On May 9, Primal Fear’s new line-up – Ralf Scheepers (vocals), Mat Sinner (bass), Magnus Karlsson (guitar), Thalìa Bellazecca (guitar) and André Hilgers (drums) – made their live debut at Rock In Rautheim 2025 in Braunschweig, Germany. The show also marked bassist / co-founder Mat Sinner’s return to the stage after five years of dealing with severe health issues.
Scheepers and Sinner have shared their thoughts on the band’s comeback:
Ralf Scheepers: “Still catching my breath after one of the most emotional weekends I’ve ever had with Primal Fear, and now with our new lineup. The weight I carried leading up to this show felt almost unbearable, like a storm building inside me. But the moment we stepped on that stage, everything changed. The music, the connection, the shared fire – it all erupted and blew that storm clean away. What we created together was more than just a show. It was release. It was healing. It was magic. Forever grateful that Mat is alive and kicking after everything he had to go through.. it’s a miracle! And miracles do happen!”
Mat Sinner: “Words could never describe this emotional weekend. I can only agree on Ralf’s latest post. I had a dream, it’s been a long road but finally I’ve made it. Believe in miracles, fight to make it happen. I can only thank my bandmates, my family, our crew, Frank & Bodo for being there for me! Looking forward to our next adventures and our next single release, ‘The Hunter’, on June 13. So long, much love.”
Sinner suffered an extreme adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 and received treatment for eight months at various hospitals. This forced the cancellation of shows planned for 2021 and 2022, and when Primal Fear did surface it was with Alex Jansen as Sinner’s temporary replacement.
Fan-filmed video of the Rock In Rautheim 2025 show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
“Final Embrace”
“Nuclear Fire”
“Angel In Black”
“The Hunter” (live debut)
“King Of Madness”
“Hounds Of Justice”
“The End Is Near”
“Fighting The Darkness”
“Chainbreaker”
“Metal Is Forever”
“Running In The Dust”
Primal Fear recently updated their 2025 tour schedule, which now includes and handful of European summer festival shows.
July
2-5 – Rockharz 2025 – Ballenstedt, Germany
18 – Luppolo In Rock 2025 – Provincia Di Cremona, Italy
August
21 – Baltic Openair 2025 – Eutin, Germany
23 – Stonedead Festival 2025 – Newark, United Kingdom
September
5 – Markthalle – Hamburg, Germany
6 – Der Anker – Leipzig, Germany
7 – Zeche – Bochum, Germany
9 – Colos-Saal – Aschaffenburg, Germany
10 – Backstage Halle – Munich, Germany
12 – Kaminwerk – Memmingen, Germany
13 – Capitol – Mannheim, Germany
14 – Eventhall – Regensburg, Germany
16 – Z7 – Pratteln, Switzerland
18 – Hole44 – Berlin, Germany
19 – Frankenhalle – Naila, Germany
20 – Im Wizemann (Halle) – Stuttgart, Germany
21 – De Casino Concertzaal – Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
23 – P60 – Amstelveen, Netherlands
25 – Klub Stodoła – Warszawa, Poland
26 – MeetFactory – Prague, Czech Republic
27 – Masters of Rock Cafe – Zlín, Czech Republic
30 – Mon Madrid – Madrid, Spain
October
1 – Garaje – Murcia, Spain
3 – Salamandra – Barcelona, Spain
4 – Sala Totem Aretoa – Villava, Spain
More info and tickets here.
Commanding, fierce, and & triumphing since 1997 – there’s no better way to describe Germany’s premier power metal band, Primal Fear. The band have just unveiled details about their upcoming album, Domination, set to drop on September 5 via RPM. Pre-orders are now open in a variety of physical formats and digital options here.
To celebrate this announcement, the lead single, “Far Away”, has officially landed on streaming platforms worldwide. Packed with all the signature elements of a classic Primal Fear anthem – soaring melodies, thunderous drums and bass, and a blistering twin-guitar solo – the track also carries a powerful sense of yearning, brought to life by Ralf Scheepers’ unmistakable vocals. Filmed at Dennis Ward’s Kangaroo Studios in Karlsdorf-Neuthard, Germany, where the Domination recording sessions took place in late 2024, “Far Away” is also available now as a performance-style music video.
Scheepers explains the meaning behind the single: “It’s an expression of faith and trust, no matter where or what. We all know this feeling of missing someone so much, not being able to see or hear him/her every day – especially as musicians whilst touring.”
Going strong for nearly three decades, the band founded and still led by Mat Sinner (bass, vocals) and Ralf Scheepers (vocals) have never let down their global fanbase. Relentless and constantly pushing their limits, Primal Fear ensure that no two albums ever sound the same. After Code Red [2023] hit some of the highest chart positions of their career, expectations for the next release were higher than ever. Now joined by gifted guitarist Thalìa Bellazecca and former touring drummer André Hilgers, the quintet were more than up for the challenge. And as Domination makes clear, no obstacle is too great for Primal Fear’s powerhouse songwriting trio – Sinner, Scheepers, and guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who also rejoins the band’s live line-up after several years away.
From the hard-hitting opener “The Hunter” and first single “Far Away”, to the uplifting mid-tempo anthem “Tears Of Fire” and the epic ballad “Eden” – featuring a surprise guest appearance by Ad Infinitum’s Melissa Bonny – Domination delivers on all fronts. Add in neck-breakers like “Scream” and “Crossfire”, and the reflective, string-and-piano-driven closer “A Tune I Won’t Forget”, and it’s clear: Primal Fear aren’t here to reclaim the crown – they’re here to prove they’ve never left the throne of heavy/power metal royalty.
Watch the “Far Away” video below. Stream the single here.
Domination was recorded in autumn 2024, produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by Ralf Scheepers as well as Magnus Karlsson. Rounded off by multiple Primal Fear mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen at his own studios in Denmark, the album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.
Tracklisting:
“The Hunter”
“Destroyer”
“Far Away”
“I Am The Primal Fear”
“Tears Of Fire”
“Heroes And Gods”
“Hallucinations”
“Eden” [feat. Melissa Bonny]
“Scream”
“The Dead Don’t Die”
“Crossfire”
“March Boy March”
“A Tune I Won’t Forget”
“Bridges Will Burn” – Bonus Track [physical only; excl. jewel case-CD]
“Far Away” video:
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Scheepers and Sinner have shared their thoughts on the band’s comeback:
Ralf Scheepers: “Still catching my breath after one of the most emotional weekends I’ve ever had with Primal Fear, and now with our new lineup. The weight I carried leading up to this show felt almost unbearable, like a storm building inside me. But the moment we stepped on that stage, everything changed. The music, the connection, the shared fire – it all erupted and blew that storm clean away. What we created together was more than just a show. It was release. It was healing. It was magic. Forever grateful that Mat is alive and kicking after everything he had to go through.. it’s a miracle! And miracles do happen!”
Mat Sinner: “Words could never describe this emotional weekend. I can only agree on Ralf’s latest post. I had a dream, it’s been a long road but finally I’ve made it. Believe in miracles, fight to make it happen. I can only thank my bandmates, my family, our crew, Frank & Bodo for being there for me! Looking forward to our next adventures and our next single release, ‘The Hunter’, on June 13. So long, much love.”
Sinner suffered an extreme adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 and received treatment for eight months at various hospitals. This forced the cancellation of shows planned for 2021 and 2022, and when Primal Fear did surface it was with Alex Jansen as Sinner’s temporary replacement.
Fan-filmed video of the Rock In Rautheim 2025 show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
“Final Embrace”
“Nuclear Fire”
“Angel In Black”
“The Hunter” (live debut)
“King Of Madness”
“Hounds Of Justice”
“The End Is Near”
“Fighting The Darkness”
“Chainbreaker”
“Metal Is Forever”
“Running In The Dust”
Primal Fear recently updated their 2025 tour schedule, which now includes and handful of European summer festival shows.
July
2-5 – Rockharz 2025 – Ballenstedt, Germany
18 – Luppolo In Rock 2025 – Provincia Di Cremona, Italy
August
21 – Baltic Openair 2025 – Eutin, Germany
23 – Stonedead Festival 2025 – Newark, United Kingdom
September
5 – Markthalle – Hamburg, Germany
6 – Der Anker – Leipzig, Germany
7 – Zeche – Bochum, Germany
9 – Colos-Saal – Aschaffenburg, Germany
10 – Backstage Halle – Munich, Germany
12 – Kaminwerk – Memmingen, Germany
13 – Capitol – Mannheim, Germany
14 – Eventhall – Regensburg, Germany
16 – Z7 – Pratteln, Switzerland
18 – Hole44 – Berlin, Germany
19 – Frankenhalle – Naila, Germany
20 – Im Wizemann (Halle) – Stuttgart, Germany
21 – De Casino Concertzaal – Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
23 – P60 – Amstelveen, Netherlands
25 – Klub Stodoła – Warszawa, Poland
26 – MeetFactory – Prague, Czech Republic
27 – Masters of Rock Cafe – Zlín, Czech Republic
30 – Mon Madrid – Madrid, Spain
October
1 – Garaje – Murcia, Spain
3 – Salamandra – Barcelona, Spain
4 – Sala Totem Aretoa – Villava, Spain
More info and tickets here.
Commanding, fierce, and & triumphing since 1997 – there’s no better way to describe Germany’s premier power metal band, Primal Fear. The band have just unveiled details about their upcoming album, Domination, set to drop on September 5 via RPM. Pre-orders are now open in a variety of physical formats and digital options here.
To celebrate this announcement, the lead single, “Far Away”, has officially landed on streaming platforms worldwide. Packed with all the signature elements of a classic Primal Fear anthem – soaring melodies, thunderous drums and bass, and a blistering twin-guitar solo – the track also carries a powerful sense of yearning, brought to life by Ralf Scheepers’ unmistakable vocals. Filmed at Dennis Ward’s Kangaroo Studios in Karlsdorf-Neuthard, Germany, where the Domination recording sessions took place in late 2024, “Far Away” is also available now as a performance-style music video.
Scheepers explains the meaning behind the single: “It’s an expression of faith and trust, no matter where or what. We all know this feeling of missing someone so much, not being able to see or hear him/her every day – especially as musicians whilst touring.”
Going strong for nearly three decades, the band founded and still led by Mat Sinner (bass, vocals) and Ralf Scheepers (vocals) have never let down their global fanbase. Relentless and constantly pushing their limits, Primal Fear ensure that no two albums ever sound the same. After Code Red [2023] hit some of the highest chart positions of their career, expectations for the next release were higher than ever. Now joined by gifted guitarist Thalìa Bellazecca and former touring drummer André Hilgers, the quintet were more than up for the challenge. And as Domination makes clear, no obstacle is too great for Primal Fear’s powerhouse songwriting trio – Sinner, Scheepers, and guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who also rejoins the band’s live line-up after several years away.
From the hard-hitting opener “The Hunter” and first single “Far Away”, to the uplifting mid-tempo anthem “Tears Of Fire” and the epic ballad “Eden” – featuring a surprise guest appearance by Ad Infinitum’s Melissa Bonny – Domination delivers on all fronts. Add in neck-breakers like “Scream” and “Crossfire”, and the reflective, string-and-piano-driven closer “A Tune I Won’t Forget”, and it’s clear: Primal Fear aren’t here to reclaim the crown – they’re here to prove they’ve never left the throne of heavy/power metal royalty.
Watch the “Far Away” video below. Stream the single here.
Domination was recorded in autumn 2024, produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by Ralf Scheepers as well as Magnus Karlsson. Rounded off by multiple Primal Fear mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen at his own studios in Denmark, the album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.
Tracklisting:
“The Hunter”
“Destroyer”
“Far Away”
“I Am The Primal Fear”
“Tears Of Fire”
“Heroes And Gods”
“Hallucinations”
“Eden” [feat. Melissa Bonny]
“Scream”
“The Dead Don’t Die”
“Crossfire”
“March Boy March”
“A Tune I Won’t Forget”
“Bridges Will Burn” – Bonus Track [physical only; excl. jewel case-CD]
“Far Away” video:
Make sure you are subscribed to the BraveWords YouTube channel.
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bravewords666?sub_confirmation=1
The post PRIMAL FEAR Bassist MAT SINNER Celebrates Return To The Stage Following Health Issues – “Believe In Miracles, Fight To Make It Happen” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...