Hiya there at PRIMORDIAL! How are things on the Emerald Isle? You must be pretty satisfied given the amazing feedback the new album “To The Nameless Dead” has already received?! 

Hails. Yes it’s pretty gratifying so far and things seem to be going well.  

With the new album you are pursuing the path further taken during the last album “The Gathering Wilderness”, namely a very organic and earthy sound instead of a rather clinical and sterile sound, involving lots of digital gadgets, as is mostly common these days. Could you explain your thoughts and ideas on that in a more detailed way? How do you see the advance of digital technology versus the expression of true feelings by means of analogue recordings? NEUROSIS, for example, do also prefer the analogue techniques… 

I’m not interested in this modern clinical digital metal sound. It rips the heart and soul out of most recordings as far as I’m concerned. I prefer that earthy 70s/80s organic sound. We didn’t want an album that sounded like it was recorded in 1981 but we were inspired by those old productions. So its old school with a slightly modern edge. I understand that necessity is the mother of invention and bands are often getting less and less money and studios are becoming redundant because people are doing everything themselves because it saves money. This I can understand, it’s the people who aspire to have this hollow computerised sound I don’t understand. Listen to Mob Rules instead ! 

As we are talking about “The Gathering Wilderness” and “To The Nameless Dead”: Where do you see the major differences between these two records? At first glance there seem to be more up-tempo songs on the new record, more aggression in general, and the songs are played more to the point, while still being very emotional, moody and dark? The vocals also seem to be even more haunting and compelling – and they always were really intense!

I’m really not entirely sure. I guess this is one is more focused and less obscure. The songs are slightly shorter and more to the point then Gathering which sounds bleaker and far more difficult to penetrate. The vocals are more intense and perhaps sung in a more Metal way then before. I think they two albums are good musical companions to each other.

You opted for a rather different cover artwork this time, and it varies, too, as there are two versions to be found – the regular version and the limited edition which includes a bonus CD with live material from the Rock Hard Festival. What made you choose these artworks of the new CD? Does the title refer to the people who died in Ireland?

I liked the idea of making the digibook really something special. Not simply making it a double case and throwing another cd in there but actually something beautiful to own. The title really refers to people who made great sacrifices over the ages who have been forgotten or will be forgotten. Not only Irish people, it’s a universal concept.

In the liner notes, it is written that if there is an underlying theme to be found on “To The Nameless Dead”, then it is the issue of nationhood and what makes people fight and die for it. Are these the nameless dead you are referring to in the title of the record? What made you choose this topic?

They could be, I’m fascinated by old maps and this was the starting point for things. Countries that existed in the 18^th and 19^th century that no longer exist. What happened to their languages, culture, folklore etc. So I began to expand on that theory taking in some modern politics and what makes a people believe a land is theirs. I don’t choose something on purpose, it just happens and then you can loosely tie some of the songs together.

What are the individual lyrics on the new record about? I’d be particularly interested in the stories behind “Gallows Hymn”, “As Rome Burns”, “Heathen Tribes” – a statement and hymn to paganism? – and “No Nation On This Earth”. If you want to you can certainly give a comment on each and every song on the new album; musically and lyrically – that would be appreciated very much! :-)

Gallows Hymn is really about not having faith, looking at other people’s faith. Knowing it makes no sense but seeing what it can do for people. Is the honourable thing to do, to follow your lack of faith to the grave. As Rome Burns is really about Western Europe, how we have replaced any form of spirituality with capitalism. Heathen Tribes is really a simple straightforward Heavy Metal song. We wanted to write a modern Heathen Metal anthem, so we did. Nothing more nothing less. No Nation on this Earth is a hymn to the small nations on this Earth who stand up to tyranny and Empires.

You frequently refer to Irish history, Celtic mythology and you own heritage. On “The Gathering Wilderness” you had “The Coffin Ships”, referring to The Great Famine and the ensuing emigration, for example. On the CD itself, there are three skeletal dogs chasing each other – also a reference to Celtic symbolism. How important is that topic to you and to which extent do you think it makes your listeners aware of your country and its history? Did you ever consider making a song with Irish Gaelic lyrics entirely?

The first song on the first album Imrama is in Irish actually. To be honest we don’t refer to Irish mythology that often at all. I can only think of Sons of the Morrigan from the last 3 albums that directly refers to Irish myth. People assume this without reading the lyrics. The Coffin Ships of course is about Ireland but it is not mythology. There is a difference. Anything with a historical slant I sing about has a modern context. We are not romanticists. Of course it’s very important in that sense to be something like cultural ambassadors for Ireland when we are abroad and bring people something of our culture.

Additionally, you also make use of traditional Irish instruments such as the fiddle/violin or the bodhran. Furthermore, you also adapted traditional tunes, too, as for example in “The Cruel Sea” [“Spirit The Earth Aflame”]. Did you pursue a similar approach again and/or did you use similar instruments on the new record as well or did it not sit well with the songs this time?

Nothing is planned in advance. If it happens it happens. The next album might be a traditional album with only folk instruments you can never tell. If a song needs violin like The Gathering Wilderness then that’s what it needs. If Ciaran comes in for example with an idea like The Cruel Sea and it works then we use it. Sometimes it’s straight Metal. There are no rules…

This time you didn’t record in Dublin but at Foel Studios in North Wales, with Dave Fielding at the helm. Why did you opt for this studio and what was the difference to being able to more or less walk home? Where do you see the positive as well as negative aspects of having recorded at Foel, apart from the torrential rains you seem to have encountered?

Just some seclusion to be able to focus on what you are doing without distractions. To be able to gather your thoughts and work hard on what you are doing as a collective away from the big city. It was a very positive experience. We recorded and mixed in 13 days, no fucking about.

You played the “Heathen Crusade Tour” together with MOONSORROW and MOURNING BELOVETH. How do you view this tour in retrospect? Where you satisfied with the outcome? Will there be a second edition of the Heathen Crusade and which bands could you imagine being part of that billing?

Again as usual we were promised various tours in the end of 2005 that never happened. We seem to have really bad luck when it comes to getting on the right touring bill so this small tour was more or less the best we could do considering the circumstances. It was either this or nothing. The attendances were generally good. It’s hard to bring people to shows these days though, people keep their money and effort for festivals. Of course touring with both Moonsorrow and Mourning Beloveth was a pleasure and something we would be happy to do again. It’s a real shame we aren’t a big enough band to be able to being really good crowds and play a long set every night all over Europe. The older you get the harder it gets…We might do it again. I’m not sure. The plan was to support someone big but it doesn’t look like happening right now…

You also played this year’s Party.San Open Air at rather short notice, which seems to have been quite an ordeal, involving vast amounts of mud, early flights and anything but a lot of sleep. Did you enjoy it nevertheless? This question also refers to the first Metal Cruise in which you partook as headliner – definitely a cool idea to try something different apart from festivals and club shows, don’t you think?

To be honest no I didn’t enjoy Party San. One of the few times I’ve really wondered was it worth it. Hours and hours of travelling and no sleep at all. You can’t expect then to stand onstage and give your best when you’ve been away for 30 hours or whatever…Not possible. The weather sucked as well which didn’t really help my mood. Being at Dublin airport at 4 am after no sleep is not fun let me tell you. But these are sometimes the days you sign up for when you play Metal so we just get on with it. The Metal cruise was cool. More relaxed. Strange to play and hard for people to see anything but it was a interesting idea.

On January, 19^th, you are going to play an exclusive release show in your hometown Dublin. This sounds like a nice treat to celebrate the release of the new record, celebrate with friends and walk/crawl home afterwards? How is the situation regarding a whole European tour, though? You mentioned a couple of days back that you are being flooded with offers and that you won’t be able to play all of them?

Yeah we are drowning in festival offers right now and ever week some kind of touring offer, it’s a real shame all this didn’t happen 10 years ago when we were in our early 20’s and could have done nearly everything so we are trying to make sense of it all and see what we can and cannot do. It’s getting complicated, I feel like I need a secretary sometimes. You should see us at some big festivals next year though however. As for a European tour, believe me there is nothing I’d like more then going out for 6 weeks or something but we can’t do that anymore. We will just have to see what is possible. Hopefully something…

How successful was “The Gathering Wilderness” sales-wise, how satisfied are you with the work done by your label Metal Blade, and is there any kind of pressure on you concerning the success of the new album, given that are you on a major label for Metal music?

The Gathering Wilderness did well enough, perhaps near 15 000, but I warned Metal Blade that Primordial is not an easy band to sell to people. We are difficult to categorise and your average metal fan often doesn’t want dark or challenging music or to be reminded of how dark the world is. They want escapism and fantasy. I’m not even going to discuss downloading and all that entails. For example with Nameless we got possibly the best press in Germany in recent memory perhaps in the last 10 years or more of any band and we still didn’t chart. Yet bands who have average reviews but are easier for people to deal with or “trendy” do…Metal Blade were left scratching their heads. It was never our intention to become a huge band but if we became bigger then we could get more opportunities. I’m realistic though, if The Nameless Dead doesn’t do it then nothing ever will and we will remain the biggest cult band of the last 15 years o).

Your credo as a band seems to be that of not wanting to compromise, regardless of any commercial success. In the album credits, Alan states “No compromise. Not then. Not now. Not Ever…” He also wrote that people now seem to really become aware of PRIMORDIAL and that it is a pity that all of those people seem to disregard that fact that the band has already released quite a few really strong albums. Could you please elaborate on that utterance? How do you feel about the current situation, maybe of having made a “breakthrough album” and thereby gaining more attention?

I don’t know, part of the answer to this question lies in the answer to the last question. I’m told every time I speak to the press that we are making some kind of “breakthrough”. I can see the level of the band rising slowly but nothing approaching a breakthrough. I just don’t think we are that kind of band. We will just keep doing as we have been doing and people love us for that. We won’t let people down and the day we do perhaps we will quit.

What do you guys do apart from the band? Simon is also playing with GEASA, right? Alan is painting banners and backdrops for PRIMORDIAL and other bands – is that still a current issue? How about the rest of you? Can you make a living from your music?

No we never made a living from the band and never will. That was never out intention. In tat sense that is also why Primordial is not compromised. We don’t have to do anything for anyone except ourselves. I study at the moment. What we all do honestly doesn’t matter.

Which ones are your current top five releases in your play list and why? Which current Black Metal, Pagan Metal or other bands – you seem to like the mighty NEUROSIS, too – could you recommend at the moment?

yeah I love Neurosis although I was quite let down by the new album. This year I think the best albums have been. Rotting Christ – theogonia, deathspell omega – fas, warning – watching from a distance, rose tattoo – blood brothers, shining – v, witchcraft – witchcraft, jex thoth – totem, marduk – romans, melechesh – emissaries, watain – sworn to the dark, zemial – monumentum, negura bunget – om, secrets of the moon – antithesis, desaster – satans soldiers, trouble – simple mind condition, divine eve – upon these ashes, slough feg – hardwolder, I also like stuff like converge, isis, high on fire, wolves in the throne room, dillinger etc…..