Customer Reviews

Black Sun

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really like this album. It is heavy, bright and energizing, as opposed to boring and flawed like Seven Seals. All of the band members do a fine job delivering great music to our ears on this album. I think Black Sun and Nuclear Fire are Primal Fear's best. But listen to some samples, and you decide.

this was the second Primal fear Cd that i bought about a month after i bought Nuclear Fire, I hate to rate which cd i like the best because i love all of them, they are all great and unique in there own way. This Cd blows up in your face with the first 4 tracks, I'm not to up to speed on one the technicall jargen of music of how each instrument sounds or the, well u get the point anyway those first 4 tracks are BLISTERING. that's good and bad tho just like a double edge sword, the first 4 tracks set such a franatic, mindblowing pace thru the first 1/3 of the cd that it would be impossible to keep it up thru the rest of the cd. Track 3- Armageddon and track 4- Lightyears from home are in my opinion far and away the two best tracks on the cd followed closely by track 6- Fear. with that being said i don't want you going away from this review thinking the rest of this cd is just so so cause it's not, it's all good. i listened to this cd for like 2-3 weeks strait till i bought some other new cd's and had to give them a listen, believe me i would take this cd to work an play it over an over, my fellow associates can vouch for that. I am still new to primal fear i just recently purchaced there first two cd's and compared to the previous three cd's this is probalbly the slowest of the four but not by much. Even when i say slow they burn the heck out of and blow the roof off of many other bands out there leaving them choking on the dust left behind from the dirt kicked up in the wake of the visceral onslaught that is Primal Fear. i'm looking foward to many more of these high quality cd's being pumped out so I can have some great music to listen to in the comming years, I hold these guys up high on the podium of music along my other favorit bands, like Iced earth, arch Enemy, and blind guardian to name a few. just sit back and be amzazed at the talent of this band. I can't praise them enough, while ur purchasing this cd u might as well get the other 3 if u don't have them already they are worth every penny. Enjoy.

Black Sun(2002). Primal Fear's fourth studio album.

In the 90s, heavy metal music was pretty much dead in the eyes of the US public. However, over in Europe power metal still flourished and many bands emerged taking influences from such bands as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Metallica, and other popular artists of the 80s. Primal Fear, a power/thrash metal act was one of those bands. Make no mistake, Primal Fear is a band which takes its influence HEAVILY from Painkiller-era Judas Priest, with a few Helloween qualities thrown in for good measure. These guys are not clones of Priest by any means because they infuse their own energy into each of the rockers here, but at the same time, if you were a fan of some of the heavier Priest albums you will find yourself in familiar territory with Primal Fear. Like Priest, PF employs a twin guitar attack during the solos. The most noteworthy thing though is how vocalist Ralf Scheefers (formerly of Gamma Ray) sounds almost EXACTLY like Rob Halford. To me, he should have been the Priest replacement vocalist, not Tim Ripper Owens. Think of Ralf as a more youthful Halford who at times can scream higher than his predecessor, though Rob is still the better vocalist. It's not all blind praise to Priest though because in an interview with Rob Halford once, he even stated that he was good friends with Primal Fear and believes them to be a strong continuing force in metal.

Black Sun is a solid continuation of their previous album, Nuclear Fire. Containing clean cut production which helps to show off the blistering guitar crunching and Ralf's glass-shattering screams, it's probably their best album to date, if not most recognizable. Judging by the cover, it has a very "outer spacy" feel throughout the disc. It even borrows some instrumentation help from their Metalgod hero's band, Halford. How does Black Sun fare? Lets see:

1) Countdown To Insanity- A short music-box introduction to the next track. **

2) Black Sun- The title track serves as a pulse-pounding rocker which gets anyone in the mood to rock. ****

3) Armageddon- A steady mid-paced rocker in which the lyrics subtly take on the subject of 9/11. The chorus contains the perfect message to the terrorists: "If this is armageddon, then who the hell are you?". *****

4) Lightyears From Home- This blazing fast number sort of explains the album's cover. The metal eagals have destroyed their planet, so they are stranded out in space far from their home. Sort of a weird story, but fitting. ****

5) Revolution- A steady mid-paced rocker in the vein of Judas Priest's song 'Heavy Metal'. Quite good, although the chorus doesn't work quite as well as I would have liked it to. ****

6) Fear- Another fast-paced song similar to the title track. Utilizes a lot of chugging guitar riffs. ****

7) Mind Control- Primal Fear does something here they've never tried before, strip the layers of heavy guitars in favor of a more melodic sound. Pretty good. ****

8) Magic Eye- ONE OF THE BEST TRACKS ON HERE. This track carries the melodic style to the next level, using lighter guitars and Ralf even lowers his vocals! A masterpiece and defining moment for Primal Fear. *****

9) Mind Machine- ANOTHER SOLID TRACK. Here the album goes back to the heaviness the band usually employs. But here it works out very well. Contains excellent guitaring and franticly paced drumming. A winner. *****

10) Silence- Mid-paced, heavy, and melodic, similar to the JP track 'Some Heads Are Gonna Roll'. Not a standout, but worth a listen. ****

11) We Go Down- Very slow and haunting towards the beginning and in other parts, but it ends up turning into another fast rocker. This one's very good though, and it contains an outstanding solo later on. *****

12) Cold Day In Hell- A drum-plodding track. Pretty good, but nothing out of the ordinary really. ***

13) Controlled- The final track is the heaviest one on here. There are some similarities to Gamma Ray with this track, but like the last one, fails to make a lasting impression. ***

Black Sun isn't a revolutionary metal album at all, far from it actually. But for those who are rabid fans of heavier Judas Priest that simply want more, any Primal Fear album gets the job done. My real rating is 4.5 stars (why doesn't amazon allow this???). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF HEAVY METAL MUSIC.

First off, a note about the main attraction, vocalist Ralf Scheepers. Anyone who's talked to me about Primal Fear has known that I have jokingly refered to Primal Fear alternately as "Primal Priest" and "Judas Fear", but with good reason. All you Judas Priest fans out there will immediately note a resemblance to the vocals of none other than Rob Halford. In fact, legend has it that Scheepers himself tried out for Judas Priest, the job ultimately landed by Tim "Ripper" Owens. Still, I've got to say that Scheepers sounds like a mighty strong contender.

With that out of the way, let's move on to the music. Strong, solid musicianship, also reminiscent of Judas Priest, as well as Iron Maiden. Twin harmonized guitars kick in from time to time, doing their forebears proud. Detuned guitars also make an appearance in the song "Mind Machine".

"Countdown to Insanity" kicks off the album, with subtle sound effects such as a rocket launcing, and chime-ish sounds before slamming into a heavy riff, establishing the overall mood, theme and tone of things. We next go into "Black Sun", a song with a faster tempo, taking you into orbit with the album's protagonists. "Armageddon" is very catchy, and hooks you in. "Lightyears From Home" also keeps the ride going good. After that, a couple of ho-hum tracks that I could take or leave from a musical standpoint, before "Magic Eye" and "Silence" bring us back on track.

Lyrically, Black Sun's content seems to be largely sci-fi fare, and most likely dystopian in tone, given the song titles and what I've parsed from the lyric insert.

"A last goodbye" is referenced in the song "Silence", possibly the protagonist's thoughts towards loved ones on his homeworld. But this isn't a sappy ballad, oh no! Musically, this flat out rocks! So anyway ... yeah, you out there writing a sappy ballad! Take notes from this song! The Primal Fear boys did this one right.

So, long story short. If you like metal, and you like sci-fi, then by golly, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

The weaker tracks *almost* made me take off a star. But then, they don't offer half star ratings here. And even that would be a grave injustice to this remarkable work.

"Black Sun" (2002), Primal Fear's fourth full length album, takes what worked so well on Nuclear Fire and adds more. A little more heaviness here, a little more melody there. More attention to songcraft generating even more memorable songs. The result is, in my opinion, Primal Fear's best release to date.

Many of the highlights on this disc are found in the first third, including the riff-laden "Armageddon", the energetic "Lightyears From Home" and the catchy mid-tempo "Revolution".

But it's misleading to talk about highlights as this album is consistently engaging. There are no weak tracks to speak of. There are no embarrassing instances where a song intro from Judas Priest's Painkiller album has been recycled, as on Nuclear Fire ("Kiss of Death" = "Hell Patrol") and Devil's Ground ("Sea of Flames" = "All Guns Blazing").

One of the things I love about this CD is its diversity, while remaining very much a heavy metal album. The thrash of "Fear" soon gives way to the melodic "Magic Eye". Then comes the ultra-heavy "Mind Machine" followed by "Silence", a power ballad that doesn't skimp on the power. Sometimes the diversity is found in the same song, e.g., "We Go Down" starts out like a ballad and then morphs into a heavy rocker. This variety is one of the reasons the "Black Sun" album holds your interest throughout.

Some may prefer "Nuclear Fire" to "Black Sun". I'll admit the former may have an edge when it comes to pure speed. But arguing about which one to buy is like arguing whether you'd prefer free diamonds or free platinum. By all means get both if you can.

This item was my introduction to the music of Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner. The album, as all Primal Fear releases goes way beyond the typical euro power/heavy/speed metal; this release is colorful, a result of true inspiration recorded mixed and mastered by the highest standards of 2002 with attention paid to every detail.
You will realize that these people are perfectionists. Guitarists Henny Wolter and Stefan Leibing are technically impeccable even though they carry out complex solos, phrase exchanges and double melodies. Bassist Mat Sinner and Drummer Klaus Sperling manage to keep a surprisingly solid rhythm section and finally vocalist Ralf Scheepers dubs the lyrics with three sets of vocal approaches definitely inspired by the Priest style, yet comparison between Sceepers and Halford will not be to the benefit of Priest fans.
This album reached number 12 in Japan (Burrn charts) during 2002. Collectively it is said that this album has sold more than 300.000 copies worldwide.
Finally beyond standards, this is a very enjoyable album that will satisfy fans seeking for powerful music as well as people who want to get more in the detail of things.

Well this cd was a good listen for sure, it had it's moment no doubt about that. However I found it to be missing something and it took me a few listens before I began to warm up to it. It doesn't have the catchy riffs of say Nuclear Fire and that in general takes away from the overall enjoyment of it.

These guys are pretty much Priest clones (painkiller years) when it comes down to what they bring to the table. However theirs nothing wrong with that and they are very good at what they do. Primal Fear will always give you a solid cd and this one is no exception. I just finds it lacks some killer riff here and their.

Overall it's a decent cd, just nothing spectacular!

All the songs on this cd are very good, if you like the speedier stuff from Primal Fear than you'll love this cd..One of the best. I don't want to get into a long drawn out review, here are my fav picks:
Magic Eye, FEAR, Black Sun, Mind Machine & Armageddeon!

misleading. Matt Sinner doesnt have blazing solos like one guy said because he plays bass, not guitar. Also Ralf doesn lower his vocals either he does vocal trade off with Matt sinner, oh and Metal Mike Chlasciak plays guitar on the last song. Light Years From Home is the best song on here. Buy it or forever be stuck in metal boredom, also pick up Dream Evils Dragon Slayer for two really kick ass albums.

Primal Fear's fourth album, 'Black Sun,' is the last that the band would record with their original lineup (shortly before the release of 2004's 'Devil's Ground,' guitarist Benny and drummer Klaus quit and were replaced by Tom Naumann and Randy Black.) For the record, Primal Fear is not the most original power metal outfit, some may call them a Judas Priest clone in a power metal coating, I call them a distant cousin from Germany. However, in spite of that, they still pack a rock-solid punch, and have a vocalist who can sing, as well as a guitar duo, bassist and drummer who can each REALLY PLAY (that's something I look for in power metal bands, for there are a handful who have such a cliched style, they shouldn't even move forward.)

The highlights are as follows: the title track is a demonstration of how power metal records typically open: fast and frantic (though not as fast as the openers by bands like Sonata Arctica or Dragonforce.) Preceding it is an instrumental prelude, but it leads right in to the song. Track 3, "Armageddon," is a terrific, ultra-heavy, mid-tempo song on the topic of 9-11. The little intro of the solo section instantly made me think of Van Halen. And track 6, "Fear," is so heavy, it hurts. The style of the song (minus the vocals) reminded me of At The Gates, who were one of the heaviest bands EVER. Overall, I highly recommend it to power metal fans, particularly of Gamma Ray, Helloween, and Iced Earth.