PRIMAL FEAR Takes On 'Cancel Culture' With New Single

German metal commandos PRIMAL FEAR will release their new album, "Code Red", on September 1 through Atomic Fire. The 11-track follow-up to 2020's "Metal Commando" includes the latest single, "Cancel Culture", the official lyric video for which — created by Ingo Spörl of Hard Media — can be seen below. The track is themed around a topic that has been heavily discussed in recent years.

Producer/bassist Mat Sinner comments: "There are countries where you just disappear if you speak your mind. These are intolerable conditions. But I'm not backing down. I've always been a rebel; I don't want to conform. And I don't have to play in certain countries either. It's that simple."

Adds frontman Ralf Scheepers: "The way the culture of having discussions with each other has gone down the drain has become unbearable. People tend to have no more respect for each other and that's a dangerous development and perspective. It's the same sad development with all these 'keyboard warriors' out there who hide behind a made up user name to release their hate, jealousy, or frustration. I will never take this as a 'welcome to the Internet' invitation; it's simply a no go!"

"Code Red" will be available as a digipak CD, 2xLP in multiple color variants, and digitally.

Recorded in Germany at Sebastian "Basi" Roeder's Backyard Studios, with the helping hands of Scheepers as well as Mitch Kunz, "Code Red" was produced by bassist Mat Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers and guitarist Tom Naumann. Longtime PRIMAL FEAR collaborator Jacob Hansen once again took care of mixing and mastering at his own Hansen Studios in Denmark. Additionally, Stan W. Decker, who created previous works for the band, including 2017's "Angels Of Mercy - Live In Germany", 2018's "Apocalypse" and 2021's "I Will Be Gone", provided the record’s magnificent artwork.

"Code Red" track listing:

01. Another Hero
02. Bring That Noise
03. Deep In The Night
04. Cancel Culture
05. Play A Song
06. The World Is On Fire
07. Their Gods Have Failed
08. Steelmelter
09. Raged By Pain
10. Forever
11. Fearless

Back in August 2021, PRIMAL FEAR announced that it was scrapping all of its previously announced dates for 2021 and 2022 "due to a serious illness issue." Four months after canceling the concerts, Sinner revealed that he had spent the previous eight months in eight different hospitals.

In April 2021, PRIMAL FEAR released a five-track single called "I Will Be Gone". Also made available was the official music video for the title track, featuring a guest appearance by former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen.

PRIMAL FEAR's 13th studio album, "Metal Commando", was released in July 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was produced by Sinner and mixed by Jacob Hansen.

Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for vocalist Ralf Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.

For more than a decade, Sinner had been the musical director and co-producer for the prestigious European arena tour "Rock Meets Classic".

PRIMAL FEAR is:

Ralf Scheepers - vocals
Mat Sinner - bass, vocals
Tom Naumann - guitars
Alexander Beyrodt - guitars
Magnus Karlsson - guitars
Michael Ehré - drums

Photo by Alex Kuehr