Ralf Scheepers Scheepers
by Erik Tweedy
Staff Writer
It is finally here; the long talked about and highly anticipated solo release from Primal Fear lead singer Ralf Scheepers, aptly titled Scheepers. If you have no idea who Ralf Scheepers is, you must have strayed away from the metal world for the past decade. Shame on you!
Scheepers, the former lead singer of Gamma Ray and founder and current vocalist of the European metal powerhouse Primal Fear, who have been waving the German metal flag for over a decade, is about to drop a dozen bone crushing tracks on America come February 15th. Fortunately our friends in Europe will only have to wait until the 18th to pick up a copy of this blistering gem.
The intro to track one, “Locked in the Dungeon”, courtesy of “Metal” Mike Chlasciak, instantly sets the tone of this fiercely written and produced barnburner that reminds you of every great NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) band. The obvious Priest and Maiden elements are throughout the track, but the influences don’t stop there as this track twists and turns across the continent and pulls in Diamond Head, Saxon and a bit of early Blitzkrieg thrash drumming. As expected, the vocals are heavy on the Rob Halford clone style, especially in the chorus, which works great and Scheepers does enough to keep new listeners intrigued and old fans very happy without going over the top. This track is a flat out smoker and one that in a perfect world would be played in constant rotation across the globe.
Ralf Scheepers will always be compared to Rob Halford as they both possess a tremendous vocal range with that higher octave that can kill a dog from 10 miles out. Throughout this release, Scheepers makes valiant attempts to forge his own style, but surprisingly on track 2, “Remission of Sin”, Scheepers turns to none other than former Judas Priest lead singer, Tim “Ripper” Owens for a duet on a cracking metal track that at times sounds very much like Accept, complete with the soldier-like vocals during the chorus. A chunky bass line throughout the track by Primal Fear bassist, Mat Sinner, slows this one down a bit from the opening track but the multiple guitar solos throughout paired with the terrific vocal performance by Scheepers and Owens make this one of the standout tracks.
Up next is the very strange “Cyberfreak”, which is full on speed metal in the vein of Priest’s “Painkiller”. A twisted song about those pesky cyber trolls out there pissing everyone off on message boards and blogs around the world. Throw in some free music downloads; porn surfing and buying Ecstasy tablets online and you have your everyday average Cyberfreak according to Scheepers. Listen to the lyrics closely on this one and see if it reminds you of anyone at the office.
Undoubtedly, “The Fall” will bring on more Primal Fear comparisons, and rightfully so. Many of the tracks here feature one or more Primal Fear members and Scheepers can’t keep those pipes in hiding forever. “The Fall” is a mid-tempo rocker that keeps the pace of the record moving towards the terrific “Doomsday” up next.
If Peter Steele, lead singer from Type O Negative, were still alive, he would have been the perfect person to introduce “Doomsday”. A creepy, wet and bloody intro walks the listener into the darkest track on the record. A straight out Primal Fear type track that chugs along to a blistering solo at the mid-point and falls back into the deep vocals of Scheepers that sound like they are coming right out of a B-level black and white vampire movie. This is very moody and yet, very cool.
Along comes “Saints of Rock”, a mid-tempo rocker that would be right at home on any record put out by Saxon in the last 15 years. This is Scheepers covering Scheepers, the original track coming from Scheepers’ band, Tyran Pace, originally recorded in 1986. Complete with a full on “Saints of Rock” chorus that harkens back to the day when bands were labeled arena rockers. This is not your typical Ralf Scheepers progressive metal type of track you are used to and is easily the most boring track on this release.
One of the great things about Scheepers is the consistency of his vocals. He has such a vast and unique range that is put on display throughout this solo release. Scheepers brings it full circle as he takes on a Judas Priest classic many may not be familiar with. “Before the Dawn”, originally on Priest’s Hell Bent for Leather and later released on the Metal Works double disc set, is covered flawlessly here. Spot on vocals with an arrangement that stays true to the original. This is a perfect cover song for Scheepers to take on.
With vocals sounding very much like Dream Theatre’s James LaBrie, Scheepers pulls out all the stops on “Back on the Track”. A double bass drum bashing intro leads you on a rollercoaster ride of speed metal mixed with mellow interludes and back into a speed metal adventure that drives into a tasty solo and a crushing finale.
Heading into the final lap of this great disc, “Dynasty” chugs its way through an initiation into an exclusive club. As Scheepers belts out “Let me welcome you to the family”, put the devil horns in the air and feel proud to be a metalhead.
Thus far, the only thing missing from this release is a good solid ballad, and at first glance, “The Pain of the Accused” fills that spot perfectly before it melts into a mid-paced melodic rocker with a blazing guitar solo at the 3 minute mark. Nothing overly special here but a cool track that begins with an extended acoustic intro and smooth vocals by Scheepers.
One of the better tracks on this debut release is “Play with the Fire”. This baby smokes from start to finish. With a thundering rhythm section and a duel guitar attack reminiscent of classic Maiden with perhaps the best guitar solos on the disc. One of the better metal tracks of 2011 thus far. If this doesn’t get your heart beating you might consider dialing 911.
Before you listen to the last track, get yourself a nice big glass of Hefeweizen and picture yourself sitting at a German brewhaus, somewhere in Berlin. With a Celtic feel, complete with a banjo and accordion, “Compassion” is a feel good acoustic jam about the struggle between war and peace. War and peace is never a fun subject to tackle, but picture a bunch of drunken Germans clanking beers over this one as Scheepers sings about turning millions of frowns into grins as the world unites into one. This song has a great message but might not be the best way to end this metal meltdown. Although, after getting bashed in the head for most of the last hour, you might welcome a nice cold beer and a little Bavarian cheer to round this one out.
Overall, Scheepers has done a great job on his first solo disc with a terrific set of guest musicians, excellent production and mastering by Mat Sinner and Achim Koehler and a dozen tracks that should please the Primal Fear and Gamma Ray fans. If you are new to the Scheepers legacy, there is plenty here to make you a new fan.
Band:
Ralf Scheepers: Lead & Backing Vocals; Acoustic Guitar; Keyboards; FX Sounds
Guest Appearances:
Tim “Ripper” Owens: Lead Vocals on “Remission of Sin”
Magnus Karlsson: Lead Guitars; Guitars; Banjo; Accordion; Keyboards
Sander Gommans: Lead Guitar, Guitars
Mike Chlasciak, Alex Beyrodt; Kai Hansen; Victor Smolski: Lead Guitars
Mat Sinner: Bass, Keyboards
Snowy Shaw: Drums
Track Listing:
Locked In The Dungeon
Remission Of Sin
Cyberfreak
The Fall
Doomsday
Saints Of The Rock
Before The Dawn
Back On The Track
Dynasty
The Pain Of The Accused
Play With The Fire
Compassion
Label: Frontiers Records
Website: http://www.primalfear.de
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.3/10