German metal commandos PRIMAL FEAR have officially signed a deal with new record label Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) for the release of their next studio album.
PRIMAL FEAR bassist/vocalist Mat Sinner states: “We are looking forward to continuing and rejuvenating our successful work with Sven, Jochen and their great team. We have big plans and we know that we have the right partner at our side at RPM!”
Jochen Richert, RPM managing director, adds: “It is an honor for us to welcome one of the most internationally successful bands from Germany to RPM! Mat and Ralf could certainly have worked with any label in the world. But they chose RPM. We see this as confirmation of our previous work, but at the same time also as a mandate and incentive. We will do everything we can to live up to this trust!”
While fresh material is being written, PRIMAL FEAR is about to kick off a summer full of exciting happenings: the band has been confirmed to play at various prestigious European festivals, including a special appearance at Wacken Open Air to commemorate their 25th band anniversary. But that’s not all: in addition, their jubilee shall be celebrated in the form of a career-spanning vinyl box set, with further details to be shared soon.
PRIMAL FEAR‘s latest album, “Code Red”, came out last September through Atomic Fire. The 11-track follow-up to 2020’s “Metal Commando” included the single, “Cancel Culture”, themed around a topic that has been heavily discussed in recent years.
Recorded in Germany at Sebastian “Basi” Roeder‘s Backyard Studios, with the helping hands of singer Ralf Scheepers as well as Mitch Kunz, “Code Red” was produced by bassist Mat Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers and guitarist Tom Naumann. Longtime PRIMAL FEAR collaborator Jacob Hansen once again took care of mixing and mastering at his own Hansen Studios in Denmark. Additionally, Stan W. Decker, who created previous works for the band, including 2017’s “Angels Of Mercy – Live In Germany”, 2018’s “Apocalypse” and 2021’s “I Will Be Gone”, provided the record’s magnificent artwork.
Back in August 2021, PRIMAL FEAR announced that it was scrapping all of its previously announced dates for 2021 and 2022 “due to a serious illness issue.” Four months after canceling the concerts, Sinner revealed that he had spent the previous eight months in eight different hospitals.
In April 2021, PRIMAL FEAR released a five-track single called “I Will Be Gone”. Also made available was the official music video for the title track, featuring a guest appearance by former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen.
Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.
For more than a decade, Sinner had been the musical director and co-producer for the prestigious European arena tour “Rock Meets Classic”.
PRIMAL FEAR is:
Ralf Scheepers – vocals
Mat Sinner – bass, vocals
Tom Naumann – guitars
Alexander Beyrodt – guitars
Magnus Karlsson – guitars
Michael Ehré – drums
Photo by Alex Kuehr