primordial

Archive | Reviews | "Imrama" from Royal Carnage, 2003

Let me preface this by pointing out that at the time, this was the first taste I'd had of anything by PRIMORDIAL. They came to my attention as a band whom I might like due to their eclectic mixture of black metal, Celtic and Pagan-infused rhythms and lyrical content, and technical mastery. So what better place to start than the recently re-released (and re-mastered) debut
album from this underground/cult Irish black metal band?

Right from the get-go, it's apparent that this release is a much more raw and a far more black metal-style album than their later releases. It's a perfect reason when learning about a band to begin with their early catalogue (so one can pay attention to, and hear their growth and maturity over time). PRIMORDIAL fits this listening method perfectly, as tracks like "Fuil Arsa," "Infernal Summer," and "Here I Am King" all call to mind strong mid-paced Pagan black metal. Full-on screeching vox with sparsely placed clean singing (which is where A.A.N. Nemtheanga - yes, that's his name - will remind you of the classic British Isles doomy gothic sound) complement fairly standard, yet still mesmerizing, swirling guitar rhythms. "The Darkest Flame" changes the pace of the album a bit, slowing down further and incorporating some nice spoken word passages that continue the Pagan(?) themes prevalent throughout the album. The 'quiet' doesn't last long however, as "The Fires..." is one of the more ferocious tracks on the disc, both lyrically and musically. Yes, the more I listen to that song, the more I like it. You will too. "Mealltach" is a skip track, but "Let the Sun Set on Life Forever" is gorgeous, beautifully haunting and scary at the same time. By far the strongest track on the album, one can tell that Primordial spent some time listening to the early 90s black metal masters before jumping in the studio to record this one. The sheer emotion of the song gives me the shivers!

All in all, this is far from a subpar release; it's just not anything groundbreaking. It's a fair debut, and I will definitely recommend that you give them a listen and then follow this band's growth through future albums. If you're new to black metal, and are not yet ready for the necro/kult prime time players, this might be a very good place to start. On the other hand, if MAYHEM et al are your personal poison of preference, you might pass this one by...

Rating 7/10
Reviewer Markgugs
http://www.royalcarnage.com/