“We’re not used to being a support band,” smiles Ronnie Romero. You can believe it, too. After all, this is the man Ritchie Blackmore chose to front Rainbow when they returned in the 2010s. Voices like his tend to headline things.
There’s a nod to history early on with “Stargazer”, the sort of song that demands a proper singer to tackle it. Romero delivers it with both power and reverence, the band behind him razor sharp.
“Black Dog” gallops along with classic heavy metal energy, while “Castaway on the Moon” feels like perfect classic metal—big hooks, soaring vocals and the sense that Romero was born to sing this stuff.
He dips into newer material with “Bring the Rock”, roaring the hook — “I feel alive again” — and it certainly sounds like it.
Introducing “The Battle Rages On”, Romero says it’s one of his favourite Deep Purple songs, and the band absolutely nail it. “Chased by Shadows”, from his solo work, lands with big thick grooves and everything you want from modern metal.
“Vengeance” soars, showing just how much talent the man has, before “Kill the King” proves he’s about as perfect a voice as you could wish for when it comes to those classic Rainbow songs.
Support band or not, Ronnie Romero is one of the finest voices in modern metal, and as he leaves the stage he promises he’ll be back next year. With a band like this behind him, it’s a promise you hope he keeps.
“Going off the rails on a crazy train…” Ozzy’s immortal lyric rings out across the room as the lights go down, the perfect overture as Primal Fear land in the West Midlands.
Out they come with an intro that screams very heavy metal—twin guitars slicing through the room—before singer Ralf Scheepers (a man with serious metal history) strides on for “Destroyer”, and it’s about the most gloriously metal thing you’ll hear all night.
“I Am the Primal Fear” follows, Scheepers howling “gonna hunt your soul forever, you should be afraid.” But the truth is there’s nothing to fear here except missing out, because these boys absolutely know how to play metal.
“Final Embrace” comes from the new album, and you don’t need to be Poirot to spot the Maiden influence coursing through its veins. Then “Nuclear Fire”, the title track of their third album, arrives like a statement of intent. It’s an absolute masterclass, and the twin attack from Thalìa Bellazecca and Magnus Karlsson alone is worth the journey.
“Seven Seals” adds a little more gravitas—slower perhaps, but somehow even more powerful for it. “The Hunter”, one of the singles from the most recent record, sees fists punching the air across the room because, frankly, there’s no other response.
“Tears of Fire” underlines just how much melody sits at the heart of what they do, though you can’t help thinking songs like this were written with one eye firmly on nights exactly like this. “King of Madness” sees Scheepers lead the crowd in a singalong before unleashing a track that absolutely belongs echoing across a festival field.
“The End Is Near” is fast and furious, nasty as you like, and with KK watching from the sound desk in his own venue tonight it seems perfectly appropriate to tip the hat to Priest while we’re here. “Hallucinations” then gives the returning Magnus Karlsson space to shine alongside Sinner in an instrumental workout that reminds you just how good these players are.
“Fighting the Darkness” begins with something of a power metal grandeur before cutting loose and becoming a real highlight. Afterwards the band raise a toast on stage, as if to underline the occasion.
“Chainbreaker”, the very first song they ever wrote, is raw, fists-up fun that proves some things never lose their power. Their anthem “Metal Is Forever” follows, capturing the essence of the band entirely.
Rather than disappear for the encore they remain on stage for “Hands of Time”, performed almost a cappella with Karlsson singing, before “Running in the Dust” brings the night to a close, the monstrous tone Sinner drags from his bass threatening to render everything else in the building puny.
If, as Biff reckons, “Denim and Leather” brought us all together, then there are few bands better at keeping that flame burning than Primal Fear. On nights like this, it doesn’t just survive—it roars.
