CHICAGO METAL MUSIC EXAMINER

(http://www.examiner.com/x-2579-Chicago-Metal-Music-Examiner).  

The release date of the All Empires Fall DVD is upon us…as far as the live material that’s on the DVD what motivated the choosing of these particular shows for the DVD (Dublin/’09, Ragnarok Fest/’08, Hove Fest/’08, and Graspop Metal/’08)?  And was it difficult at all deciding on what footage to include? 

Dublin was really a mixture of national pride and practicality. Felt right to have our first live dvd in our home town also it meant the team we had assembled to film it didn’t have to travel further and thus make it even more expensive. The other bonus material was really about the best of the bunch. no more reasoning than that. 

As the years go by we all evolve and change – was there ever any debate about including any of the ‘vintage’ footage that was included in the DVD?  How does it feel looking back at the beginnings of the band and the changes that have taken place since through the eyes of the person you are now?

No, no debate. It’s where we came from. No sense in hiding it, we are proud of where we have come from and how far we have come over all these years. No point in glossing over these facts. I think people appreciate that fact and we haven’t tried to gloss over anything or tart it up in any way. There’s nothing really on there that makes me cringe, you live and learn. You can't be fully formed aged 16, but we did the best we could at the time. 

You had commented on the band’s website that the re-mastering of Spirit the Earth Aflame allowed for more “oomph” that it lacked the first time around…are there any plans at all to do the same with any of the band’s other albums?

Well journeys end had a slight remaster as it wasn’t really mastered properly back in the day. Spirit is a strange album, it lacks some bass end and low mid punch for whatever reason. The songwriting is great i think but its missing some bite. So we are adding a little. Don't worry I haven't gone all Dave Mustaine on it and completely changed anything just added a little weight to it. Nothing more. I don't think we will do much to storm before calm which is next. An under rated album that sounds pretty modern already to be honest.

On the website as well you’d mentioned that there are no titles yet for the new songs to be recorded this summer.  What point are you guys at in the writing process – is there music but no lyrics or vice versa?  And is this a typical creative/writing process for you or has that at all changed since writing for To the Nameless Dead? 

I’m really bad at thinking up titles these days. The name of the last album only came to me on the last day of recording ttndead. Right now there are about 6 or 7 pieces of music between 25% and 75% finished. The next 2 months will tell a lot to be honest. We are never totally prepared and like to leave some room for creativity in the studio but we piece things together as we always did. Together in the rehearsal room. Yes there are lyrics, loads of them! It's just a case of fitting them to the right pieces of music and judging the mood. Right now my working title is 'sacrifice and redemption'.

I’d read in a previous interview that you guys all still have “normal jobs” in addition to your Primordial responsibilities.  It must be terribly daunting to try to make time for recording an album for and touring in particular – but at the end of any given day in the midst of a tour far from home does it feel that sacrifice is worth it? 

Of course it's worth it. But yes it's true we have never been a professional band. In some ways it's a pity but life is much more complicated now then when we were 21 and had no responsibilities. For example the last American tour. We played for virtually nothing every night. Then venues want 30% of your merch, taxes, hidden costs, work visas, flights, bus costs. Try doing that for a month when you have kids at home to feed. Personally i could tour all year round but the other guys can't. We do what we can and in the midst of everything try and find time to be creative and make albums that critics judge on the same criteria as professional bands. It is tough but thankfully we are men enough to handle it. 

You seem to be a person who is both very introspective but also very aware of the happenings in the world, the evils of politics and religion, etc – and you have a thoughtful opinion on these things.  Would you ever consider writing a book about these ponderings, or maybe even doing a talking-show the way that former punk vocalist Henry Rollins does?  Why or why not?

Haha oh. Nemtheanga spoken word, i can see my friends laughing about that one. You've obviously never had a drink with me when im on my soap box o), it's the same thing! I don't know, I've thought often about writing a book of some sort. Perhaps a biography of the band that nearly made it from a humorous point of view! Who knows. I think i'd really like to present a radio show though. That might be next in my sights... 

Primordial is considered one of the “pioneers of the Celtic metal” genre – how do you feel about such a title?

Celtic metal? What's that anyway? I didn't even know there was such a genre. Pagan metal perhaps? Although even that i don't know it means and if you look at our lyrics we don't have many songs about mythology or folklore. In fact i could count them on one hand. We want to be a relevant band singing about issues that are about the here and now even if they deal with the past. Im not interested in being fantastical or romantic about dungeons and dragons style myth. Not what interests me. You can call us pioneers of modern pagan metal if you want.  

As the 20^th anniversary of the band is drawing nearer, are there any goals in which you have for the band – a direction you’d like to see it go in, or to accomplish something it hasn’t yet?

Yeah, of course. loads. I want to tour South America, North America again, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, the middle east, far east. Anywhere else we haven’t been at least once before i call it quits. We've had a lot of adversity in this band but we keep on going and personally I am relentless in my achievements and re-assessments of my goals. So maybe time moves slower in primordial land but what goes around comes around. Slow and sure.

It looks as though the plans are laid out for Primordial in 2010 – the new DVD release, Spirit the Earth Aflame re-mastered release, recording and releasing the new album, a few shows…but if a Genie appeared and offered to grant you a few wishes for the year to come (musically or personally) what would you wish for? 

I suppose the opportunity to tour all the places we haven't and can't because of the complex issues of life that get in the way! So unfortunately and sadly much of that is simple economics. Sad but true. Sort that out for me and things will be easier! 

vae victis!