonic
goodness, but this song gets by on sheer ambition alone. The riffs sound just a
little bit more inspired than those on the rest of the record, as does
Scheepers’ vocal performance. The verses start off a bit tame, but as with many
great songs, they are simply building up to the inimitable chorus.
From start to finish, “Rulebreaker” is
another Primal Fear opus. Even though the early work from most bands has a
youthful vigor that is impossible to recapture, more experienced bands tend to
be more focused and concise in their songwriting. In other words, the band
knows exactly what they want to accomplish with this album, and every song
works towards that goal effectively. The quality may vary slightly amongst
their newer albums, but Primal Fear is a well-oiled machine at this point, and “Rulebreaker”
is another fantastic addition to their legacy!
Be sure to check out and like Primal Fear on Facebook!
Highlights
"Bullets & Tears"
"In Metal We Trust"
"We Walk Without Fear"
"Constant Heart"
Final Rating
4.6/5 or 92%.
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