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So this is what, the 13th studio album by Primal Fear in about 22 years? We can't say the guys have been slacking off. I quite liked Armageddon from 2018 and Metal Commando is very similar in style, but the overall vibe is not as upbeat and doesn't "rock" as much and I think Armageddon has a few more memorable songs on it. Despite this, after several listens I found that I like this one about as much. The band's experience shows in every note and this is delivered with laser-like precision. Sheepers is still in top form, delivering powerful and often catchy singalong melodies like he's been doing since long before he was in Primal Fear. Musically, this is exactly the kind of power metal you expect from the band at this point; heavy, fast, crunchy, melodic, marrying old-school heavy metal with modern power metal better than so many bands trying for the same thing. I think Primal Fear have reached this point where they know they have a good formula and don't stir the pot too much, just altering the quantities and mixing in a few subtle ingredients here and there rather than experiment too much and lose themselves along the way. One could say they're stalling, but in the end I like some good, solid metal and the band have pretty much mastered that art at this point. Just like Armageddon, Metal Commando didn't grab me at first and it took a few listens before it clicked and became part of my regular rotation, so keep that in mind going in...