PRIMAL FEAR Singer Discusses Label Changes, Upcoming Solo Album

Marko Syrjälä and Arto Lehtinen of Metal-Rules.com recently conducted an interview with PRIMAL FEAR singer Ralf Scheepers. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Metal-Rules.com: It's a bit off the point, but it's almost impossible to find your new album from anywhere in Finland, did you know about that?

Scheepers: Maybe it sounds like bullshit, but I don't think it's the fault of the record company, more like the distribution. I have to speak a bit with Mat [Sinner, bass] about that afterwards; I don't know what's happening. It's tough if they're not in the record stores. In Sweden I saw our albums. Maybe there's a problem with the distribution here in Finland. We will see what happens when I talk to Mat about it.

Metal-Rules.com: As you must know, Frontiers Records is much better known for bands like WINGER, JOE LYNN TURNER and JOURNEY. How does PRIMAL FEAR fit in this family?

Scheepers: I know where you're going with this, your intention behind it. But if you look back 20 years, PRIEST was signed to EMI who were also bringing out pop music and whatever. I don't think it's a matter of what genre they're concentrating on. It's a matter of what work they do and they do great work for us. Apart from what we said before, but I don't think that problem is with the company. They fought so hard to get us, there were other companies interested to get us and they were really offering a lot to get us. The people in the company stood behind the music of PRIMAL FEAR and that was really important for us. They never interfere with our music and that is the most important thing for us.

Metal-Rules.com: I can't help asking about your previous label, Nuclear Blast. You were there for ten years or something like that and now you're in another company. Did your contract expire, did you just leave or what happened there?

Scheepers: There were problems, of course; otherwise it would not have happened. On the other hand, after a ten-year relationship we were thinking about changing the team a little. We weren't satisfied with the work they did for "Seven Seals" and thought that in foreign countries they could have done a bit more. And as Mat was working personally for Nuclear Blast, there were some problems for him, personal problems. At the same time, the band wasn't satisfied with the work of Nuclear Blast because some people in Nuclear Blast were concentrating on other things than pushing PRIMAL FEAR.

Metal-Rules.com: You recently made a deal for a solo album, also with Frontiers Records. What kind of material can we expect from that album?

Scheepers: That just happened; it's very, very fresh information. I have so many songs in my heart that wouldn't fit in PRIMAL FEAR. I want to do something totally different, just even more experimental than in PRIMAL FEAR. I'm going to invite some guests and let them write some songs. So I think it will take a while to think about, we might record the first note at the end of 2008.

Metal-Rules.com: How about the lineup on that album. Are you able to reveal any names that would appear on the album?

Scheepers: Most important is that they are my friends. For example, Roy Z has become a good friend. We got to know each other on the HALFORD tour like I mentioned before. I think the most important thing is to have a good relationship. No name-dropping, I'm not a fan of that! It's like when people ask me on MySpace to sing on their albums — sorry, guys! I don't have the time and I want to be the singer of PRIMAL FEAR. If I want to do a solo, I do a solo.

Read the entire interview at Metal-Rules.com.

Fan-filmed video footage of PRIMAL FEAR performing the song "Running in the Dust" on November 17, 2007 at at Byscenen in Haugesund, Norway can be viewed below (courtesy of "Lund666").