Nemtheanga discusses the lyrics to 'Heathen Tribes' by Primordial from 'To the Nameless Dead' with Sweden Rock Magazine!

What are the lyrics about? 

The general theme of To the Nameless Dead was nationhood, sacrifice and martyrdom. Why different peoples lay claim to a piece of dirt over another, when you look back for example to the 19th or 18th century you for example see nations and states that cease to exist. What happened to their culture, songs, heroes and language. It's also about the sacrifice of normal people who believe they are making a greater future for their children who end up just being statistics in war, that kind of thing. You know, easy going subject matter o). However during the recording we had this song with incomplete lyrics lying around which I'd started to write as kind of European homage to places that had touched my soul or inspired me on my travels with the band or alone. 

What inspired me to write about this particular subject? 

To be honest Heathen Tribes was partly inspired by songs like 'Blood Fire Death' by Bathory and even 'Army of the Immortals' by Manowar or 'Battle Hymns'. I wanted to write a simple modern Pagan metal hymn. Something that strikes a simple emotive chord, has a deeper meaning but has a sing-a-long quality. You know, a 2am beerhall quality! I guess I was also sick of all the trolls and jolly pagan 'hits' so wanted to write something in contrast to that. It has a deeper meaning, I mean for example it mentions Armenius's stand against the Roman Empire in the Teutoborg forest, which was one of the most important moments in history for preserving Northern European culture from further 'Romanization'. So for the people of that area I can see it in their faces when they scream that line along with me...they know. I wanted that kind of hairs on the back of necks quality! A modern Pagan metal hymn. I'm not sure if I have succeeded but it closes our show live so I guess that speaks for itself! 

What where the reactions when the song was first released? 

I think a lot of people were overjoyed to see their own country or area, city name dropped within the song. People understood it seemed what I was trying to do, taking a complex subject matter and metalizing it...making an anthemic fist in the air Primordial track with a serious tone underneath if you wanted to find it. It was also our way of telling all the people that had believed in us since the beginning that we understood their devotion. 

How do people react to the song live? 

Great. especially if they know a line is coming up about their area, especially emotional for me was playing it for the first time in Belgium and Holland actually because I mention Arnhem and the fields of crosses which had a huge impact in me visiting their as a child and of course the battle for the bridge at Arnhem was one of the pivotal points of the second world War and of course because the battlefields of Flanders was where my great grandfathers brother fought in WWI. Living history!!! I think it's incredibly important, even with a simple metal sing-a-long song like this to inject something meaningful into the lyrics. How could I answer to my ancestors if I didn't!!! 

Did I have to spend a lot of time crafting the lyrics, or did they come naturally? 

I actually wrote and rewrote those lyrics many times and in other verses there was references to Romania, France and a few other countries. Maybe I need to write a part two! it was hard to leave out some places but I think most Europeans understand it's really about all countries, all the places that at that time we had been touring. Of course this was before we'd really been to America touring, maybe we need something about the USA in the future or hopefully other places we get to tour...South America/Russia/Turkey/Asia who knows? I admit it was hard for me to write so willfully simple lyrics as I often use complex metaphors underneath most of the lyrics which point to some form of hidden meaning but with Heathen Tribes there was no other agenda! What you see is what you get! 

Did I write them in any special place/setting? 

Mostly travelling on the tour bus from one city to another or travelling alone on press trips or holidays. Ending up in one city after another I would always try and walk around and take in the atmosphere of the older parts of the city. I was struck by the statues, cenotaphs and monuments everywhere and wondered did the modern day inhabitants have any clues who the dead were and the lessons we could learn from them. This is a recurring theme on To the nameless dead! 

Did any other writers inspire these lyrics? 

As I said only really those old Metal anthems like Manowar, Bathory possibly even Skyclad and Judas Priest! After that it was simply the places we'd travelled, the people we'd met and the times that had moved me on my travels. It's a really simple song like I said!

Cheers!