by Patrick Schmidth

How do you judge about "Storm Before Calm" in comparison to "Spirit The Earth Aflame"? Would you agree when I say that "Storm Before Calm" is heavier, more based on Black Metal and more aggressive?

- I think it is a more direct, heavier more compact album. The sound is better,, with more depth and that is something we really wanted to achieve with this album. The songs were written in a shorter time frame and I think have a little more urgency in them then the last album. We have always had the Black Metal spirit, I mean that is where we came from…the second wave 88-94 Black metal scene. You could perhaps call it “post-Black Metal”. I think it is something new and fresh but yet also continuing on the Primordial Journey we started many years ago…staying true to our roots.

Are you surprised by all the good reviews you received for "Spirit…" and which you’ll probably receive for "Storm…"? How do you handle critic and would you like to be treated rawer when it comes to a critic/a review?

- No, I wasn’t surprised. I believe in the band and believe we deserve it. You have to have that self belief. We receive a lot of great press and reviews that is true but I believe we are a band that sounds like no other in the Metal scene of today, we have over the years forged our own style and sound and while you can make comparisons we do not plagiarise others. And we have been doing this for years and I think people are beginning to wake up to the band little by little and realise here is a band not willing to accept the limitations of any scene or simply want to sound like this band or that band…. If someone doesn’t like the band then fair enough, I am open to criticism. However I really have a lot of self belief…that is important.

"Storm Before Calm"! If we take the title by word, the next album will be much more calmer, right? What do you want to express with this title?

- Haha yeah maybe you are right !. The title is cryptic like all Primordial titles. It is basically a challenge. A test of one’s will power. It says…one must Storm before there can be any Calm. And the choice must be made and the line drawn, are you gonna be swept away by the Storm or within the Eye of the Storm. It is a challenge to sweep away stagnation, mediocrity and banality, to re-evaluate your morals and what you have been taught and find yourself.

You are somewhat of a true advocate of metal! How are you dealing with other music styles or are you focussed only on metal?

- You could say that, Metal is the most important thing in my life…I say that without any problem. My life is music. It is true I am very much the Metalhead, of course I have time for a lot of classical, soundtrack music as well. Also I like things like Nick Cave, Dead can dance, Devil Doll, The Cult, Fields of the Nephilim, The Pogues, Empyrium, Antimatter, etc…

The power and the strength that your music unfolds is amazing. Do you think that all people who listens to real metal (whatever it is…!?) will feel this?

- I think people who feel for Passionate Metal will feel it, people who want to hear something honest and pure full of conviction and emotion. Not tampered with by major label concerns or scene trends. We play as we feel and could not do it any other way…if other people feel it with us then that is great. Hoepfully more and more people will take this Journey with us.

How did the Irish Metal-Scene develop in the last years? Have you ever thought about moving to another country (for example Germany or Holland) to be closer to the centre where metal’s going on?

- I did live for a little while this year together with the guys from Destroyer 666 in Holland, but returned to Ireland after all. I am a regular visitor to Europe for festivals, gigs, tours and to meet people all over the place so I am often around, never far from things. Ireland has a close knit and growing Metal community, that right now is healthier then it has been for years. Everyone is involved doing something…we just need some more actual fans !. There are some good bands from here now and good people trying to do something positive for the country. We are proud to be the “ambassadors” for our country.

Where do you see things to improve for PRIMORDIAL?

- Good question. I feel that there must be chartable growth for this band. We are not a band for whom becoming bigger is going to change our music our our vision, but getting bigger would afford us so much more. For example time in the studio to do more and more, perhaps make the ultimate Primordial album. To get asked to play festivals and tours and give people more of an opportunity to see and give us more opportunities. I think the band deserves to grow…we’ll see what happens.

Which songs in the PRIMORDIAL history would you consider as your strongest outputs?

- Personally my favourites are Gods to the Godless, The Burning Season, Autumns Ablaze, Fallen to Ruin and Sons of the Morrigan. I’m proud of everything we have done and still stand by our first album “Imrama” also. You learn everytime you go in the studiom grow as musicians but I am proud of everything we have done.

Who in the band writes most of the music and do you discuss a lot before you decide to record a song?

- A lot of the initial musical ideas come from our guitar player MacUIliam and then we all work on things together. It’s a hard process to analyse as you don’t know that things are really working until that moment comes when you can all feel…this is a song. There are always things to be added in the studio and everyone has their say about what is going on and everyone is really left to how they interpret their instrument.

What can we expect from PRIMORDIAL in the future. Will you become even heavier as on "Storm…" or is this album "your" "Reign In Blood"?

- our Reign in Blood !…haha, I don’t know. We have no intentions of stopping right now. We wont really think about it too much until we start together our ideas for the next one. I think the next album will have a few more songs and be more diverse, darker as always. We shall see, passionate and raw to the bone as usual though.

Any last words? Tour plans? Favourite bands you would like to tour with?

- Thanks for your time and support, if you see yourself as an individual then hopefully you will see yourself within Primordial. If you are seeking for something different then seek Storm before Calm !. Hopefully we will see some of you at Wacken this Summer and hopefully on a few tours before the end of the year. To tour with ?…bands we feel brotherhood with….bands like Destroyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, Rotting Christ, Enslaved, Thyrfing, Immortal, My Dying Bride, Desaster many bands….people we can have a fuckin drink with and raise some Hell !…

What has become to Arcane Sun and can you recommend any new Irish bands?

- they are finished I am afraid, there is a recorded second album that I fear will never see the light of day. I recommend a great doom band from Ireland called Mourning Beloveth more then any...but there are quite a few. Keep your eyes open.