Interview with A. A. Nemtheanga of Primordial by Patrick Toepoel.


1. It's been a while now since the release of "Storm Before Calm". How was the
album received worldwide, and how was the reaction from your audience to the
album?

ans :
Its been about 8 months or something I guess ?, the reaction has been excellent,
very positive. Some people were surprised at the direct approach of some of the
music but we wanted it that way and couldnt make the same album twice you
know...
The fans of the band are kind of split, I think everyone recognises that you
undertake a journey with a band and there are some things you like more then
others and some fans like the more melancholic tragic sound of Journeys End and
some the more aggressive strains of Storm Before Calm...like I said, its a
Journey.



2. "Storm Before Calm" came as quite a surprise to me. After "Spirit the Earth
Aflame", I expected Primordial to become more slow and melodic, but when I heard
the first seconds of "The Heretics Age" I knew that I was dead wrong. Was it a
conscious decision you made, to focus more on the aggressive aspect of
Primordial and even resurrect something of your ancient Black Metal past?

ans :
Definitely, it was a conscious decision to make a harder, fuller sounding album.
We wanted a heavier production then we had in the past and better sounding drums
as well. The songs were written in a shorter space of time so kept a lot of
their initial aggression. However you are right most people expected us to sail
off into Anathema/ In the Woods territory but that was never going to happen
with us, energy is the most important thing and the ability to capture it is
paramount. Primordial has always had its feet firmly planted within the Black
metal scene...that is where we came from so it should come as no surprise...




3. Your drummer, Simon O'Laoghaire, is really an excellent musician. On "Storm
Before Calm", his fascinating, passionate drums reflect more than ever on the
overall character of the music. Does he have very much experience or is he just
a gifted person?

ans :
He has been playing drums longer then I have known him, I guess since he was
like 9 or 10 and he learned very much in an irish traditional and rock
background and that has given him a very individual style. I guess Brian Downey
from Thin Lizzy was his biggest influence. I guess he is a pretty gifted
musician all in all...


4. My favourite song of "Storm Before Calm" is the epic "Sons of the Morrigan".
I especially like the part where you sing "If this is my journeys end, then cast
me into the pyre". There's something about the sound of your voice on that line,
it's even more filled with emotion than in the other songs. Are the lyrics of
this song of particular importance to you?

ans :
all the lyrics are important to me of course but these are pretty poignant you
know, i really like to use phrases and lines from other songs here and there to
keep a continuity and give people who want to scratch the surface something to
get into you know...for fans who really want to get something out of the band.
The lyrics of that particular song are using the tale of a warrior looking back
over his life and asking the question will his deeds and actions be sung about
after his death, its basically asking a deeper question...are you forging your
will right here right now ?, shaping your own destiny ?.



5. What I like mostly about your clean singing voice is the fact that it has a
somewhat rough edge to it; your style is spontaneous and passionate as opposed
to calculated and rehearsed. Is it something that just happens to you, or do you
consciously make sure you are 'loosened up' when you enter the studios to record
your vocals?

ans :
this new style on storm before calm, this rough as fuck style is something new
and it was needed with these songs you know, I mean I can generally sing most
styles reasonably well you know but the most important thing to me is to sound
like you mean every fuckin word from the heart, with utter conviction. Of course
we rehearse and I know mostly where things are going and what I am doing but
there is of course things that just happen in the studio, its natural.



6. What really drew me towards Primordial is your organic, earthy sound. I have
a vast collection of music, but nothing I've heard comes even close to your
guitar sound. It's easily recognizable out of thousands. Can you shed some light
on how you, as a band, 'discovered' this particular sound?

ans :
I honestly dont think anyone in the Metal scene plays the guitar like ciaran
does, the influence of Irish traditional music upon Heavy metal guitar playing
has mutated into something extraordinary. We use mostly full chords, a lot of
them chords created by ciaran, I dont think Journeys end has a single power
chord on it !!!, which must be a first for a Metal band you know. Its totally
his style and I really dont think he nor we get the respect we deserve for this
innovation and originality. I dont know how we discovered it but it really hasnt
been calculated just something natural. In the studio we have to record several
almost clean channels of guitar to help bring the notes out, its a lot of work
for ciaran actually.




7. Something that would really piss me off is if Primordial would suddenly
supplement it's sound with electronics and samples, as it would destroy your
organic sound. Can you assure me that this will only happen in my nightmares?

ans :
No never, we are never going to use something urban or what we can consider
modern...trip hop beats or attempts at being portishead or other such bullshit,
the odd keyboard we have used sparingly but its not really our thing we rather
just the traditional Metal way or using Irish traditional instruments, fuck this
keys, chick in a black velvet dress singing lets try and be modern and
contemporary and hip hop...fuck it.
you are not going to hear that.



8. I think your debut album "Imrama", with it's heavy emphasis on Black Metal,
is in a class of it's own. Through the liner notes in the booklet of the
re-release, you express great pride in this album. As Primordial is something of
a big name in the extreme metalscene nowadays, how do you look back on the time
when "Imrama" was recorded?

ans :
It was a fuckin nightmare and if you knew how we did it you wouldnt believe that
it sounds like it does today, we hadnt a fuckin clue what we were doing but the
spirit within the songs was right and it survived all the shit that went on in
the studio. I have great memories of that recording though and finally getting
the album out you know. And I still think its a great album and doesnt sound
like anyone really.



9. The re-release contains two bonustracks, "The Calling" and "Among the
Lazarae". Where these two tracks taken from some long lost 7"? Where did they
came from? And how about "And the Sun Set On Life Forever"?

ans :
They are actually from the Burning Season mcd, it was the labels idea and I dont
really like the way they are badly mastered compared to the rest of Imrama but I
think people deserve to hear them.



10. "A Journey's End" really dwells in melancholy. It contains some of the most
beautiful, mournful melodies I've ever heard. The artwork is very melancholic as
well, the photo's are bleak and your lyrics seem preoccupied with impending
doom, unavoidable hardship and closure. Through the liner notes in the booklet
of "Spirit the Earth Aflame", you hint at difficulties and problems which nearly
destroyed the band. At least this explains why "A Journey's End" turned out so
mournful and dark, but can you shed some further light on the circumstances
regarding the period between "Imrama" and the subsequent album?

ans :
Basically we all thought the band was doomed you know at the time around
1996...we went through fuckin Hell to make Journeys End and I think you can hear
that, just personal shit really. That is what we felt at the time but making
that album was like lifting a vast weight from around our necks and I think you
can only make an album quite like that once and things changed and we reacted by
putting some more Mighty and Epic feelings into the music.


11. One song that stands out among the tracks of "A Journeys End" is "Dark
Song". On this song, Primordial both musically and lyrically makes full use of
it's Irish roots. Your singing is among the most tender and hurt you have ever
produced. Is it an experiment you will one day care to repeat?

ans :
I think the next album will include more acoustic and traditional
instrumentation again and some Irish lyrics. This song just really came together
in the studio, a friend of ours helped int he initial writing of it and then
Primordial put it together. I think this song is one of the most extraordinary
songs you could possibly find within the scene at the time....whatever anyone
says.




12. You may think this odd, but I think you have a lot in common with Opeth. Not
soundwise ofcourse, but I think your relation to Black Metal is akin to Opeth's
relation to Death Metal. Both bands are totally unique entities, with a basic
tie to their respective 'genre's of origin', yet you have both ascended to a
level which permits you to create a vast distance between the roots of your
sound and make full use of the possibilities such a deviance holds, but you
combine the result with the best your root-sound provides. Am I making any
sense?! Does this hold some truth to you?

ans :
i know what you mean, i tihnk people who think we sound like opeth must have a
fuckin hole in their head...all they hear is clean and brutal vocals and think
we sound alike !?...or anathema or something.however you have a point with what
you say...we have our roots within Black metal it is true and we stay true to
the dark fundament that has always been within the band yet we can by this stage
really do anything I think, from the most basic Black metal track to something
like dark song. A tour for us with Opeth would actually be really
beneficial...but unlikely.



13. I have no doubt Primordial has been able to impress more than a few people
who don't care for Black Metal, but I think you are capable of far greater
success. Just look at Opeth, their music is quite uncommercial and there's
Mike's monstrous grunts all over, yet people all around me not interested in
extreme metal have taken a liking to the band. Do you think the Swedish band has
opened a door to a further acceptance and popularity of original extreme metal
that combines harsh sounds with more gentle music?

ans :
totally, it is one thing that slightly annoys me over all these years, I mean we
have been around a long time and seen bands come and go and trends come and go
yet I look at lightweight bands like for example Vintersorg or Eisregen (no
offence to the guys of either band but I dont think the music of either is up to
much)or something and wonder how is it possible those bands sell more then
Primordial ?...I mean we do ok, about 10 - 12 000 perhaps a few more but I guess
we have never been what we call flavour of the month with the mags and that, but
what can you do ?. I think the bands should be selling more like 25 000 but we
wont let it bother us that much, just keep on doing what we do. But I do think
it is much easier for a scandinavian band to break through as they took over the
scene about 5/6 years ago, personally I think Root from the Czech republic or
Rotting Christ are 10 times the band Opeth are but who cares anymore ?...its
fuckin sad but what can you do. We never played the game or went with the
trends, perhaps someday the trend will come around to us who knows ?...they say
every dog has its day...




14. What is the Irish metalscene like nowadays? Truthfully, besides Primordial I
know of only two Irish metalbands, namely Cruachan and Abaddon Incarnate!

ans :
The Irish scene is small and growing you know, there are not many fans and
really the underground exists of only a few hundred people perhaps.
So we can only rely on selling perhaps 200-250 copies of the last album which is
very sad but what can you do ?. But things are growing we have our own printed
magazine and some labels now you know, a good way to check out whats going on is
www.metalireland.com
Personally I would recommend and excellent doom band called Mourning Beloveth !.


15. Manowar is your favourite band, if I remember correctly. What do you think
about their latest album?

ans :
Well you know...my favourite bands are like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Bathory,
candlemass, Holy Terror, Dio, WASP, Virgin Steele, Venom, Celtic Frost,
etc...mostly old bands, the new album was the first Manowar album that grew on
me, there are some surprises on it and some bands moments (like the elvis cover
?...) but overall I think its a very strong album that sounds very convincing
unlike virtually every other old band these days !, so yeah I like it.



16. Most experienced musicians in extreme metalbands nowadays seem only to
listen to the old stuff. For example if you ask a member of a somewhat
established Death or Black Metal band which albums they've been listening to
lately, they almost always say that they don't care much for modern bands, but
have been listening to old Morbid Angel or Bathory for example. Is it the same
with you, or do you keep track of recent developments and releases? If so, can
you give a couple of examples?

ans :
Actually although most of my fave stuff is 78-88 I do keep track of new stuff
and always want to hear new stuff even if I dont really get into some of it,
some bands that have released killer stuff in the last few years or while are
Destroyer 666, Desaster, Gospel of the Horns, Immortal, Vomitor, Pentacle,
Solstice, Doomsword, Secrets of the moon, Root, Angelcorpse, Halford, Agatus,
Rotting Christ, Necrophobic, Allfather, Mirror of Deception, Sacred Steel, While
Heaven Wept etc...there are lots of good bands out there still...



17. This is a pretty bland question (but something I'm always interested in
nevertheless), but what are some of your favourite albums?

ans :
I guess...fave albums...
first 3 Maiden, most Manowar, first 6 Bathory, Exodus - Bonded by Blood,
Possessed - seven churches, Holy Terror - Mind wars, Candlemass - epicus, Venom
- welcome to hell, priest - screaming for vengeance, megadeth - peace sells,
metallica - first 3, ac/dc - first 5 or 6, Slayer - first 4, Morbid Angel -
altars, sanctuary - refuge denied, destroyer 666 - unchain the wolves, rotting
christ - thy mighty / triarchy, deicide - deicide, Kreator - pleasure to kill,
solitude aeturnus - into the depths, dio - holy diver, wasp - wasp, fuck...tons
of things...


18. Celtic symbols and imagery are (still) quite popular. Doesn't it irritate
you, as a man with a strong and clearly authentic love for the culture of your
pagan ancestors, that these are used as some perverted fashion statement? I see
people with celtic crosses and bracelets all the time, yet when I ask them about
it they can't even tell me one fucking thing about the Celts. The same goes for
those horrible "Celtic Myst" cd's. These fat-assed suits throw everything Irish
on there, from The Corrs to Sinead O'Conner, because they know ignorant people
will fall for their trap and buy it anyway.

ans :
sure of course, the commercialisation of our culture for profit, the tourist
industry and selling irish-isms is a major thing. selling the Irish is big
business ?, what can you do ?. You've just got to hope that there is some knock
on effect and not just by fuckin hippies either haha !. What can you, I dont
think they are going to put Primordial on there...its far to gritty and real.



19. What is your opinion on MP3? I read an interesting interview with Porcupine
Tree a while ago, in which Steven Wilson expressed his concern about where all
this downloading is leading. In his view, and I agree with him, music has become
something you consume; like fast food, now there is fast music. It can be an
asset to bands if people use MP3 to get to know them and then buy the album if
they like what they hear, but something I have noticed is that most people do
not put in the time to get to know more complex and eventually rewarding bands,
as they are only willing to touch the surface and must then move on, 'cause
there's so much more they can get their hands on. In the old days you would buy
a band's 7" if you were curious, and let's face it, it had a lot more charm to
it than logging on and clicking a button.

ans :
totally and i have never downloaded anything ever !...it just doesnt interest
me. perhaps if i had the right software and the time and the interest and yeah
it can help smaller bands for sure but it does ruin the mysticism of getting
into bands when you are younger or finding a band and also I guess it doesnt
help live music as an avenue, the days when you saw the band and bought the cd
are gone...now you download the track and if you can be bothered you might show
up !, rock star audiences huh ?.
So much of getting into certain things represent great times in your life, for
me from being given Van Halen and UFO when I was 10 years old to sending off for
Treblinka 7"s ....whatever, I dont think people get it like that anymore ?, i
could be wrong though ?.


20. And now a question I am dying to hear the answer to: When can we expect a
new Primordial album? Have you written any new songs yet?

ans :
im really not sure, we all have ideas but we havent really started to put them
together, we have some festivals in the summer to do so hopefully we can start
writing again in the coming weeks and begin to piece together where we are
heading this time. one thing we all agree on, is the sound has to change, we
want a totally different production, more acoustic and Irish pieces and also
even more totally grim parts on the other hands, its going to be different...a
much longer album as well.


21. You are not engaged in any side-projects, are you? Do you foresee this may
change in the near future? I think your sinister screams would be perfect for a
grim Black Metal project, and you could put your rigid clean voice to further
use in a straight folk band.

ans :
well Im going to sing on the next void of silence album from italy, very
apocalyptic doom, and have a band called Funeral Pyre which I am playing the
bass and vocals in and there are some other ideas out there, perhaps something
with KK from Destroyer and something else with duncan from antimatter/ex
anathema and sakis from rotting christ. I am at the age and experience now that
I want to also work with other musicians you know, we'll see where things go.



22. This last one may annoy the hell out of you, but I have to subject you to it
anyway (I found out it usually brings out someone's true personality, he he!)….
Is there anything you want to add to this interview?

ans :
thanks for your support and your time, hope to see you on tour sometime again
soon.
Keep the Ancient Flame Burning