primordial

Archive | Interviews | getreadytorock.com, 2005

1. Hi, guys. We are a couple of weeks away from the release of your new album, The Gathering Wilderness. You must be very excited about the prospect. Would this be a fair assumption?

I suppose so, you just take things as they come but this time everything seems to in place to bring the band to the next level. I feel positive so we'll see what happens.

2. Why do you believe that you previous album, 'Storm Before Calm' was not greeted with as much enthusiasm as 'Spirit the Earth Aflame'? Which elements on that release do you think failed to inspire your fan-base as much as your previous albums had done?

I don't think it was a case that musically people didn't like it as much what that really means in the bio is really that hammerheart didn't do all they could have with the album and it came out at a difficult time for the label. Sure you can always think in retrospect that this and that could have been done better but we try not to dwell on it all and simply do what we can with the time and money we have.

3. It took you almost 3 years to record a new album, during which time the band has been subjected to quite a few changing influencing factors. Can you explain the reasons which led to your departure from Karmaggedon Media? How much did your relationship with your previous label affect the spirit and the performance of the band?

Yeah its about 2 and a half years. Well you know anyone who knows primordial knows we take our time and we don't rush anything. That's simply the way things are. The industry and all the shit happens can indeed really get you down but the way I look at it is simple, you either let it all get on top of you and let it crush the band or you stand up to it and come back with twice as much grit and determination to succeed then you had before. The reasons why we left ?, I think we had both reached the end of the line. No big deal.

4. What was the catalyst that led you to start recording for the new album and how long ago did this happen?

Well we just felt the time was right. Nothing more nothing less you know. We recorded it over about 3 weeks in october if I am correct.

5. It is easy to hear echoes of 'Spirit the Earth Aflame' in 'The Gathering Wilderness'. Do you believe that this is the true 'Primordial sound'?

I think all the albums have our trademark sound. We sound like no one and no one sounds like us. Plain and simple. So you can hear our trademark sound through all the albums.

6. You seem to have gone for quality rather than quantity with the new album - most of your compositions are on average 8 minutes long and yet none of the seven compositions could be called boring or repetitive. How easy was it to achieve this?

I don't know, that's just the way we write. You need light and shade you know, we don't have solos or choruses etc. we just view each song as a separate piece of music you know and try and put as much honesty and atmosphere as we can into it.

7. Another innovative move on your part was to choose a different studio and producer for the Gathering. Was this part of your new lease of life?

Yeah I guess so, we just wanted to shake things up you know. It was time for a change, time to do things differently. 5 albums in and we could have done the same thing again but we decided to change the engineer and studio and we wanted this stripped back raw sound. We got it.

8. The production on your previous albums has always let the band down to a certain extent. How do you feel the production differs on the Gathering and how did you manage to avoid falling into the same trap this time?

I don't know, you have to understand the budgets and time we were working under often with the old albums. It was not ideal at all. However I think all of the productions have their own character and we are not looking for sonic perfection, just to create the right feeling and atmosphere. On this album at least we wanted this rough, raw sound like standing in our rehersal room u know. Simple and plain. No bullshit.

9. Billy Anderson is known for working with artists, such as Brutal Truth, Neurosis and the Melvins - bands whose style and approach to music has little to do with those of your band. What led you to choose this specific producer and how much license did you give him to interfere with your compositions?

I think we have a lot in common with Neurosis actually. We play often similar droning chords and that kind of thing. Billy is the king of filth and we wanted that dirty, bassy sound he gets. Like a real band playing together in a room. What I really liked was his work on surrounded by thieves by high on fire. He didn't interfere with our composition but he had plenty of good ideas.

10. The uniqueness of Primordial's sound is something that neither location nor producer can take away and the Gathering is the perfect example for that. What do you believe keeps this special feeling intact?

I don't know, we don't analyse it we just play as we do and don't think about it. Primordial simply is the way it is. We know what makes this band this band and we don't stray from path but we don't repeat ourselves either. We just don't try and copy anyone, we do our own thing.

11. Let's now talk about the lyrical content of the new album. Once again you have chosen to write about the long and suffering history of your nation. This is one of the faces of Primordial - something like the trademark of the band. Do you ever envisage the need to address other topics, or do you feel that by doing that you risk loosing your identity as a band?

Not really true we write about many different things and if sometimes we do write about something that has an irish context it is always written in such a way that people can seem themselves within the lyrics. We will always have this connection to our culture and heritage and this will never change but we are about so much more as well.

12. Do you think that that the vast majority of Irish artists, regardless of their musical direction, have a calling when it comes to composing their music?

Well you know we are an island nation and we evolve sometimes very differently to countries that border others. However I view primordial as continuing a great Irish artistic tradition. We are not entertainers we are artists and even though this is a small country with not many people here I think we have this incredibly rich heritage to draw upon and maybe the people here do have to heed this calling you talk of.

13. Back to the album: while I was listening to the album for the first time, I realised that the cover artwork you have chosen manages to capture both the aggressive and atmospheric elements of your music. How well do you believe the album manages to blend these two elements together?

As I say Primordial is really well defined by Tragedy and Might. Well for once when I asked the label could I do this and that they said fine do whatever you want and I had a really clear vision I wanted this album to look very different and also to be a photo. Everything compliments everything else completely this time. When you see the final version it should look really dark and beautiful.

14. The album cover, although uncomplicated as an image, works perfectly to complement the music. It brought back memories of the days when Burzum released albums such as 'Hvis lyset tar oss'. Who was the artist chosen to create this very important element of the release? Is the artist acquainted with Primordial's music and do you consider this necessary?

Yeah I think it fits pretty perfectly alright. The photo was taken by the bass player from doom band Mourning Beloveth and then the drummer from a band called Scald did the cover. So we kept it all in Ireland. I really admire the simplicity of Burzum both musically and artistically. It was kept simple and effective. I hate these multicoloured garish photoshopped covers

15. If the Gathering Wilderness were to be taken as a concept in itself, what would you see as the natural development of the story behind it? Which of the tracks would make up the key points of the concept?

I don't know that it really is a concept, there are many concepts over the album. The one over riding theme seems to be desperation and alienation. The world simply seems a darker and more desperate place then it was even when we recorded storm before calm. U can hear this on the new album.

16. 'The Coffin Ships' is, in my opinion, the most complete song ever composed by the band. I would like you to analyse this song completely, giving us an idea regarding the musical progression, the lyrical content and the feelings you had while composing it.

Thank you. It came out well in the end. I don't know about the musical progression it was just another song we wrote, it has the typical Primordial trademarks we have always had. The dissonant full chords and mantra like repeated riffs. The lyrics deal with the irish famine between 1845 and 1849 where over 3 million people emigrated and starved to death and for years I had wanted to write a song about it that didn't read like a history text. Finally I did and to me at least it's almost a dedication to all those people who died or went to start a new life in the new world. The coffin ships were the boats they sailed in. so called because so many people died on them.

17. What are your plans for touring, now that you have released a new album and are with a bigger label. Do you have anything scheduled as yet? Will this be the first time we see Primordial as headliners?

I don't know I guess we have to see how well the album does. I would like to go out with a bigger band of course and reach more people but I would love to be able to be big enough to headline and be able to play an acoustic set and some old songs we never get to play.

18. It would be good to see you performing alongside other Irish bands, such as Waylander and Cruachan. Do you think about invading the English shores at some time? I'm sure that you would be surprised at the number of fans who would welcome you with open arms, if this were to happen!

If the offer is good enough of course we would play with our countrymen. There was talk some years ago of an Irish festival in London but it never happened. I imagine we will be playing the Uk sometime in 2005.

19. The last time I saw the band live was in Dublin, supporting the German outfit Desaster. I can still recall the unique atmosphere and the presence Primordial created, even in a small venue, such as the one in which you played that night. Do you think that a larger venue or tour would change this feeling, or will you continue to dress in the Celtic colours of war?

We will always be the same no matter in front of 200 people, 50 people or 5000. You will get blood, sweat and fuckin tears. Nothing more nothing less. You are not going to see me stand onstage any time soon wearing blue jeans and an old metallica shirt. It just aint me.

20. What is your relationship like with the press? How much support have you received in the past from the media and how has the new album been treated so far?

The press has always been great if not often over the top about the band and this time round seems no exception. We just never had the label before to push the band to people, its going to be interesting to see what happens now.

21. This is probably the first time that you have been given an opportunity to look to your plans for the future with the band. What are you plans in this respect; where do you see Primordial's direction?

Not really. people always ask me that. I don't know really. I think for this year to try and get out there and play where we can when we can. Travel, meet people, new things and places hopefully. We certainly aren't finished yet by any means so hopefully we can see the band grow and grow but u know we would sound the same if we sold 5000 or 50 000 .

22. How much has the death of Quorthon affected you as people and collectively as musicians? It is more than obvious that you have been deeply influenced by this artist...

Yeah it was very sad and bathory was a massive influence and inspiration on all of us. He was one of the true visionaries who showed us you could marry metal with your culture and also do something totally against the grain.

23. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview with Get Ready To Rock. What message would you like to send to the people who have supported you over the years?

Thanks for your support. Joy and strength to you all.

Nemtheanga