| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING CD1 Area 16 (New Song) Predator (New Song) If Looks Could Kill (Heart cover) (New Song) Thrill Of Speed (New Song) The End Is Near Strike Sign Of Fear In Metal We Trust When Death Comes Knocking Six Times Dead Angels Of Mercy Unbreakable Riding The Eagle Rulebreaker King For A Day Bad Guys Wear Black CD 2 Everytime It Rains We Walk Without Fear Fighting The Darkness (Long Version) Hands Of Time One Night In December The Sky Is Burning Where Angels Die Black Rain Born With A Broken Heart Born Again The Man (That I Don't Know) |  PRIMAL FEAR IS: Ralf Scheepers - Vocals Tom Naumann - Guitars Magnus Karlsson - Guitars & keyboards Alex Beyrodt - Guitars Mat Sinner - Bass & vocals Francesco Jovino - Drums Release Date: November 10, 2017 Label: Frontiers Records Website: www.primalfear.de www.facebook.com/PrimalFearOfficial |
A lot of times, compilation albums aren't really worth reviewing because they're collections of old songs that have already been reviewed. However, when the compilations contain some fresh new material as well, then they're worth giving a review to. With that being said, Primal Fear have been signed to two labels in their career: Nuclear Blast Records from 1998 - 2006 and Frontiers Records from 2006, right up to the present day. In 2006, they released their first best-of compilation Metal Is Forever - The Very Best Of Primal Fear, containing a bunch of songs from the Nuclear Blast years from the first album up to Seven Seals. Now, they're releasing their second best-of album titled Best Of Fear, containing a large amount of material from the Frontiers years from New Religion right up to their last album Rulebreaker. Not only does this compilation contain 23 songs from the past, but also 4 new recordings. Three of those are fresh new originals and one is a cover.
The new recordings are what begin the record. Starting off with an instrumental intro track with "Area 16" that sounds like the intro to an apoclyptic movie or video game, it leads into the explosive riff attack of "Predator". Both this track and "Thrill Of Speed" share the elements that you would expect from Primal Fear, which are pummeling riffs and that unmistakable vocals of Ralf Scheepers. The new cover recording is of the Heart classic "If Looks Could Kill". It's always interesting when a classic rock track gets a heavier treatment. The band have done a successful job putting their spin on this great classic with more crunch in the guitars and a pounding low end. After the new recordings, you get a slew of the many tracks from the last 10 years, including a hefty amount of singles and deep cuts. The first disc contains more of the band's heavier and straightforward material like "The End Is Near", "Sign Of Fear", King For A Day", "Angels Of Mercy" and "Strike", whereas the second disc contains more of the epic and melodic tunes like "Where Angels Die", "We Walk Without Fear", "When Death Comes Knocking" and "The Sky Is Burning".
Greatest hits compilations have the benefit of serving as a quick introduction to a large portion of a band's catalog to a new fan and hopefully it will encourage the fan to go out and pick up the studio albums, but for the people that are already fans, many of them already have the albums that the songs featured originally appeared on and they won't bother with picking up the greatest hits albums, unless there's some new recordings included. If you're a die-hard fan and you feel you have to own every single release the band put out over the years, then go ahead and buy it. I'm not putting down Best Of Fear at all by saying this, I'm just stating the pros and cons on releasing greatest hits compilations. This compilation may only contain music from Primal Fear's last decade but much of that music is some of the band's best. The four new recordings will also be enough to tie us over until the band release their next full-length, most likely next year because they release a new album every two years.
Highs: Over two hours of Primal Fear tunes of the last decade including four new recordings.
Lows: If you already have the albums these songs appeared on, this album would only be worth picking up for the new songs.
Final Rating: 7.5/10
The new recordings are what begin the record. Starting off with an instrumental intro track with "Area 16" that sounds like the intro to an apoclyptic movie or video game, it leads into the explosive riff attack of "Predator". Both this track and "Thrill Of Speed" share the elements that you would expect from Primal Fear, which are pummeling riffs and that unmistakable vocals of Ralf Scheepers. The new cover recording is of the Heart classic "If Looks Could Kill". It's always interesting when a classic rock track gets a heavier treatment. The band have done a successful job putting their spin on this great classic with more crunch in the guitars and a pounding low end. After the new recordings, you get a slew of the many tracks from the last 10 years, including a hefty amount of singles and deep cuts. The first disc contains more of the band's heavier and straightforward material like "The End Is Near", "Sign Of Fear", King For A Day", "Angels Of Mercy" and "Strike", whereas the second disc contains more of the epic and melodic tunes like "Where Angels Die", "We Walk Without Fear", "When Death Comes Knocking" and "The Sky Is Burning".
Greatest hits compilations have the benefit of serving as a quick introduction to a large portion of a band's catalog to a new fan and hopefully it will encourage the fan to go out and pick up the studio albums, but for the people that are already fans, many of them already have the albums that the songs featured originally appeared on and they won't bother with picking up the greatest hits albums, unless there's some new recordings included. If you're a die-hard fan and you feel you have to own every single release the band put out over the years, then go ahead and buy it. I'm not putting down Best Of Fear at all by saying this, I'm just stating the pros and cons on releasing greatest hits compilations. This compilation may only contain music from Primal Fear's last decade but much of that music is some of the band's best. The four new recordings will also be enough to tie us over until the band release their next full-length, most likely next year because they release a new album every two years.
Highs: Over two hours of Primal Fear tunes of the last decade including four new recordings.
Lows: If you already have the albums these songs appeared on, this album would only be worth picking up for the new songs.
Final Rating: 7.5/10
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