At first, can you tell us some words about your new guitarist? How did its integration in the group occur?
He's been with the band for about 4 years. This is the first album he's played on and written songs with us on. We've known him for years and when the opportunity came up he joined the band. Nothing too strange really.

"The gathering wilderness" sounds more atmospheric than your other records but it really sounds as "Primordial" stuff. How have you written these new songs?
The same way as ever. Someone just brings an idea into the rehearsal room and then we all put it together. It could take a week it could take months or even years. We don't rush things in this band. Every album is like a chapter in the same book.

You have recorded « The gathering wilderness » in another record studio, your sound is more raw. Why have you done this choice? I guess that recording with Primordial in the fredman studio or in the abyss studios is something a bit unreal for you.
Completely. I cant stand this safe, over produced over polished sound most bands have today. We wanted to go back to what a band sounds like live, our  if you stood in our rehearsal room. So we stayed as far away from the computers and triggers as possible. We wanted that classic old metal sound not something that sounds like a computer is playing all the instruments.

"The gathering wilderness" is softer than your last record disc which was entitled "storm, before calm". Was it a sign of your future evolution?
Softer ?. nothing is a sign. We just write as we do and what comes out comes out. We don't second guess anything at all. The next album could be really fast and aggressive and have loads of acoustic guitars. Nothing is planned.

"The gathering wilderness" is full of feeling and emotion. Which message is hidden in the texts of the album? Can you tell us a bit more about your texts ?
We just write music as pure and honest as possible and when you mean what you say and say what you mean then this is how a band sounds. For us it  couldn't be any other way. We make music because it is in our culture and our blood not simply because we might as well. Its hard to describe the texts fully unless you are more specific because there are many meanings.

Your singing is very touching on the title «the coffin ships», you still have increased your singing. How do you work ? Have you already taken singing lessons?
No I have never taken singing lessons. Thankfully I get better as time goes by and can achieve more things with my voice then ever before. When the music is being written I try and find the voice and lyric that suits the music the best and things come together.

On « the coffin ships » bass guitar reminds me the melody of «lethe» on the album « The gallery »of Dark Tranquillity. What do you think about the
Swedish scene and all its bands?
Haven't a clue what you are talking about ?. Never listened to them. Swedish bands I like are candlemass, bathory, mercy, nemesis, heavy load, nifelheim, dissection, watain, funeral mist, hellacopters, old entombed, tiamat, obscurity, mefisto, disfear, sigrblot. Im not interested in the super melodic shampoo metal bands..

I know that you don't like too much groups with female singers. According to you, what are the things not to do in a metal band?
The only metal band I generally can stomach with a female singer is warlock. Then of course there are genuinely dark bands like third and the mortal or madder mortem I don't mind but the current crop of girl in a black velvet dress singing about angels and unicorns pop metal music makes me sick. Its so fuckin airbrushed and safe. What happened to the dirt, filth, darkness and sex in real metal ?. shit like edenbridge is the fuckin pits.

What do you think about singing with Tarja Turunen of nightwish ? If someone propose to you to sing with her on a project, do you accept it, or is it something you don't want to try ?
Haha, funny question. At least with nightwish they have existed for a few years before this whole trend existed and she can sing even if I find the music horrible. I guess if I did that it would be perceived by most people as me trying to get primordial publicity and popularity through a huge band like nightwish. I like working with other musicians like I sang on the Void of silence album but unless I can find some common ground as regards the music or with the people its very unlikely. Anyways what the fuck would they want with some Irish bum singing on their song ?.

What do you think about all the new young groups that play the same "marketing" music and that sold out their album? Bands like Primordial play their own music style, but they keep their underground side ... is it the price to play its own music?
Well you know after all these years we are on metal blade records. A big label who sells a lot of albums by different bands and once had bands like slayer and metallica on its label. So some people would argue we are not really underground either. I accept that, in the grand bigger scheme we are underground but we are not selling 3000 copies either you know. A perfect example now is all these bands with female singers being pushed on us because of the huge success of within temptation and nightwish. There are always those interested in creating art and standing for something close to their heart and those to whom it means nothing.

Irish scene isn't very important, but all the groups that are able to be exported in other countries have their own personality. You are, with Mourning beloveth, the most known. And you share the same desperate vision of the world. According to you, is it a trademark of the Irish groups ?
Isn't very important ?. I think melancholy is often something that is a great trademark of the Irish bands. Up until one year or two ago we never even had any power/heavy metal bands. That tells its own story. I don't know why really. we are an island and we have an island mentality besides which this world is a dark dark place and I could never sing about unicorns, angels, zombies, or fast cars.

It is your first album for metal blade, which are your waitings with them?
Who knows. Its just nice to be on a label where people do their jobs properly and I don't have to worry. Who knows what happens in the future, hopefully we can grow.

Primordial have only played in first part of other groups since now. Do you think that working with Metalblade will change this ?
Not sure what you mean ?, if you mean headlining a tour ?. well its pretty risky these days you know headlining if you aren't sure about crowds. Less and less people come to shows. Who knows in the future. If we sell enough perhaps we can headline

You seem to be a true actor when you are on stage. What do you feel when you are on stage?
There's a difference. An actor pretends to be something he is not. The way I am onstage is what is inside me. As I said before when you mean what you say and say what you mean then it should not be hard to live your songs.

You have played with Rotting Christ and Immortal. Was it good time for you ?
Which groups do you want to play with?
Of course it was, both are great bands and cool people and in the case of rotting christ very old friends !. we will play with any band we can relate to as people, bands that are honest and true and not contrived and will relax and have some fun.

How would you describe Primordial to someone who do not know you? What are your main strength and your weak point ?
Irish, dark, passionate, pure and honest metal. Our strength is that we are an individual and original band who sound like no one. This is also our weakness as most people just want the same old shit day in an day out.

Can I ask you two questions about the news ?
Sure.

Do you believe in the human nature when you saw people sending money to the victim of Tsunami in Asia ? On the other side, lots of African people are dying every day and many people don't care about that ...Results are the same but people reactions are different. Don't you think there is something a bit contradictory ?
Of course, the irony of a massive natural disaster visited upon poor people in the developing third world and then people from the developed first world sending them money. Imagine this. how many sweat shops making nike runners or designer clothes that you wear here in the west were destroyed in that tsunami and then you are sending them the money back ?. here's a better idea. burn down your local mcdonalds. Multinational globalisation is the real enemy whether you are to the right or to the left.

Dimebag Darrel was killed on scene by a crazy man. American medias say : violent music for violent people. What do you think about this?
Rubbish. Do they say that about country and western when some country hick goes and shoots his wife. Perfect example of their ridiculous media and gun
laws. His death was tragic and is a further example of everything that is wrong with that country.

Some last words for the French people?
Strength and joy
Don't let the bastards grind you down..

Last small question :
Do you remember the date in Perpignan in the south France? You have played into the "crock'more" with Rotting christ. It was on a small pub with a few people. I was here, and it was so good! You have played as if you were in front of hundred guys! I saw many other groups in the same place that didn't
try hard this !!!
Thanks !
We always give it as hard as we can no matter to 50 people or 500. We had a good party though.!