by Paul Schwarz

I remember when I talked to A.A. Nemtheanga once, he expressed a love for Manowar and a general appreciation for classic and traditional heavy metal. The sound and style of Primordial is not overtly classically or tradtionally heavy metal, but there is a feeling, a feeling of power and of "warrior spirit", which flows through 'Storm Before Calm' (especially the first three tracks) which brings such metal to my mind. It's hard to explain, but I definitely feel it in the epic aspects and spirited delivery of your music. What would you say about the "influence" or "inspiration" that classic/traditional heavy metal has had on Primordial?

- That is what we all grew up on. A time when in my opinion Metal had more character, it was a burgeoning force taking on an unsuspecting world. Things were new and fresh. Those bands are the reasons why we all started to play, to pick up our instruments. What we took from bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest or even Manowar was really their independent spirit. The fact that they forged their own sound filled with an honest character. Then we built upon that with bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Slayer, Metallica and Candlemass and then the early Death and Black Metal scene. However we never simply wanted to sound like Dark Throne or Emperor or whatever, perhaps it’s our island mentality and the fact that we are cut off from the mainland scene out here but we really took inspiration from the character of those days and built something individual upon that. Even from the very outset we wanted to do things on our own terms. I think in that respect we are very much a Heavy Metal band in the traditional sense, with the traditional values and approach. One thing about our “Warrior Spirit”or whatever you may call it is however that it is not done in a fantastical Way…this is very very real…

Primordial could definitely not be accused of sounding generically black metal. Generally speaking, you have your own style, your own way of doing things. But there are parts of 'SBC' which smack strongly of methods and sounds that are firmly acknowledged as "black metal". The beginning few minutes of 'Cast to the Pyre', for example, have an undeniably '666I'-era Dødheimsgard-esque air to them, in my view: it gives the whole track a twisted yet immersing presence, a lingeringly uneasy feeling. How would you describe the connection between "black metal" and "Primordial metal" as it stands today?

- It is perfectly obvious that we come from the second wave of Black Metal 88-94, we released a demo in 1993 steeped in that feeling and spirit. Perhaps we are what you can consider “post-Black Metal”. We have always used Black metal trademarks like timings, dissonant chords etc, even on the first demo. I never listened to Dødheimsgard so I can't tell you about that…if we are older then they are perhaps you should be refering to their chords as Primordial-esque ?. I think some of those bands up there get far too much credit actually. Those dissonant chords really for us have an early 90’s Mayhem feel. "Cast to the Pyre" is a kind of suffocating track alright. We came from Black metal and we have that Black feeling and sentiment still within our music…what people label us is really up to them.

To what extent would you say folk music has influenced the music of Primordial, on 'SBC', or in the past?

- Over the years more and more, as we have evolved as musicians and people and delved more and more into our culture we found many great and pure things within traditional music. It influences a lot of our timings, some tunings, and cadences or airs appear here and there. It is really something that just speaks to some of us and inspires us.

'SBC', and a considerable amount of other Primordial material, features long instrumental sections devoid of lyrics (e.g. the second near-half of "Fallen to Ruin"). Does music in itself express a lot of what Primordial seek to convey? How important are the lyrics, or in what way are they important? Is it your music or your lyrics which you feel "says it best?"

- Lyrics are of supreme importance, hand in hand with the music. We write long songs however and some things you cannot express in 3 or 4 minutes. Also it is important to let the music breathe and not be suffocated by needless vocals. Everything goes hand in hand to paint the atmospheres, to bring light and shade to the songs. To bring songs to a peak and then let them find their own end.

Your music is steeped in atmosphere yet is pretty much devoid of keyboards -- you do not have a keyboard player. Is this something you are overtly conscious of not doing -- using keyboards/having a keyboard player -- or has it just never really seemed necessary to make keyboards a significant part of the Primordial sound?

- We never even really thought about it, most bands who use keys are usually used in an effort to spice up bland riffs. Some bands of course the keyboard is essential, but we never really thought of going down the chick in a black velvet dress on the keys route, tits out on the cover Napalm Records vibe. Fine for those bands, but I don’t think church organ fits into our cultural vision of our music do you? It´´s almost too organic for that.

Is playing live important to you for more than the fact that it is good publicity and helps to sell records? Do you feel you connect with your audience well live? Which representation of Primordial's work do you prefer, the live performance or the recorded work? In what context do you think Primordial's music makes most sense or connects with people in the way you want it to?

- Totally, I still feel this is the reward for all the bullshit you have to endure within the Music Industry. I live for playing live and heading places and meeting people, playing live is what Metal is all about. We are never complacent live and don’t have any of that mid european reserve within us. We are 5 passionate people with a vision coming together trying to breath life into that on stage…I fuckin live for that atmosphere. I think we connect well with people as they can tell that we are a real band, a band with convictions and emotions, not simply up there winging our way to the money at the end of it all. Chance would be a fine thing !…I much prefer touring and live to the studio, I find the studio quite tiring and often taxing. Maybe it’s the environments we choose to record in, perhaps the next one will have to somewhere completely different. In what context ?…I don’t know…they are two totally different things, and that is a strength.

You chose recording at Academy Studio with Mags. What made you choose Academy over other options, and why do you refer to it as "the new and true" in 'SBC''s booklet?

- Well Academy moved to a new premises and its also a little Mayhem-ish piss taking….Mags helps us a lot with our sound and he understands in the short time we have what needs to be achieved. We may as I said all go somewhere else next time.

In the writ at the end of the booklet of 'SBC' you talk of 'Spirit the Earth Aflame' as a "call to arms". I realise that it considerably raised your profile in the worldwide metal scene (especially in Europe?). With this thought in mind, how do you feel now looking back on 1998's 'A Journey's End' or your 'Imrama' debut? Do you still like them? Are they inferior or just different to your two most recent works? These albums being -your- history as a band, how do you "see, feel and find yourself" in relation to them? What lessons have they taught you?

- Well we took a long time between Imrama and Journeys End after all and many people left us for dead, so after we did that album Journeys End it really felt like a weight had been lifted from around our shoulders and we became stronger, more unified and focused. This is reflected in the last albums, Journeys End is quite a melancholic soul searching album and perhaps we will only make an album like this once. The newer ones are more in line with each other, Might and Power has become as important as the Tragedy and Melancholy and these album reflect that. I am proud of everything we have done and don’t think we have put a bad track to tape but we have never also made the same album twice either. Some people expected us to drift off into this mellow acoustic Zepplin-ey In The Woods Anathema style haze but if anything we refocused our Rage and became more intense then ever. Many if not all bands loose their energy as they grow older, I am very conscious of that and we try to harness that energy more and more. All the albums are a learning process, everything is…who knows where we will go next.

What liberties do you feel today's age takes with history and "our heritage"? When you talk of questioning the morals, religions and cultures "imposed upon us", what particular morals, religions and cultures do you have in mind? When you talk of 'Storm Before Calm' being "primal", what do you mean by "primal": what is it's opposite? What philosophers, writers, thinkers etc. influenced this line of thinking? Nietszche? (if not, then I recommend 'The Genealogy of Morals', it seems to bear strong relation to what you talk about in vague terms in the writ about the album above paraphrased and quoted)

- I despise this knee jerk reactionary politically correct age we live in and really we are saying open yourself up to your culture, find yourself within the vastness of deeds and actions of the past, learn from them. Never let anyone dictate to you what you should feel about your ancestry, culture, heritage and mythology. It is a universal theme we are talking about, finding your roots in an age where we are told repeatedly we have none by the powers that be who are taking liberties with your history…selling and re-writing your history to suit an age where a you are made to feel an outcast for speaking your mind. An outcast for finding worth in your history for feeling proud of it. This is a primal message…that primal feeling of finding your place within the chaos. Your natural and therefore primal place. Many things have influenced and inspired this line of thinking, from writers as you say like Neitzsche to simply picking up the paper and being angered at the lies and bullshit fed to the populace in the name of progress.

After, sometimes before, each of the lyrics sheets in 'Storm Before Calm''s booklet, you have a writ in italics, sometimes in quote marks. Only for 'Sons of the Morrigan' and 'The Hosting of the Sidhe' is it clear what these are. What do the other writs consist of? Quotes from some unnamed person? A poetically phrased "comment" or "summing up" from one of you? Please explain.

- They are all you could say cryptic pointers as to the meanings behind the songs. They do not tell you exactly what to think, I like the idea that different people can get different things from the lyrics themselves, but these are all written by me to point people along the path as to where I am coming from with the lyrics. I like the idea of giving a little more for the people who are prepared to scratch the surface and immerse themselves within in the album, it makes everything that touch more personal.

The preamble to "Cast to the Pyre" begins in a vaguely existentialist tone, and then turns rather bitter and cynical towards its end. What feelings (or feelings about -what-) were you trying to express in these words and in the lyrics of the song itself? Are the song lyrics about writing a history, or a persons biography? (that was just one impression I got, especially from the second paragraph, which made me think of someone having to -finish- a comprehensive history or work)?

- Cast to the Pyre is really the odd man out on the album and I really like the way it sits in there presenting some kind of paradox. It has a much more personal lyrical theme more like Journeys End for example and tracks like "Autumns Ablaze" and "Bitter Harvest". This song is really simply about letting go of things, of closing chapters in your life that may represent something very painful. Knowing that there are some times and things you cannot repeat, some people you will never meet again. The opening spoken word is perhaps the most bitter and twisted thing I have ever written, they weren’t written as lyrics, just as a stream of consciousness. You are right, the metaphor is there, saying it is time to finish the chapter.

Is the last paragraph of "What Sleeps Within" about short-sightedness in thinking in relation to history? My impression of it was that it was pointing a critical finger and over-modern thinking, where only the last 100-200 years is worth taking into account -- viewing society only in its "modern" era, since the Enlightenment and the birth of liberalism. What is this song about?

- It can be taken this way, really I am saying simply the Beast in man has been slumbering far too long and it is time to release that energy, finding yourself and facing the chaotic age we live in. Also as you say about short sightedness and people’s habit of glossing over details they find uncomfortable to deal with. It is about re-evaluating morals as Manson said, about challenging not only yourself but the morals handed down to you that many people never question. I am calling out people and their need to belong, and calling to the people who reject that and try and awake that energy within themselves.

in 'Sons of the Morrigan', is your "journey's end" death? Considering the lyrical content for this song, what would you say about the importance of deeds, and your after-death celebration/remembrance by others in affirming "you"? What is real/important in the eyes of Primordial? If the terms are familiar to you, would you describe yourselves as materialists or idealists?

- This song is really inspired by Irish Mythology and the tradition of story telling. This got me to thinking about what I was doing to leave my mark ?, you know ?. What we all were doing to reach above and beyond the banality and mediocrity out there. This is what we do, Primordial. I feel we are very closely linked to many great Irish artistic and literary traditions. Keeping a part of our culture alive in our own way. So I use this metaphor of a warrior looking back over his life and realising he lived his life as he saw fit and that songs will be sung upon his death. Of course it is in ways a romantic ideal…but somewhere within this romantic image of a weary battle hardened warrior is something very relevant and real…will your deeds and actions be remembered after you leave this mortal coil ?.

Why did you decide to close an album that is "above all" about history with a poem from Yeats? Does it relate to the history-related aspects of 'Storm Before Calm' in more than the sense that it is a part of Eire's literary history? Apart from the reasons hinted at in the lyrics book, why did you choose Yeats in particular over other Irish poets, and why did you choose 'The Hosting of the Sidhe' over other poems by Yeats?

- Yeats has been a great influence and inspiration over the years and we wanted to honour him, one of Eire’s greatest sons this way. I think we have done his legacy justice. This poem simply seemed somehow to fit into Primordial, our vision of things. I can’t really say more then that ?, sometimes you just don’t know why something speaks to you and you know that’s the one.

Why did you choose the title 'Storm Before Calm' for this, your fourth, full-length, which is certainly not "calm" where your previous releases were "storm"? Is this record the "storm" before some "calm", if so, how?

- It is really a challenge, a challenge to sweep away stagnation, challenge yourself and those around you. Evolution through strife. It is a challenge in that it really can mean “are you going to be swept away by the Storm or within the Eye of the Storm . Also in relation to this age we live in, I feel like there can be no calm until you Storm !. It may just be the storm before the calm ?, I’m just trying to make music with depth, we all are, that’s; what drives us. Making pure, honest music with conviction on our own terms. So much music for me right now is music for the sake of having a record deal and making music…this is music with purpose, with depth and meaning. Not enough music is vital in my opinion anymore.