Primal Fear

Biography

Primal Fear is a German power metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers (vocals, ex-Gamma Ray) and Mat Sinner (bass and vocals, Sinner). Sinner and Scheepers formed the band after Scheepers was not hired as Rob Halford's replacement in Judas Priest.

History

Primal Fear was founded in October 1997 by singer Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner. Scheepers and Sinner have been constants in the heavy metal scene before the band was founded. Ralf Scheepers sang in the bands Tyran Pace, F.B.I. and the internationally successful band Gamma Ray. After a gig with his Judas Priest cover band Just Priest in which Mat Sinner and Tom Naumann helped out the idea arose to found Primal Fear. They signed a record deal with Nuclear Blast Records in late 1997. Their debut album Primal Fear was released in February 1998 and entered the German LP charts at place 48 thus making it one of the highest chart entries of a debut album in German metal. The same year they toured with metal veterans Running Wild and HammerFall.
In July 1999, the 2nd album Jaws of Death×Jaws of Death28 June 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Jaws of Death0:232Final Embrace5:083Save a Prayer3:364Church of Blood5:145Into the Future4:056Under Your Spell5:357Play to Kill4:018Nation in Fear5:249When the Night Comes5:1510Fight to Survive5:5911Hatred in My Soul4:5512Horrorscope5:44 was released. Shortly after its release guitarist Tom Naumann left the band due to health problems. During the tour through Europe, Brazil and Japan he was replaced by Alex Beyrodt. In January 2000, Henny Wolter joined the band as a permanent replacement. In early 2001, the third album Nuclear Fire×Nuclear Fire16 December 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Angel in Black3:592Kiss of Death3:493Back From Hell3:464Now or Never5:335Fight the Fire4:236Eye of an Eagle4:287Bleed for Me5:048Nuclear Fire4:239Red Rain4:5110Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove5:1711Fire on the Horizon3:3112Living for Metal6:14 was released. At the following world tour the band played in the US for the first time and were guests at the Metal Meltdown Festival and the Milwaukee Metalfest.
The next album Black Sun×Black Sun29 April 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Countdown to Insanity1:432Black Sun4:003Armageddon4:034Lightyears From Home4:385Revolution4:006Fear4:187Mind Control4:558Magic Eye5:139Mind Machine5:3310Silence4:3611We Go Down5:5112Cold Day in Hell4:0713Controlled3:35 was released on 29 April 2002 and entered the German LP charts at place 55, being ranked by Loudwire as the 19th best power metal album of all time. Halford-Guitarist Mike Chlasciak contributed the guitar solos for the songs "Fear" and "Armageddon". The highlight of the following double-headliner tour with fellow band Rage was a gig at the Scala in London. The same year Henny Wolter left the band and was replaced by the returning Tom Naumann. With this line-up the band again toured through Brazil and ended the Black Sun tour. In April–May 2003, the band participated in the "Metal Gods" tour together with Rob Halford, Testament and a few other bands and toured through the US and Canada. During the Tour drummer Klaus Sperling was replaced by Randy Black. After the tour, Randy joined the band permanently.
In February 2004, the 5th album Devil's Ground×Devil's Ground21 February 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Metal Is Forever2Suicide and Mania3Visions of Fate4Sea of Flames5Healer6Sacred Illusion7In Metal8Soul Chaser9Colony10Wings of Desire11Heart of a Brave12Devil's Ground13Die Young14The Rover was released and entered the German LP charts at place 67. April of the same year the band started another world tour in which the band toured through Europe, Japan, the US and South America including one of the band's biggest hits "Metal Is Forever×Metal Is Forever10 January 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Metal Is Forever (radio edit)4:002Metal Is Forever4:463Metal Is Forever". Directly after the tour the band recorded their 6th album Seven Seals×Seven Seals5 October 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Demons and Angels5:322Rollercoaster4:293Seven Seals3:554Evil Spell4:325The Immortal Ones4:196Diabolus7:547All for One7:538Carniwar3:179Question of Honour7:2710In Memory5:0911The Union5:11 in Vancouver and Stuttgart. It was released in Fall of 2005 mixed by Mike Frazer in Vancouver. To promote the album the band went on Europe and Japan tour together with fellow Power Metal band Helloween.
In July 2006, the band surprisingly left Nuclear Blast Records and signed a long-term contract with Frontiers Records. As a "parting gift" Nuclear Blast released the best of compilation Metal is Forever. They performed at Wacken Open Air the following month.

In February 2007, during the recordings for the next album New Religion×New Religion21 September 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Sign of Fear4:472Face the Emptiness4:363Everytime It Rains3:534New Religion4:045Fighting the Darkness: a. Fighting the Darkness3:376Fighting the Darkness: b. The Darkness3:517Fighting the Darkness: c. Reprise1:168Blood on Your Hands4:029The Curse of Sharon4:4110Too Much Time5:1411Psycho3:5512World on Fire3:5413The Man (That I Don't Know)6:13 the band decided after long discussions about the future of the band that Henny Wolter would return as 2nd guitarist and Tom Naumann would leave the band. The album was finished under the direction of producer Mat Sinner and engineer and co-producer Charlie Bauerfeind and was mixed by Roland Prent in the Galaxy Studios in Belgium. It was released in September 2007 and entered the German LP charts at place 60. They started their New Religion tour as co-headliner of the sold out ProgPower USA (PPUSA) VIII festival in Atlanta, US. Afterwards they toured together with U.D.O. through Europe. They continued the tour in January 2008 due to the band's 10th birthday and once again toured through Europe.
Early March 2008, the band announced that longtime guitarist Stefan Leibing had left the band because he wanted to spend more time with his family and his business. On future releases and tours he would be replaced by Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who already contributed 2 guitar solos for the New Religion album. In December 2008 the band entered the House of Music Studios to record their next album 16.6. They said that "the music includes a lot of the vibe of our very first albums" and that "a new Primal Fear album always contained some new musical challenges, real surprises". The Album was released on 22 May in Europe and 9 June in the US. The Video for the song Six Time Dead (16.6) has premiered on 8 May on the band's official MySpace channel. The Album reached No.46 on the German, No.52 in Swedish and No.28 in the Japanese album charts. The band started their longest tour ever in South America, North America, Canada, Europe and Japan to promote their new album. A new live CD and DVD was recorded during every leg on the tour. In 2010 the band spent their longest time on the road in North America tour, followed by another European Tour in September–November 2010.
On 8 July 2011, the band announced their next album Unbreakable×Unbreakable20 January 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Unbreakable, Part 11:412Strike4:493Give Em Hell3:134Bad Guys Wear Black3:395And There Was Silence5:256Metal Nation5:237Where Angels Die8:278Unbreakable, Part 26:199Marching Again5:5310Born Again4:5911Blaze of Glory4:0512Conviction3:58. The album was released on 20 January 2012. The band toured extensively throughout 2012 in support of the album on the "Metal Nation" tour, of which the European leg included dates in Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia among others. The band also played several more shows in 2013.
On 20 May 2013, it was announced on the band's official website that they would begin recording their next album the following day. On 4 October, Primal Fear announced their new album Delivering the Black×Delivering the Black22 January 2014 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1King for a Day3:442Rebel Faction4:423When Death Comes Knocking6:584Alive & On Fire4:485Delivering the Black4:016Road to Asylum3:487One Night in December9:198Never Pray for Justice4:239Born With a Broken Heart4:3710Innocent Man4:1311Inseminoid5:0212Man Without Shadow4:0313When Death Comes Knocking (single edit)4:2514Born With a Broken Heart (edit version)4:13. It was released on 24 January 2014 by Frontiers Records.

On 11 August 2014, drummer Randy Black parted ways with the band due to "irreconcilable differences" between him and Ralf Scheepers. His last appearance was at the Summer Breeze festival in Germany. His departure became effective on 16 August. On 13 June 2015, the band announced that former U.D.O. drummer Francesco Jovino would replace him along with returning guitarist Tom Naumann.
On 22 January 2016, the band released their eleventh studio album Rulebreaker×Rulebreaker20 January 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Angels of Mercy3:352The End Is Near4:273Bullets & Tears3:054Rulebreaker4:385In Metal We Trust3:346We Walk Without Fear10:457At War With the World4:068The Devil in Me4:449Constant Heart4:5010The Sky Is Burning4:4511Raving Mad3:1412Final Call4:0413Don't Say You've Never Been Warned4:2314The Sky Is Burning (exclusive mix)3:48Disc 21Making of "Rulebreaker"13:322Angels of Mercy (video clip)3:403The End Is Near (video clip)4:30.
In November 2017, Primal Fear entered the studio to begin work on their twelfth album Apocalypse×Apocalypse8 August 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Apocalypse1:442New Rise4:133The Ritual4:054King of Madness4:255Blood, Sweat & Fear4:556Supernova5:217Hail to the Fear5:058Hounds of Justice3:519The Beast3:4210Eye of the Storm8:0011Cannonball4:4312Fight Against All Evil4:2513Into the Fire4:3314My War Is Over4:4115Supernova (orchestral version)5:05Disc 21King of Madness2The Ritual3Making of Apocalypse, which was released 10 August 2018.
On 3 April 2020, Primal Fear announced the title of their thirteenth studio album Metal Commando×Metal Commando24 July 2020 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Am Alive4:352Along Came the Devil4:213Halo4:204Hear Me Calling4:405The Lost & the Forgotten4:086My Name Is Fear4:047I Will Be Gone4:268Raise Your Fists3:539Howl of the Banshee4:5510Afterlife4:3011Infinity13:12, along with a release date of 17 July 2020. A single titled "Along Came the Devil×Along Came the Devil15 May 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Along Came the Devil4:21", in support of the upcoming album was released on 15 May 2020. On 9 April 2021, Primal Fear released an EP titled I Will Be Gone×I Will Be Gone9 April 2021 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1I Will Be Gone4:282Vote of No Confidence6:063Rising Fear1:404Leave Me Alone4:045Second to None4:12, featuring Tarja Turunen.
On 23 August 2024, it was announced that the band parted ways with guitarist Alex Beyrodt. Tom Naumann and drummer Michael Ehré left the band after the decision to continue without Beyrodt. Five days later, the band announced Thalìa Bellazecca as their new guitarist. On 31 August, the band announced André Hilgers as their new drummer.
On 5 September 2025, the band released their fifteenth album Domination×Domination5 September 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Hunter4:212Destroyer4:313Far Away4:194I Am the Primal Fear5:425Tears of Fire5:026Heroes and Gods4:027Hallucinations2:338Eden7:089Scream4:2410The Dead Don't Die4:2111Crossfire4:1112March Boy March4:5513A Tune I Won't Forget3:22 via Reigning Phoenix Music. It will be followed by their upcoming sixteenth album Shadowriders, scheduled for release on 23 April 2027.

Current

Ralf Scheepers – lead vocals (1997–present)
Mat Sinner – bass, co-lead vocals (1997–present)
Magnus Karlsson – guitars (2008–present)
Thalìa Bellazecca – guitars (2024–present)
André Hilgers – drums (2024–present)

Live

Constantine – guitars (2012–2013)
Aquiles Priester – drums (2014–2015)
Alex Jansen – bass (2022–2024)

Former

Klaus Sperling – drums (1997–2003)
Tom Naumann – guitars (1997–2000, 2003–2007, 2015–2024; live 2013–2015)
Stefan Leibing – guitars (1998–2008)
Henny Wolter – guitars (2000–2003, 2007–2010)
Randy Black – drums (2003–2014)
Alex Beyrodt – guitars (live 2011–2024)
Francesco Jovino – drums (2015–2019)
Michael Ehré – drums (2019–2024)