PRIMAL FEAR: New Album Details Revealed; Audio Samples Available
June 29, 2007Frontiers Records has announced the details of the new studio album from German melodic metal masters PRIMAL FEAR, entitled "New Religion" (cover artwork),to be released in Europe on September 21.
PRIMAL FEAR started the songwriting for their new CD in October 2006 and the recording began shortly later, at the House Of Music studio with engineer and co-producer Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, SAXON, HAMMERFALL) and longtime producer and band member Mat Sinner.
"I really feel electrified," says Sinner. "I never had such a feeling since the release of the first PRIMAL FEAR album in 1998. We never worked harder on an album before," while singer Ralf Scheepers adds, "'New Religion' is definitely the start of a new chapter in the history of PRIMAL FEAR. The fact we've signed with a new record company and bringing back our good friend Henny Wolter into the band sets more energy free than the launch of a rocket. The band is in the best mood since many many years! Can't believe that? Listen to the album!"
The album proves once again that Randy Black is one of the world's top drummers and singer Ralf Scheepers delivers the most exciting and outstanding vocal performance of his career. Most of the guitars were played by Stefan Leibing. STARBREAKER and ALLAN/LANDE producer/guitarist Magnus Karlsson helped out with two stunning guitar solos prior to Henny Wolter rejoining the band and recording more lead and rhythm guitar for the CD.
EPICA's lead singer Simone Simons was invited to studio to sing the first duet in PRIMAL FEAR recording history, on the song "Everytime It Rains". The band worked on the mix at the Galaxy Studio in Belgium with award-winning engineer Ronald Prent (RAMMSTEIN, IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR). Mat Sinner states: "We are totally satisfied about the result and the final sound. Ronald did a great job. In my view, 'New Religion' sounds more powerful than the predecessor, even you can hear every single tone crystal clear."
The song "Fighting The Darkness" is divided into three different sections: the first part "Fighting The Darkness" is, according to Mat Sinner, "the best sounding tune the band has released so far," followed by a huge instrumental "The Darkness" and a "Reprise".
"The real metal songs like 'Sign Of Fear', 'Blood On Your Hands' and 'New Religion' are sounding 100% like PRIMAL FEAR, but still different" explains Mat Sinner. "I really love the vibe and that I feel a progress in our work, that there is still space for a new step into creativity. Even the fast, but very melodic tracks like 'Face The Emptiness' and 'The Curse Of Sharon' sounding fresh, new and exciting!"
Two video clips were produced — for "Fighting The Darkness" and "Sign Of Fear" — which are included in the album's limited digipack edition ipak. In Ralf Scheepers' words: "'Sign Of Fear' shows the powerful side of PRIMAL FEAR in a raging performance clip, while 'Fighting The Darkness' is more like acting on a crime scene. After the night shot of 'Sign Of Fear' until 5 AM in the morning, we were all tried to death, but the concept of 'Fighting The Darkness' was such a great challenge for everyone, we really gave more than 200% to look and act good."
Mat Sinner states: "We will start our tour in the U.S. this time and co-headline the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta. For the first time, we will perform a bunch of songs from the new album on stage! Then we will embark on a double headliner tour together with our friends of U.D.O. through Europe, plus a yet undecided special guest. In December we will tour Japan and Korea, plus some more Xmas shows in Europe. Then we're working on dates in South America, the U.S. and Canada for early 2008!"
"New Religion" track listing:
01. Sign Of Fear
02. Face The Emptiness
03. Everytime It Rains
04. New Religion
05. Fighting The Darkness:
a) Fighting The Darkness
b) The Darkness
c) Reprise
06. Blood On Your Hands
07. The Curse Of Sharon
08. Too Much Time
09. Psycho
10. World On Fire
11. The Man (That I Don't Know)
Check out audio samples at this location.
"New Religion" will be released in Europe on September 21. A U.S. release date has not yet been announced.
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