Seven Seals

Seven Seals is a fulfilling power-metal work that foregrounds hard, sharply chopping guitar, speeding powerful drums and Ralf Scheepers’s piercing highs. Inheriting the momentum of the previous Devil's Ground, it further hones traditional heavy metal’s stylistic beauty. While keeping straight heavy metal as a sure foundation, its choruses hold a lyrical, large expanse, by no means leaning on aggression alone. A record where the band’s mature expression shines. Led by the title track “Seven Seals,” the songs line up in good balance the taut tension of speeding fast songs and the sure weight of mid-tempo songs that let you listen carefully, giving the whole album a powerful drive. Ralf Scheepers’s overwhelming singing is in sharp form throughout, fully displaying the band’s appeal as traditional metal. A record that grandly sounds out Primal Fear’s own tough, powerful appeal, rather than relying on flashy experiment or decoration. Even in a long career, its steady playing and sure songwriting have not wavered in the least. A powerful, engaging, fulfilling work letting you fully savor German power metal’s sure appeal — a record where the band’s consistent strength shines.