“With veins aflame and hearts of thunder”: with these words the Irish band Primordial, gives ‘Storm Before Calm’ into the care of their listeners. It could hardly be more appropriately formulated, for in its best moments (which are anything but rare) ‘Storm Before Calm’ is simply violent, stirring, and infectious. A sublime, monumental mountain of riffs, formed by the melancholic, yet equally epic melody lines of Celtic folklore. The raw, passionate vocals of A. A. Nemtheanga, which are as rustic and primeval as the overall atmosphere of the album, ensure that this - unlike so much which goes under the title of Irish folk - is nothing sickly sweet. This clarity, the simple structure, and the reduction of everything to its most base, the far reaching, extended, often repetitive presentation, lends ‘Storm Before Calm’ a spiritual depth, far purer and penetrating than the bulk of all the hopelessly romantic odes to nature, composed by diverse Neo-Folkies. This is Celtic Metal as it should be. And above all, without any awful fiddle jig muck... (Graded 10/12)

Thomas Michel