2011 brings us a new Primordial album to follow up the critically acclaimed "To The Nameless Dead." And while "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand" is by no means an album to ignore, it also feels underwhelming compared to what I felt would be a near impossible album to summit. So in the end, after thinking about it for a few weeks now, I place "Redemption..." as tied for second place amongst their discography with The Gathering Wilderness, the first of the band's decidedly current-sounding albums. Spirit The Earth Aflame is right on their heels though. I still feel that "To The Nameless Dead" is their iconic release. It may be that a year from now, when I revisit this record in full, and give it two or three more listens, I may feel differently about it's place in the ranks of Primordial's past efforts but my feelings on the tracks will most likely remain and, something I thought I would never have to say about the band, is what will ultimately always drag the record down; Alan Nemtheanga's vocals do not live up to my expectations.
For me, and I feel the vast majority of Primordial fans, Alan separates Primordial from the vast majority of other bands. Of course the music is excellent but it is propelled to a different level with Alan's heartfelt vocals and unique melodic confidence. I remember reading that Alan was sick during recording this record and maybe t
hat had an effect on his performance. To be blunt, I don't feel the vocals on many of the tracks flow naturally, there is a hesitation in the rhythmic patterns, a staggered movement through the verses usually bogs down what should be a smooth moving and confident proclamation. Of course, this is only apparent on some select tracks and I find my favorite tracks don't suffer from this uncomfortable stumbling across the vocal parts. At times, a trained ear can easily hear overdubbed vocal parts meant to thicken up what would be thin sounding vocal tracks. At times the vocal production on the record is sloppy, something that a record with so many eyes and ears focused on it should be careful to avoid.
Where his vocals disappoint, Alan has once again, with the aid of Irish poet Padraig Pearse on "Death Of The Gods," written a strikingly aware commentary with the lyrics on this record. Where "To The Nameless Dead" questioned why it is we fight and die for the concept of the nation, "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand" feels like a purging of feelings built up as a result and, I feel, possibly answers the questions posed on the previous record with a simple answer. To be free. There are scattered fragments of a single thought across the record all told through different metaphors. According to Alan on the Primordial website, he claims this is the "Death" album. Some would say death is just another road to freedom. Overall, the album is full of the same grandiose poetry we have come to expect from Primordial and in this regard Nemtheanga delivers. You can make your own interpretations of the lyrics of course.
The production is similar to The Gathering Wilderness with a bit better mixing job. It's not quite as treble-laden as To The Nameless Dead and I felt a stronger bass presence from Pól MacAmlaigh which I personally love because his bass lines across the record are phenomenal. I feel he plays a lot like Geezer Butler would in this kind of band, giving the album weight by building his lines around the rhythm of the drums and not following the guitars as we would expect. Simon O'Laoghaire is becoming a more elite drummer with every record. He isn't just playing drum parts to fill in. Rhythms are calculated. Simon, on this record, is the cue giver; deciding what moments are build up sections, what kind of a feel a certain moment on the record will have and practically conducting the dynamics of the record from behind the kit.
Ciáran MacUiliam and Micheál O'Floinn once again leave us with captivating melodies. Rhythmically, the record follows in the vein of "To The Nameless Dead" except for "God's Old Snake," which reminds me of their much earlier records like "Journey's End" and "Imrama." It's difficult to pick out a real difference in tone between this record melodically from the Previous record but I don't find as many memorable sections. I don't feel like Ciáran and Micheál have fallen prey to using more clean guitars or playing more leads, or doing any egotistical guitar showmanship. Honestly, Primordial never needed that.
A quick run through of the record would read like this if I were asked to give a few sentences on the album. Opener "No Grave Deep Enough" is pretty much a whole lot like opening previous album's opening track "Empire Falls" with a short clean buildup, heavy intense riff, some of the harsher vocals on the album, and basically blasting Primordial's now solidified style through a megaphone. "Lain With The Wolf," the album's second track and third track, "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" are both immediate hits owing their success to Alan's vocals which shine on these two tracks best of all. "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" feels like an attempt at doing another "Heathen Tribes" styled anthem and works well but not as well as "Heathen Tribes." I have been skipping fourth track "God's Old Snake," I just don't care for the verse at all - something about the combination of the drumming and guitars that feels awkward to me.
The album at this point could take two paths. It could turn instantly boring should Primordial not have something exceptional next. "Mouth Of Judas" is absolutely excellent. Notable in this song is the lead 3/4 in which is layered over another emotion vocal section. At first I dreaded that the track would ride the album into the ground. It starts very slowly. I assume the band chose the track specifically for this reason after the faster, more aggressive previous song. "Mouth of Judas" never gets boring though, it is like watching a slow moving tragedy with every sad moment lingering, pressuring its sadness into the listener. It's a weaving song though - the
track builds on itself, it's previous melodies. The song instantly codifies Primordial's elite place in metal, perhaps even more so than any one track on "To The Nameless Dead" did.
"The Black Hundred" is another good track, this one faster, again shaking up the pacing of the record and offering a different texture utilizing some baritone vocals in the style of a 1940's propaganda audio sample. The title track on the record, "The Puritan's Hand" is completely forgettable. Doesn't do anything for me and is relegated to the ranks of filler tunes on good records. Final track "Death Of The Gods" I want to love so much but really is a prime example of the lack of vocal flow on the record. Every vocal phrase feels truncated and shortened. Great lyrics which could probably be photocopied and dropped out of helicopters into the middle east to increase the upheavals and protests in those countries against the dictators and leaders who kill their citizens and suck dry any hopes for a decent life.
Since this is getting longer than I wanted, a really succinct conclusion is this: Primordial fans will adore this record though probably agree it isn't better than "To The Nameless Dead." People who have never listened to the band before, wouldn't be discouraged from checking out this record as it really is a good representation of the band's work, at least their past four records. I think that this album will make most of the "best of 2011" lists and I'm sure it will propel Primordial into the vocabulary of most aware metal fans. I doubt that Eddie Trunk will take notice even though he claims to be one of the world's leading experts on all things metal. Metal Blade will probably cash in on this record too. Primordial's next album will do for Primordial what Ghost Reveries did for Opeth and pretty soon when they tour the USA with Enslaved and a random folk metal band being peddled as the next great thing, we will find ourselves squashed between fifteen year old overweight high school girls and their gothic boyfriends in HIM beanies.
For those who wanted to check out the Velnias Interview I did at the end of last month, you can download the whole thing here. Also, be sure to check out the other interviews I've done on the archives page here. Thanks again to Petras and Velnias for an awesome show and great interview. Their album, Sovereign Nocturnal is worth finding and listening to over and over and over again.
I've never been to Montclair's famed Meatlocker before. Maybe "famed" is the wrong word. But the venue has created quite a name for itself amongst this generations crowd of music lovers in New Jersey looking for their own CBGB styled hole in the wall - or in this case ground - that contains a certain smell and gritty aesthetic. The fire Marshall warning cites the legal limit for occupancy at forty-nine people. There weren't half that many people at a show that should have been packed, especially for being completely free and especially with the interest in black metal and noise recently. The entire show was worth every cent in gas even if only for Velnias, which wasn't the case.
Opening group Ithi was an electronic noise duo, consisting of Luke Krnkr and Joshua Convey, both armed with synthesizers and an army of effects pedals, loop stations and midi sequencers (I think) tied together with two miles of patch cables. I've never seen their kind of band live before and it was an unsettling experience to watch two guys behind a desk covered in gizmos wavering back and forth like horror movie archetypes. Speaking of such, musically and sonically I describe the duo as Cannibal Holocaust's soundtrack with distortion in John Wayne Gacy's basement. It was creepy but completely enjoyable. I would have been a bit frightened just to walk into their performance if no one else was in the room. Their record, The Persistence of Meaning, while a good representation of the band doesn't seem to capture the same energy the band displayed in the live setting but the vocals, which were difficult for me to hear from my position at the gig are more audible which is nice. I'm sure any fan of electronic noise would enjoy their record.
probably appeal to fans of bands like... Wolves In The Throne Room or Alcest or whoever. But, one of the highlights for me, was seeing Nuklearenpest for the first time. I've known Z. and A. for several years now. I thought their set was, immediately, loud, but once my ears adjusted, their brand of black metal was the perfect fit for the evening. Memorable, well written songs were briefly interrupted by a broken string which Z., after trudging through one track without, left his guitar on the side of the stage. Unnerved, second guitarist, H.L., handled all the guitar duties while Z. gave an impassioned performance on vocals.
Last band of the night, and who I was really there to see, aside from hanging out the Nuklearenpest dudes, was Velnias, the Colorado entity which take Funeral Doom, Black Metal and god knows what else, and lays waste to all. While on record, Velnias may be more reserved and meticulous, live, auditory impalement is the name of the game distorting their songs into body numbing ritualistic self mutilation. It's like listening to Lordamor's take on Burzum covering Under A Funeral Moon. Lights were turned off, the wall of amplifiers - most hand made by guitarist Petras - turned up, candles lit, and tracks from their album Sovereign Nocturnal were summoned amidst a small but loyal grouping of onlookers. I hope one day to see the video to this as I know that the band was given a black and white grainy bootleg styled video at the end of the night. If you have the chance, go witness them live.
hat had an effect on his performance. To be blunt, I don't feel the vocals on many of the tracks flow naturally, there is a hesitation in the rhythmic patterns, a staggered movement through the verses usually bogs down what should be a smooth moving and confident proclamation. Of course, this is only apparent on some select tracks and I find my favorite tracks don't suffer from this uncomfortable stumbling across the vocal parts. At times, a trained ear can easily hear overdubbed vocal parts meant to thicken up what would be thin sounding vocal tracks. At times the vocal production on the record is sloppy, something that a record with so many eyes and ears focused on it should be careful to avoid.
track builds on itself, it's previous melodies. The song instantly codifies Primordial's elite place in metal, perhaps even more so than any one track on "To The Nameless Dead" did.
Next Wednesday tune in to check out my interview with Pat of Hellwitch on The Vault!
Shut Up And Suffer, which includes the demo's intro is pretty much an album summary. Riff leading into riff, total disregard for songwriting - not that I think the album needs it - and primitive crushing components one after another until main man Pek, decides the song is done. I already mentioned Von and it's something like that though with a less complete concept of song structure. The seven tracks though have moments of noteworthy interest. Second track, "Pek" - maybe Pek is a little full of himself - starts off with a triumphantly evil march feel, "Surrounded By Evil" is simply weird, with an unsettling intro that's tough to follow followed by the strongest combination of riffs on the demo creating the highlight of the track. Sixth track, Deceased Fuckbeast, aside from having one of the more comedic album titles to exist from a Belgian band, is actually somewhat enjoyable in one of those "What-the-hell" kind of ways.
from me, contains killer tracks across the whole record and an excellent sense of pride. It reeks of a lack of interest in trends, while somehow falling into the movement towards the old school metal that's been erupting out of every garage across America and Europe. I think the most interesting facet, and the strongest attribute of Midnight Chaser is how dead-set on excellence their songwriting aims to be. Even "Out On Your Shield" which is my least favorite track because of the undeniably lame intro riff, is still well written. The band is humbling, everyone shines, is never overshadowed or overbearing. The band sounds like they are rocking together, slamming their bodies around a shaking rehearsal room, too loud for human ears, with all their friends slamming down PBR's and headbanging for no other reason than having a good time. It's that kind of a record.
Quick reconnaissance reveals a four man lineup fronted by Scott Attwood on vocals who sounds a lot like Sean Harris from the aforementioned Diamond Head. The same shouting, wooing, classic rock influenced vocal approach is Attwood's calling card as evidenced on opening track "Rough and Tough," which wouldn't sound out of place on Lightning to The Nations. He hits some decent highs across the disc, such as in "Down For Whatever." The rhythm section on the EP is tight, with Josh Hunt on bass and Brandon Thomas on drums. Nothing spectacular to mention. Stephan Lauck is the sole guitarist in the band and I can't help but feel that a second guitarist would really help strengthen the band sound-wise but as it stands, Stephen's got things under control in the guitarist situation. On this record, the solos are well written and performed but tend to be thin, with Lauck accompanied by only Hunt. It definitely adds to the sense of being a live recording but I hope on their upcoming full length, they dub some guitars under the leads.
If you have some bizarre compulsion to own every thrash demo that no one should own, Vehemence's "Good Shot... Gang Member Dies" may just be the holy grail of thrash demo seekers. Not only does it fit all the criteria for being completely generic, but it also lays claim to one of the most politically incorrect titles of all time. If you collect demos that specifically are politically incorrect while still achieving the status of not being worth anything at all, finding this in a used bin would make you feel like Donald Trump actually finding Obama's birth certificate with a giant Nigerian flag sewn into the paper and a picture of him being born in a rat infested hospital holding a clock and being fed garbage in a baby bottle. Generically speaking, the demo is basically Slayer if Slayer could be a more generic version of Slayer. Vehemence have the riff writing ability of a no-armed infant, the vocal skills of a tumorous Chinese citizen gifted with a pity-episode on Discovery channel and the songwriting diligence of Testament.
of this and contains a drum beat fifty seconds into the song that sounds like the most synchronized construction crew on earth. As if Vehemence never had a drummer, and instead were just recording at someone's house while the Jones' were having an addition tacked onto their home. The workers, unfamiliar with heavy metal, improvised, pulling all their talent from listening to disco singles in their early life. The kick / snare drum combination sounds like your old-fashioned wooden hammer being slammed against a piece of plywood and the cymbals; a saw cutting through metal flashing. This is the first example of construction metal ever.
attempt to push a band into the death metal stardom. So, this Demo from 2009 was most likely a cheap teaser to garner interest for the label who, I'm sure, knew they would be putting out a full length from the band a year after this little cardboard promo thing. As much as I hate these cardboard promos, which never fit anywhere, be it CD binders, CD cases, with my CDs on the shelf - they seem to disappear between everything (I'm pretty sure I lost my Ravage promo this way) - and they are easily destroyed by practically any kind of mishap. Still, Genocide have a nice little promo here with some cool old school styled demo artwork and a nice back cover as well. Campy sticker on the disc to set it apart from... non-stickered cardboard promos as well... Whatever.
Poisonous' style doesn't seem to lend a whole lot of care for dynamics on this demo - they go one speed, and in a bevy of 16th notes at that. The mix on this lends good instrument separation so were Mr. Evil to leave the shadow of the guitars and show some reckless abandon, my claim of simplicity would be borderline remiss but nevertheless still valid.
Stones, which I admit, I think is a bit stronger than this newer release, there is a much stronger modern metal element most obvious in the production and tone of the record. I originally though that I liked all the mid-paced tracks more than the faster songs but then I realized that it's a much more simple differentiation than that. The tracks that I like the best on the record are the tracks that aren't trying to be bad-ass. They are the tracks that just are bad-ass. For example, "Let It Out," gives me the feeling of listening to a amped up Soundgarden or Pearl Jam track... somewhat like "Do The Evolution." Also worth knocking is fifth track Cycles which is probably the most uninspired track of Panzer's career. It just reeks laziness. Conklin also sounds a whole crapload like a constipated Chris Cornell on this track.
The good: Opening track "Condemned to Fight" and the intricate "Burn" are both consistently fast, hard hitting and, if not memorable, damned good for the time being. The tracks that stand out the most are the unconventional Jag Panzer tracks such as "Setting of the Sun" which relies on the melodic interweaving of both solemn and hopeful airs, clashing and battling for control of the track's heart. "Bring The End," is a bitter accusation of greed and selfishness, echoed in Conklin's growing vocal intensity. The marching vibe of the chorus sections paired with a blistering solo contrasting a subdued midsection combine for my favorite moments on the album. Both songs utilize atypical melodies here too, like a modern power metal version of Sahg II instead of the same Iron Maiden progression in every song.
real reason for doing so or the talent to warrant any release at all. In most cases, almost all these bands should have simply folded and waited to be dealt a new hand. Solstice is a tough call though; an example of a band that may have had a chance at being something excellent if they didn't fall apart before 1995.
Side A of the tape finishes with the two minute "The Sun Profaned," a forgettable three riff novel worth about one minute of attention and the longer culmination to side heavy, "Perpetual Dreams." By no means is Solstice breaking boundaries with this track either... alternating between fast and slow parts, undulating across the magnetic ribbon like a trickle of water across some bare stone. Sure, the foundation here is strong and solid but, with little in the way of subtlety or detail to etch something interesting across the surface, we're left with but another rock in the sea of stones, another grain of sand on one really long boring beach. The track, with some slight tweaking - a lead here or an overlayed melody over there - could have made this a highlight track, something worth coming back to. There is a solo but, strangely like the other leads on the reel, sounds somehow out of key and awkward though oddly emotive and vibrant in the same sense.
"A human being is....consciousness." The three tracks that follow grind onwards like a tank crushing skulls and then harvesting them, mixing their dust with alloys and then fusing them together; the sound or tone of the tracks contradict this opening statement that a human being is consciousness.
metal band work so flawlessly. Jake's drumming is impressive - tight, complex and creative often using multiple beats over a repeated riff to move songs like components being added onto a product on an assembly line; Henry Ford would be proud.
