PRIMAL FEAR
Interview with singer Ralf Scheepers
By Kelley Simms
Photos by Heiko Roith
Teutonic titans PRIMAL FEAR are the epitome of European power metal. The German group has churned out melodic and bombastic power metal anthems for 15 years now. The band’s ninth release, Unbreakable, speaks volumes about the band’s perseverance in the music industry. Vocalist Ralf Scheepers is one of the ultimate screamers in metal today. His stint with GAMMA RAY, his unsuccessful tryout for JUDAS PRIEST and now his long tenure in PRIMAL FEAR solidifies his skills and determination. Calling from his home near Stuttgart, Germany, the singer spoke about the new album, the aforementioned PRIEST tryout and what the future holds for PRIMAL FEAR.
The new album Unbreakable is pretty incredible. Consistency is the word I think of the most when speaking of Primal Fear. The album has that same kind of musical vibe and guitar tone as your debut. Primal Fear’s sound really hasn’t faltered since the beginning. What do you attribute this to?
First of all, thank you for the compliment. This time we really wanted to stand in our closed circle again. We went different ways, not so far a way, but a little bit more orchestral and bombastic … things we tried out on Seven Seals and New Religion. Also on 16.6 there were some songs that were a little more experimental for Primal Fear, which doesn’t say that we didn’t or don’t like it. Every time we make an album we capture the feeling we have right now. This time we just wanted to skip back a little bit again to the first album, as you’ve already mentioned, because we know where we come from. We always have had these kind of “true metal” tunes on our albums and it’s in our blood and it’s just what we love to do.
The album has so many great anthems and well crafted, melodic layers of harmonies and melodies. What was your songwriting process?
Now we have four writers. Mat (Sinner), Magnus (Karlsson), Alex (Beyrodt) and me are writing. Those guys know exactly what I’m going to do on a song. We know each other. We’ve been on tour for so many years now and we love the same thing. Of course the goal was to somehow have these melodies going on which stick in your mind. When I heard the playbacks from Mat and Magnus, I had these melodies in my mind which came up on this album. It was just amazing to work on those playbacks I received. The same with Alex, he’s sending in stuff and afterwards everybody’s really happy about the results. Mat also sends in complete songs some times with complete melodies and lyrics already. We have a certain kind of chemistry which is working really good.
Because of this chemistry, Unbreakable sounds undeniably Primal Fear. Is your songwriting formula a conscience effort or does it just come naturally?
It just comes naturally. We’re born with this! We grew up on the NWOBHM. Which doesn’t mean we only listen to that anymore. We don’t have so much time to listen to different new stuff coming up. Our range is pretty wide of what we listen to. It doesn’t mean that if we are metalheads that we only listen to heavy metal. We love everything that has to do with melody and rhythms. In Primal Fear, we always want to keep that because what we can do is go out there and rock and do heavy metal and that’s what you hear on our albums as well.
Does the title Unbreakable have an underlying message about the band and its perseverance?
Yes. We’ve been through difficult phases through the last years with internal and external stuff. Of course the music business … everybody is bitching about nowadays. We just do our thing and we’ve never cared about what is popular right now. Even though the music business is not so good anymore for musicians, we’re still a band and we do our thing. It’s what we love to do. The initial thought of doing this was never to earn some money. So we already knew that maybe we weren’t going to be millionaires with our music. We do it because we love it. That’s the reason why we have the statement Unbreakable because we stand out there and do our thing without caring about what other people say or think about us.
Do you get tired of the Judas Priest comparisons or do you consider it a form of flattery?
Both sides. Sometimes I say, “C’mon guys, I think it’s enough.” We’ve really created our own kind of thing over the years. Of course you can’t deny our influences, which is also a great compliment on one hand. On the other hand, I really have to say if you listen to so many tracks, it’s not really like Priest anymore … what we’re doing nowadays. Even in the older days they wouldn’t have songs like “Where Angels Die” for instance. The comparisons are some kind of truth behind it because we came from this kind of music. We also have five musicians in the band with different backgrounds, so you can really say that it’s a unique thing that we’re doing here.
You do sound similar to Halford at times, especially in the early days, but you don’t sound exactly like him, especially on songs like “Black Rain” and others. Do you think it’s time that people finally judge you on your own merits?
Hopefully. I’m Ok with … I know what I’m doing. If I open my mouth, maybe it sounds similar sometimes here and there because it’s a certain technique I use with the belting. It’s the same thing like he does and it’s the same thing like so many other singers do as well, like Geoff Tate and different screamers out there. It’s just a certain unique way of belting out the high notes and that might sound similar here and there. Singing songs like “Fighting the Darkness,” “Diabolus” and as you said “Black Rain,” is somehow a little bit different because I use some more wild air through my vocal cords. Every person has a unique voice. You can’t be copying somebody on purpose 100 percent and that’s also not my intention to copy somebody. I want to be myself.
Do you regret not getting the Priest gig or were you disappointed in any way?
It was just in the first stage when I got the message that I’m not the guy, then I was disappointed. But afterwards … I’m always a person looking forward. I thought about quitting first, to be honest. After Gamma Ray, I couldn’t imagine anything else than Judas Priest of course. Then I got together with Mat and Tom Naumann back then and they said lets do some songs. We immediately had a new contract that got me out of the black hole I was sitting in. And of course I started my own thing with Primal Fear as we know. In the end everybody’s really happy, I got to know all the guys later from Judas Priest and got to know Tim “Ripper” Owens and they’re all great guys. There’s no reason to bitch or argue about anything because everyone’s happy. I don’t want to speak for them of course but I can only speak for me now.
Your solo album is equally as phenomenal, and speaking of Priest songs, the Priest cover song you did, “Before the Dawn,” is so great. You did it justice, yet injected your own flavor into it. What made you decide to cover that song? It’s not the usual choice for a standard Priest cover.
Actually, I was always playing this tune on the guitar and singing to it. I thought it was a different kind of thing from Judas Priest. It’s got this special vibe in it, a soft and mellow vibe I like pretty much and that’s why I did it. I added some harmonies here and there and Victor Smolski (RAGE) playing a solo up front as an intro, and that’s the major difference. Everything else is copied 100 percent from Judas Priest. I’m also the more ballad-esque guy. I wanted to do a more “ballad only” album but then we decided because my name Scheepers stands for more heavy metal screaming stuff … and that’s the reason why we also changed it into more heavy metal songs.
Your time in Gamma Ray first got you noticed as a singer. How was your time in the band? What moment stood out the most to you?
It’s absolutely amazing and still very important to me to have had that face. I stepped into international business with Gamma Ray doing live shows in Japan and all over Europe. And that was just great for me as a young musician to get the experience to tour the world with it. I’m still friends with the guys because they’re all nice guys and of course all talented musicians.
Kai Hansen even played on your solo album. How often do you stay in touch?
Not that very often. But when they come around here in Stuttgart with Gamma Ray I’m gonna show up and visa versa when I’m going to play Hamburg with Primal Fear. He’s now very busy with his other project Unisonic. We keep in touch and we know each other because we went through everything for five years, from 1987 to 1993. So that’s six years really sticking together. I was out there in Hamburg almost every weekend and we got to know each other very well. We’re good buddies.
New guitarist Alex Bothroyd (Voodoo Circle, Sinner, Silent Force) fits right in. How much did he contribute to the writing and how well did he do in the studio recording the new album?
You can hear it on the album how well he did! (laughs) He did just amazing. He did write songs on it as well, “Metal Nation” for instance, which came from only Alex and me. We got to know him also over the years because since 1999 he was replacing those guitarists who couldn’t go on tour with us because of family problems or other matters. He’s always hopped in and helped us out. Of course, our first decision was to get Alex two years ago when Henny (Wolter) left the band and it was just obvious to us that he was going to get the gig. Songwriting wise, they all know the style of Primal Fear and of course they adapted somehow our way of what we sound like. Primal Fear has a certain sound, and that’s what they have of course kept with their riffing and they’ve added their talents to the songs and I think that’s a great combination.
You and Mat have been together musically for awhile now. It seems like you two are on the same page. Is it just intuitiveness and you just know what each other is going to do by now?
Absolutely. When Mat writes a song for Primal Fear he has my vocals in mind already. And if I get to do something, it’s the same thing. We really know and trust each other, which is the most important thing. We go through thick and thin together and that’s why we are unbreakable! (laughs). It’s a phrase but it’s true!
What’s next for Primal Fear? What’s your touring plans?
This year is absolutely focused on Primal Fear — 2012 is the Primal Fear touring year. We will launch a tour at the end of March till the end of April in Europe first. Then our agency is looking for gigs in North and South America again. Hopefully in Japan. Hopefully the first time in Australia. So we’ll see what’s going to happen. The future is bright for us. We’re rehearsing new stuff and there’s going to be a new set list with as much new songs as possible, also a little bit more from Nuclear Fire and Black Sun. Everybody is really looking forward to rehearsing now and going on tour again.
