Primar Fear's third release shows a tighter, more mature outfit than on the first two albums. While both very good, there were some occasional weaknesses on those albums. Much of those have been taken care of on Nuclear Fire, an album that definitely makes me glad that singer Ralf Sheppers didn't get the job with Judas Priest. At least Primal Fear doesn't take forever to release a new album...
I'll halt the Judas Priest comparisons at the vocals - the music itself doesn't sound like Judas Priest to me. Nuclear Fire is a collection of in-your-face power metal songs with a couple of ballads thrown in to slow things down a little bit. Sheppers is at his best with powerful vocals from beginning to end. There are a few catchy songs that stand out, such as Kiss of Death and Nuclear Fire. The last song is pretty much an hymn to metal, something that quite a few power metal bands have done in the last couple of years. I find it ends the album on a very good note.
With Sheppers' powerful vocals and a band that plays tighter than ever before, and a definite improvement in the songwriting, this album is bound to make some Top 10 lists in the year 2001.
