This year has had its up and downs—well, a lot of downs, but we should be focusing on the ups: the motivation to be happy and events that spark it. Enter music, the simple, yet so complicated, piece of art that has no limits. It is a veritable truth that over 25 strong years, Primal Fear have been putting in the effort. Album after album, tour after tour, year after year, it’s the same story, and it keeps getting stronger and stronger. The secret though is being able to harness the past to attack your future.
“You’re always growing,” says vocalist Ralf Scheepers. “You never stop learning, even now. We have to learn how to handle different situations coming in. I learned so many things in terms of production, composing, and arranging vocals that I’m really grateful for. You learn a lot when you’re together in a team.”
Domination, their 15th album is being released September 5 via Reigning Phoenix Music. It was co-produced by Scheepers and guitarist Magnus Karlsson and mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. Scheepers says he hasn’t felt this great in a long time as he did singing some of the new songs.
“I let it sink in,” explains Scheepers. “I was really convinced that this is going to be another good one. And yeah, the fans are deciding what they like or not, but we write music that we are happy (with), to be honest. We would not release something we wouldn’t be happy with in the end.”
Consisting of stories that leave themselves open just enough that anyone can relate, the album jumps around themes of personal experiences, whatever life is (writing) down. The latest lineup is Scheepers, bassist/vocalist Mat Sinner, guitarists Magnus Karlsson and Thalìa Bellazecca, and drummer André Hilgers. There have been a few lineup changes over the years, but the current one is hitting their stride and making their mark.
“All these lineup changes, I’m not really happy about it,” admits Scheepers. “It’s like in a marriage or whatever; people don’t get along with each other anymore. You can’t keep them away from doing what they want to do in a way. If someone wants to leave or if we have to fire somebody because of certain issues, then you have to (make those) decisions. Now, we feel great because we have positive people in our band looking forward to playing on the stage and just happy being there.”
Primal Fear have a flurry of future plans, starting with the first leg of their “Domination” tour the same day the album drops, a second leg next year and still somehow touch the world in Europe, the U.K., and then South America, and maybe some Japan. Throw in a handful of summer festivals next year, and they will stay busy enough, which is how it’s supposed to be nowadays.
“It’s just a process; it’s not one thing or two things standing out. It’s the entire process and the result, where we are now, is the thing you can be proud of because it’s still not over. So, we still go, and we keep doing it. It’s the entire thing that makes me proud in the end. It’s not always so easy in the rock ‘n’ roll world. People always think, ‘they have a good life.’ Of course, it’s a good life because we love what we do. Our work is our dream come true in the end.”
