PRIMAL FEAR - review added 8th June 2010
Live Album Review: Live In The USA (Live) (2010)
For fans of: Power Metal... and not being quite as good as the studio albums
This Primal Fear live album is out at the same time as their new live DVD. The CD was recorded purely in America, whilst the tracks on the DVD (entitled 16.6 - All Over The World) were recorded in various locations including Switzerland, the USA, Brazil, Japan and more.
I've had the pleasure of seeing these guys live and they really are rather good. Whether this CD does them justice or not is open for debate, but I don't think it does. They are such a big loud band with such a huge visual presence - especially unnecessarily be-muscled vocalist Ralf Scheepers strutting around the stage - that a mere album doesn't convey their excellence. Maybe the DVD would be better from that point of view.
The quality of recording on Live In The USA is good, if nothing special. The same goes with the song choices. As ever there are some big ones left out, notably a couple of the finer tracks from their newest album - the utterly superb 'Black Rain' and 'Torn' would have gone done a storm here.
Overall, this is an okay release, but it doesn't compare to the real thing. In fact it isn't a patch on the studio albums. This is definitely a band to catch in the flesh.
Check out... 'Hands Of Time'
Track List:
01. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
02. Under The Radar
03. Battalions Of Hate
04. Killbound
05. Nuclear Fire
06. Six Times Dead (16.6)
07. Angel In Black
08. Sign Of Fear
09. Fighting The Darkness
10. Riding The Eagle
11. Final Embrace
12. Metal Is Forever
13. Hands Of Time
14. Chainbreaker
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Primal Fear | MySpace
