If ever there was proof needed to verify the theory that lack of exposure, or rather, lack of major exposure will preserve the purity of spirit and the actual pulse of a band's artistic soul then Primordial are one of the finest examples in our little pocket of the universe.  Look at the argument: 16 years of proper existence, their sixth full length release and we see the band put out what is their best recording to date. As much as this can be argued (that this is their finest moment) since it is me who expresses opinion in this review I believe I have this right.

Long have Primordial been heralded as saviours of the (musical) flesh as it were, especially when one considers how music - and Extreme Metal is, unfortunately, no exception - has become increasingly more plastic through the years. This release serves as a testimony to fulfill that praise.

It is of no particular surprise that they have always courted critical acclaim (this being their fifth full length to achieve the maximum 7/7 mark in Germany's Metal Hammer I believe) and though they have never particularly crossed 'that' threshold that divides the cult act from the more widely revered one, they have managed to make some progression commercially with each release, especially on 2005's "The Gathering Wilderness" which was their first excursion under the Metal Blade banner.

So we come to final stages of 2007 and once again the world is given another chapter in the ongoing saga of Primordial. If you are one of those who keep a keen eye on the ups and downs of the review strategies in the major print publications...the Rock Hard's, the Terrorizer's, the Legacy's etc then perhaps you are aware that "To The Nameless Dead" has achieved results that are nothing short of mind boggling...Album Of The Month in the aforementioned along with several others, plus reviews in general that have led many to speculate that Metal Blade (in Europe at least) have never had such a critically praised release.

Several listens to this album will very likely to make you understand why. This album redefines the word essential.

Opening with "Empire Falls" and we have another song that joins in with "The Coffin Ships", "Gods To The Godless", "Autumns Ablaze" as a staple for years to come in the Primordial live set, but we have a twist. Never before have the band employed such a strong verse/chorus structure and never before did I think it would work for them to do so. How wrong was I? It works and then some. Still we have the track clocking in at eight minutes proving that despite the obvious growth and perhaps the possibility of those with shorter attention spans finally 'getting it', it has been done as usual on the bands very own, very rigid terms.

This is followed by "Gallows Hymn" a track by most recent recruit Michael O'Floinn. Elegant and emotional in equal doses, it is in stark contrast to the opener in that it is unlikely to inspire fist banging mania on some open air stage in Germany but rather serves as a reminder to the sheer depth and span that the band manage with such enviable ease.

To go through all the highlights on this disc would mean penning a short novel, so I will spare you that torture....suffice to say that no track drops below 666 on the quality radar...however, I must draw special attenion to the two final tracks. Firstly closer "No Nation On This Earth" and in particular to the sheer jump that the vocals of Nemtheanga which have taken a quantum leap from the previous release.

Perhaps I thought that his new rough edged, blackened melodic approach grated on an ocassion or two during "The Gathering Wilderness" however, that is a long gone and distant memory now.The sheer conviction and feeling emptied within this track is nothing short of stirring at times. Thew track itself is rather midpaced and true, in many ways, to the Black Metal aesthetics that spawned the band in Dublin all those years ago...but it's given access to the premier league due to it's sheer class and originality. There is no doubt in any (in)sane mind that Primordial are one of the very few bands today who have something that is unmistakably their own, their identity has long been stamped permanently and "No Nation On This Earth" is not an exception.

Finally, second to last track and for me, the gem of the album...Ladies and Gents, put your hands together for "Traitor's Gate" and Primordial at their most vicious and vitriolic in some time....and, by fuck, does it work. Ciáran MacUiliam has long been respected as a guitarist with vision and execution of impeccability, if you are a Primordial virgin then this track would be a good place to begin if you so desired something to back up that statement. It is simply genius. Add to this mixture the most impassioned plus simply the best vocal display by Nemtheanga on this or any other Primordial album (maybe) and you have a modern day classic. I cannot get enough of this track.....

In closing, quite possibly the album of the year in a year that has been heavy on quality....let's see if the rest of the world will catch on!

By Paul Kearns