Just saw PRIMAL FEAR live for the 1st time...(a review)

labrekk

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Jul 16, 2002
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In Montreal yesterday...And they RULED big time. Ralf Scheepers gave a killer performance, really interactive with the crowd and hitting all the notes easily. Henny Wolter is really energetic on stage and did quite a bit of lead guitar too. Very funny dude too that enjoys being on the stage a lot. Alex Beyrodt (who filled in for Magnus Karlsson, whose wife just had baby twins) is a bit more "quiet" on the stage but has killer chops. Mat Sinner was excellent too, playing tightly and doing lots of backing vox. And Randy Black, even though not playing on his own kit, was very impressive on drums. One of the very best ones I saw. He's certainly in the same class as a guy like Mike Terrana in the metal field. The guy is a machine and you can see he has big fun to play live too, even more in his own country too, as he's the only non-German in the band, from BC, Canada.

I was really happy to finally see these guys live, especially Mat Sinner and Scheepers, as they've all separately been at one time or another in so many metal bands I really enjoyed (and still do) since the last 25 years or so (Sinner, Thunderhead, Tyran' Pace, Voodoo Circle, Silent Force, Annihilator, Gamma Ray...)

The venue, who holds around 600, wasn't sold-out, but the turnaround was decent. And the crowd was REALLY into the band, who looked quite impressed at the crowd reaction all show long. Ralf promised they would be back in the future.

This was the setlist (if I remember well), including a short guitar solo by Beyrodt, where the funny Wolter tried to compete in a dual, which he lost, of course)

Fighting The Darkness, where Pamela Moore joined Ralf on stage for a duet, was one of the highlights for me, as were Batallions Of Hate, 16.6, and Chainbreaker.

Intro
Under the Radar
Batallions of Hate
Killbound
Nuclear Fire
Six Times Dead (16.6)
Angel In Black
Sign Of Fear
Fighting the Darkness (with Pamela Moore as guest)
Riding the Eagle
Final Embrace
Metal is Forever

Encore:
Hands of Time (unplugged)
Seven Seals
Chainbreaker

Too bad we didn't get Running In The Dust, which was played at some previous shows, but this was a high-quality tracklisting IMO.

Anyone who saw them on that US tour has comments? This band doesnt get all the credit they deserve IMO. I mean, yes, the first couple albums were excellent, but very influenced by Judas Priest. But since at least Seven Seals, they found their own style and they're in the "elite" of the heavy/power style IMO. It's a shame they don't have a better following in North America, as it's the same for many other bands like Nocturnal Rites, Tad Morose and Sinner, to name a few.

Guillaume