4.5 stars - really good, but not quite what New Religion was
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 07/10/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I try and keep my expectations reasonable when it comes to new albums. In the case of Primal Fear's eighth studio album 16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) all I really expected was, well, the greatest power metal album ever recorded. Honestly, keeping my expectations reasonable after the power metal masterpiece that was 2007's New Religion was all but impossible. That album - the first to feature guitarist Magnus Karlsson (Starbreaker, Allen-Lande) - was as close to perfect as a modern power metal album can get, and I fully expected 16.6 to be even better. Sadly, that is not the case.
Don't get me wrong. 16.6 is still a terrific power metal album, and is probably the best power metal album released this year, but I wonder if Primal Fear may have set the bar impossibly high with New Religion. That was the album where Primal Fear stopped sounding like Judas Priest and started sounding like Primal Fear. 16.6 has a similar sound, and definitely benefits from increased songwriting participation by Karlsson, but it's not quite the game-changer New Religion was.
The first thing that really jumps out at you about this album is the decidedly darker tone. The majestic robot eagles of Primal Fear albums past have been replaced by a rather demonic bird/god/reaper figure on the cover, and the lyrics focus to a great degree on death and destruction. Perhaps that's the album's theme. I tried to research the significance of the term "16.6" and discovered that it has to do with a meteor that may impact Earth in 2012 (a figure also referenced in the lyrics). Aside from that, the songs on 16.6 are dark, depressing tales of devastation, anguish and revenge (the chilling "Smith & Wesson").
Musically, 16.6 is very similar to New Religion. It's a highly melodic, very powerful heavy metal sound that is the logical extension of Judas Priest and Gamma Ray - two bands that had an incredible influence on vocalist Ralf Scheepers. Karlsson fits the band's twin-axe sound perfectly, the veteran Mat Sinner's presence on bass is steady and reliable, and Scheepers' vocal performance is as incredible as always. The album's best tracks are "Six Times Dead" (the first single), "No Smoke Without Fire", and album closer "Hands of Time" which features Scheepers, Karlsson, Sinner, and guitarist Henny Wolter all taking a turn on vocals. "Killbound" and "Smith & Wesson" are my least favorites.
Compared to just about every other recent power metal release (excluding Blind Guardian's - they're in a league of their own), 16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) is probably a 5-star album, but compared to New Religion, the best I can give it is 4 stars (though I'd choose 4.5 stars if that were an option). I wish I could better articulate why the album falls short of its predecessor; it just doesn't have the same impact New Religion did. It's still better than the first six Primal Fear albums (not to mention most other bands' best work) and if you're any kind of power metal fan though, you're definitely going to want to check it out.
NOTE: Early pressings of 16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) come in a digipack with a pair of bonus tracks and a video clip for "Six Times Dead". The packaging is pretty cheap, but the bonus tracks - new studio songs "Cry Havoc" and "Scream" - make this version the one to get."
In a few years time we might as well be talking of the "Lege
Nikiforos V. Skoumas | Athens Greece, Cambridge UK | 06/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the 8th studio by giant power/heavy metal band Primal Fear.
For over a decade the band has been consistently offering superior musical material, having more than delivered the goods on each and every one of their previous seven releases.
As experienced fans are probably aware since their fifth album "Devil's Ground" the band has been following the orchestral symphonic power metal path on quite a few songs. 16.6 However sees a departure from that direction to the more familiar "metal on metal" attitude of the first four albums.
The band consists of founding members Mat Sinner (B) and Ralf Scheepers (V) along with long established drum annihilator Randy Black. This album also sees the return of guitarist Henny Wolter in the band as a full time member and last but definitely not least newcomer (to the band not to the scene!) Magnus Karlsson. The latter member is known as one of the premier metal songwriters in Europe having composed melodic metal albums such "Allen -Lande" and "The Codex" in their entirety.
Naturally expectations are once again immense but to say that the band delivers would be the understatement of 2009. All their albums are top of the top but 16.6 reaches new levels of completion. With 15 tracks of undeniable, commanding metal, Primal Fear brings the most lucrative metal proposition of 2009 to the table: The melodies are bigger and heavier than ever; the tempo is furious and the attitude is back!! All the aggression, irony and agony is embedded within the songs of 16.6
"Riding the Eagle" is so melodic, heavy and resilient that turns you into a 17 year old again. "Under the radar" is probably one of the most emotional speed power metal songs ever written. The number track "16.6" is an absolute brainwash that will have you mumbling its chorus at various times of the day. "Smith and Wesson" and "Soar" have all the high octane attitude one expects from the metal eagle while sounding up to date and lyrically relevant.
Saying that there are no fillers on 16.6 is unnecessary since one does not expect the best of the best from "Primal Fear", one demands it.
This is the band that can leave you speechless; one could have thought that after 10 years of stage presence and 7 superior albums the band would have run out of steam round about this time... but... NO!! "Primal Fear" re emerge with the most aggressive, longest running and diverse album in their history.
I honestly cannot think of another power melodic metal band that has released 8 superior albums in a row. Up to a point I thought it was impossible for any band given the twist and turns of the industry and life itself that cause even the best to lose focus. On that note the men in Primal Fear deserve applause for their commitment to the music and the fans alone.
"16.6" Has already reached 28 on the Japanese charts, 46 on the German charts and position 52 on the Swedish charts.
"PowerPlay" UK magazine issue 110 marks this album with 9/10 commenting: "If you thought that `New Religion' was the most diverse, most far reaching Primal Fear album to date, you need to think again because on the evidence in front of me, you aint heard anything yet!"
"
A high quality release that should satisfy both old and new
alpha128 | Cleveland, OH USA | 06/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Primal Fear's 2009 release "16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)" is a solid slab of heavy metal that should please PF fans, both old and new.
In the tradition of the first two Primal Fear albums, "16.6" opens with a short instrumental track. Then it's full speed ahead with "Riding the Eagle", a definite throwback to the Nuclear Fire era. This is one of the fastest songs on the album and one of the best.
Next up is "Six Times Dead (16.6)", a catchy mid-paced track, and another favorite of mine. Here we get the first inkling of the experimentation to be found on this album. Although the verse and chorus of "Six Times Dead" are as traditional as they come, Henny Wolter's minimalist guitar solo surprised me, as did the brief, effects-heavy, bass solo by Mat Sinner.
Track 4 is "Black Rain", a Middle Eastern influenced semi-ballad. A few similar melodic metal songs exist, perhaps most notably the title track of Brainstorm's Soul Temptation. If you enjoyed that song (or similar efforts by other bands) you'll probably like "Black Rain". This was certainly true in my case.
The album largely continues along these lines. Some songs like "Under the Radar", "Killbound" and "Smith & Wesson" harken back to the classic PF style. Others like "5.0 / Torn" and "No Smoke Without Fire" employ the more melodic style of "Black Rain". There are really only two tracks that stand out as exceptions to this rule.
The first exception is "Hands of Time". This is a partly acoustic ballad that has four band members on lead vocals, but seasoned vocalists Mat Sinner and Ralf Scheepers seem to do most of the work. "Hands of Time" quickly grew on me, to the point I started hearing it in my head. This song is a winner, even if it's still a little too "happy" (musically, not lyrically) for my taste.
The second exception, "Soar", has a strong start but then takes an unexpected turn into Korn territory. The nu metal sounds only last a minute, but this is still my least favorite track.
In conclusion, "16.6" succeeds as both a return to form and a progression, leaving Primal Fear well positioned for their second decade. Being their eighth album, "16.6" lacks the youthful exuberance of PF classics like Black Sun and Nuclear Fire, but it also showcases Primal Fear's maturity and consummate skill. Personally, I can not comment on how this compares to the last two PF albums. However, I can direct you to the review by Eric Vieth on THE METAL OBSERVER website which states, "Fans of 'Seven Seals' and 'New Religion' can go right ahead and pick up '16.6' blindly and without reservations.""
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1