jaws of Death review 2

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Jaws of Death review 2

The Metal commando Portal

think we've already successfully established that Heavy Metal is a Good Thing. Several records have already re-confirmed this for me in 1999 - Iced Earth and Manowar being the two which spring most readily to mind - and now along comes this awesome slab of classic Heavy Metal thunderings from Germany's Primal Fear. With so many bands drawing from such traditional influences at the moment, from Arch Enemy through to Cradle of Filth, it's no wonder that this type of thing is enjoying such a resurgence at the moment. There was a time, a few years ago, when squealing solos and big hair were quite definitely off the Metal agenda and it always struck me that this was something of a tragedy. For the majority of Metal fans, this kind of thing is where we came in... "Jaws Of Death" is littered with the kind of clichés which might serve to put the casual Metal punter off altogether, but if you feel any kind of affinity with the world of headbanging and compulsory beer consumption then this is the album for you. A spooky intro gives way to a more-classic-than-classic opening riff and we're off, into the Metal stratosphere, in the company of one of the most musically proficient and convincing sounding bands I've heard in a long time. This is Primal Fear's second album, and for a sophomore outing this oozes confidence, quite possibly because everyone involved seems to be a stalwart of the European Metal scene, most notably Mat Sinner (from, somewhat unsurprisingly, Sinner) who is also responsible for the precise and brutal production job. Like the most recent incarnation of Judas Priest, minus all the Slayerisms, Primal Fear prove that they're well aware of how Metal should sound at the end of the millennium and yet they never fall into the trap of trying to appeal to the Kiddie Metal brigade. Every song on "Jaws Of Death" has a soaring melodic chorus, a superfast and harmonious solo and some seriously savage riffing, all combining to define classic Heavy Metal at its finest and least contrived. "Under Your Spell", for instance, is as good as showstopping Metal ballads get, while "Save A Prayer" would give Bruce Dickinson's recent exploits at the heavy end of the genre a decent run for their money. A cover of Rainbow's "Kill The King" wraps the whole thing up with a suitable amount of fire and brimstone, and throughout this brilliantly conceived and executed record you'll be acutely aware that this is a band who evidently live and breathe Metal, not unlike the aforementioned (and self-appointed) kings of the genre, the mighty Manowar. In essence, this is one for the true Metal contingent - if that includes you then consider yourself privileged, because "Jaws Of Death" fucking rocks.