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It always amuses me when a band are branded 'the best kept secret' of any metal scene, as I've often discovered there is a reason they've hidden behind obscurity for so long. Such, in some ways, is the case for British metal crew Primitai, a band that claim to be the heirs to the throne of our once thriving underground scene, though their music is far less old school than a lot of the bands currently storming American stages with tight jeans and spiky logos. In fact, Primitai are one of a new breed of band, the kind that mixes the more melodic side of European metal with the commercial attack of more contemporary players.

While their influences are Maiden and Priest, they sound more like DragonForce than either, though there is a fair amount of Children Of Bodom-style riffage and harmonies, proving these guys have the technical chops to pull this off without sounding dim or unprepared. Vocally, they go for an almost hair-metal croon that is certainly a change, though on occasion their frontman falls into the trap of sounding too commercial for me to believe their interests lie in the kind of metal they attempt to create on their second album, The Line Of Fire.

In terms of production, this has a pleasantly rich sound, and some of the hooks are pretty sharp ("Sin City" reigns supreme as the album's high point), but there's nothing here we haven't heard in bands such as White Wizzard and The Morning After, both of whom seem to have made more of an impression by adding their own unique touches, taking this revivalist style to new, interesting places. Primitai are a band to watch, for sure, but they need to harness their influences in a more productive manner.