SCHEEPERS

You didn't expect the German version of Rob Halford (vocally, folks…vocally) to release a solo album that didn't sound at least a little bit like PRIMAL FEAR, or JUDAS PRIEST and HALFORD for that matter, did you? I didn't think so. That's good because on SCHEEPERS' self-titled debut, at least half the album sounds a lot like all three of those bands to one degree or another. Ironically enough, that half includes the cuts that keep "Scheepers" from plunging to the depths of mediocrity.

In fact, those songs — "Locked in the Dungeon" (featuring "Metal" Mike Chlasciak),"The Fall", "Play with the Fire", "Cyberfreak", and highlight "Remission of Sin" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens) — can sometimes make one think that Ralf Scheepers does a better vintage Rob Halford than Rob himself has been able to do in years. All are completely unoriginal, yet well written and metallically enjoyable to the hilt. He'll get no points for departing from what he knows, but he'll get no complaints either.

When he does depart to any extent it is with mixed results. "Doomsday" at first seems strange with its gothic tinges (the whispered vocals, keyboards, etc) and a chorus that is quite poppy, yet ends up somewhat catchy, though I wouldn't call it memorable. Ballad-esque (acoustic guitars and all) "The Pain of the Accused" works better than one might expect and in the final analysis could even be dubbed decent, while acoustic folk-y piece "Compassion" is amusing and that's about it. A poor cover choice in 1978 JUDAS PRIEST ballad "Before the Dawn", which is virtually identical to the original, leaves one wondering why in the world Scheepers' chose to cover the song when PRIMAL FEAR has modeled most of its career on the Birmingham brawlers' blueprint.

The rest of the bunch falls somewhere around average, and that includes the cheesy-to-a-fault rendition of "Saints of Rock", which was originally released by Scheepers' former band TYRAN' PACE on 1986 album "Watching You". Aside from its power/trad-metal predictability, the tune includes an ill-fitting mid-section break for keyboards and vocal effects. As I write this I can hear that chorus with loudness and clarity in my head, so either Ralf has done something right with it or I've got issues of a much more serious nature.

All in all, "Scheepers" ends up a likeable enough disc on which the good outweighs the not-so-good and the all-star list of guest musicians adds an element of heavy metal good times. You can't blame a guy for trying.