Like probably many people I have been familiar with the name Primal Fear for years. But until recently I never owned a CD from them. That had to change and Seven Seals is the first to make it into my collection. And if this is anything to judge the band by, then it won´t be the last one either!
During numerous playback I was struck by the wealth of material on offer. Of course some songs (like Demons And Angels, Rollercoaster, or The Immortal Ones ) are exactly as you expect, with high octane powerful yet melodic vocals, heavy riffing and galloping drums with double kick. The title track proves a slower tempo track with grandiose orchestrations (the hand of producer Charlie Bauerfeind?) and a catchy chorus. Evil Spell has a film score like opening before kicking into gear.
And then the track Diabolus hits the speakers. A 7 minute + song of epic proportions and arrangements. Something I was not expecting to hear and absolutely spellbinding. Next song All For One is again almost 8 minutes of pure metallic joy. Slow and fast are varied and sometimes I am reminded of the great bands of the NWOBHM, in this case mainly Iron Maiden. Another beautiful song is In Memory, with a heartfelt melody and lyric and again wonderful orchestrations.
So there you go, I will try to pick up more of their stuff, as this is totally convincing!