#tyran pace

“The Spirit” was a perfectly ambivalent closer for Sigh No More, aptly reflecting the mixed emotions and uncertainty Gamma Ray’s members, both individually and collectively, were experiencing at the time.  Underrated by pretty much everyone- including Kai Hansen- the band’s second full-length was an introspective comedown from the happy Helloween-esque bombast of Heading for Tomorrow, and suffered in many fans’ estimations as a result.  But the writing was sharper than that description might suggest, and Ralf Scheepers delivered some of his best work as a singer on tracks like “One with the World” and “The Spirit”, imbuing each track with a searching and dramatic quality that didn’t descend into cheap hysterics.  Furthermore, “The Spirit” had some of the most thoughtful lyrics Scheepers and Hansen ever wrote, while the soaring and anthemic music juxtaposed nicely against them.  As a result, “The Spirit” became one of the few Sigh No More tracks that Gamma Ray still plays from time to time.

“Church of Blood” was basically a gussied up Sinner tune- between Tom Naumann’s chunky riff, Mat Sinner’s simplistic bass runs on the verses, and clunky lyrics (“There’s no democracy in the Church of Blood!”), the song would’ve fit naturally on The Nature of Evil or The End of Sanctuary.  What made it transcend such an inglorious tag were the two Primal Fear members who had no prior relationship to Sinner: Kevin Smith lookalike Klaus Sperling (who, uh, later would play in Sinner) pounded his drums with remarkable intensity- and indeed, it was his eventual departure that hit Primal Fear harder than even the loss of Naumann after Jaws of Death- while Ralf Scheepers delivered the most aggressive and spirited singing of his entire Primal Fear discography (only his vocals on Gamma Ray’s Sigh No More and Insanity and Genius were better). With Scheepers and Sperling on board, “Church of Blood” became a true kickass power metal stomper, elevating Naumann’s riffing to something meaner and relentless and making the bass-driven verses feel less slack and more ominous.  It was songs like this that made Jaws of Death feel stronger than it actually was, since the reality was that Primal Fear’s second album already felt old hat only a year after their surprisingly fun debut.  But “Church of Blood” instead felt like the work of seasoned pros who were committed to delivering violent heavy metal that took no prisoners.

Primal Fear had long since run out of surprises by the time they put out Seven Seals, though the record showcased a slightly more grandiose sound with its longer tunes, more bombastic arrangements and an inflated sense of drama. “Rollercoaster” was something of an exception, but just barely: it didn’t feel quite as affected, and Tom Naumann delivered his trademark power metal crunch on guitar, but there was still a sense that Primal Fear was trying to up the ante in production and performance if not in hysteria (which was usually what they resorted to), as it had a more balanced and polished recording.  And Ralf Scheepers actually restrained himself a bit, both in his singing (which was not overly shrill) and his lyrics (which surprisingly had nothing to do with going to a metal concert).  Nonetheless, “Rollercoaster” was still intrinsically Primal Fear, with charging drums from Randy Black, fundamentally metallic riffing and Scheepers’ committed vocals, and even if the song didn’t really change things up all that much, it still found the band doing what they do best.

Consfearacy was a semi-supergroup formed by two former Vicious Rumors members and populated by ex-members from other fourth- and fifth-tier outfits (Lizzy Borden, Stormwitch, Heathen and Tyran Pace among them), and didn’t last beyond a single self-titled effort released in 2011.  “Pain Infantry” opened Consfearacy and set the template for most of what followed: Brian O’Connor snarled like a trad-metal Phil Anselmo, while the rest of the band followed suit with a chunky and thrashy technical power metal attack.  This was bracing and bruising metal, relying on blunt force but not ignoring melody altogether.  Fabian Schwarz and Ira Black riffed with precision and power, driving much of the song’s momentum and giving it the necessary heft.  The rest of the album offered more of the same, and it didn’t take long for the songs to blend in together, but “Pain Infantry” worked well enough as a one-off.

Angrymetalguy.com called “Never Pray for Justice” a “cheese taco of metal”, but neglected to mention that such a thing, for better and worse, was Primal Fear’s stock in trade. The song was one of many highlights on Delivering the Black, the first Primal Fear album in ages to feel like it had a clear mission, even if said mission was likely just locating some black and then delivering it. “Never Pray for Justice” wasn’t far removed from Unbreakable’s “Night of the Jumps” (or most other Primal Fear tunes, for that matter), but it felt more vigorous and confident, with Ralf Scheepers in particular sounding unforced in his salute to the metal masses. The song’s lack of hysteria was its best trait, revealing Primal Fear as the veterans they were by that point, rocking out with confidence and in full ownership of its cheesiness.

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Tyran' Pace was Ralf Scheepers' first band. https://t.co/vF6WZ7Xkx0