Primordial

[Mithrandir]

Up on Spotify now. All against all definitely isn't a great song but I think the throat singing is actually the most interesting part?

[open face surgery]

I presume you're in Oz?

[Mithrandir]

Ah sorry my bad, I'm in NZ and it's friday morning here

[Eoin McLove]

I listened to the songs How It Ends and another one whose name is escaping me now (Nothing New Under the Sun). Both fairly dull and boring. Might be just that I'm not in the mood so I'll try the full album later and see but there seems to be a lack of spark and a serious lack of editing going on. Songs seem to drone on with no real direction for 6 minutes and then end.

Call to Cernunnos on there. Started off well with a strong Storm Before Calm vibe. It then ran out of steam after three or four minutes before plodding to death at the six minute mark. I think they could have made that end section really cool if they killed the galloping beat and made it more dark and doomy. The melody would have retained the Celtic feel while bringing in something more stark and interesting to the song. Jaysus, I'm losing hope.

Halfway through Death Holy Death and I had to kill it. Well, I think Namtheanga did that for me. Really cool music in it but the singing is awful. Total butchery.

All Against All is a highlight for me. Cool riffing at the start that puts me in mind of Head of the Alchemist- ie. dark, atonal and a bit more unusual for Primordial. The digeridoo vicals work well but the end of the song kind of goes nowhere. Every song maintains a similar or completely identical tempo throughout. I don't think that was always the case, was it? Maybe it was and it didn't matter because the music was compelling enough for you not to notice.

There's very little so far for me to get really excited about. The shit artwork was a bad omen and much of the songwriting isn't exactly putting a good case forward to make a purchase... the completist in me might yet win out but I think if this was any other band than Primordial I would have written it off already.

Ploughs to Rust isn't bad at all. Great riffs and cool vocal patterns but it ends up going nowhere. I don't know why they don't develop the songs more and add a few twists and turns in along the way.

We Shall Not Serve is among the best on the album I think. The music is so dark and evocative, and reminiscent to me if the Spirit/Storm era. The vocals are ok but an all out BM attack would have suited it much better. Sure look it.

Tradisiúnta is a little beaut. I've said it before but it would be great to see Ciaran and Simon do a folk album together, even with a bit of folk rock like this thrown in. When they want to unleash a bit of magic they still have it in them.

A frustrating listen all in, I think. A few good tracks that could have been made much better with more thought and effort put in to the arrangements. A few real stinkers in there as well.

[Don Gately]

I ordered it this morning from Sentinel, we'll see.

[The Butcher]

Yeah first impressions - most reviews talked about how strongly the album starts off - I'd disagree with that, first 2 songs did nothing for me, esp the second. Main issue is quality control and figuring out where the songs end up. Lot of meandering riffs. Some issues around track ordering, Victory should be the first then kick into 'We Shall Not Serve' which is a good song.

'Pilgrimage' isn't as bad now to me stacked up against the rest, but as someone said before, a poor mans Coffin Ships. 'Nothing New Under The Sun' another good one I thought, maybe should have put towards the end of the album. 'Call To Cernunnos' as said above - gets stale real fast after about 2/3 minutes.

'All Against All' - I agree, it's actually a highlight, I like that odd high guitar lick stuff with the straight forward beat/bass line. The song, like others, they don't seem to know how progress some of the songs in an interesting manner. Personally think Alan sounds brilliant on the album, seems to get better as time goes on. But there's some odd vocal line choices, mainly in 'Death Holy Death' - too much wailing. 'Victory' turns out to be probably the best overall song on the album as it feels there was more thought put into that one compared to the rest of the album.

Not sure if this will improve with more listens but shall see. Exile took a while to get into.

[open face surgery]

I'm just on Pilgrimage and there's nothing that will bring me back to this, I'm afraid.

[Pagan Saviour]

It was inevitable. They've pretty much given us a flawless catalogue up to Nameless, so owe nobody anything really - but this is the first time I've genuinely felt let down by a new Primordial album.

I think what's disappointed me the most having listened to it twice this morning is the lack of any moments that make the hair on the back of your neck stand, frankly some of it is a chore to get through and more than once found the mind wandering, hoping the next track might be better.

Even on Redemption or Greater I'd at least say to myself that some of the material would sound great at a festival I'm sure but the material on this record is so dull all I can imagine is it bogging down the set.

[Eoin McLove]

That's true, they owe us nothing and there is enough great music in their back catalogue to keep me happy till doomsday, but it's a hard cold fact that this album is well below par. Maybe not right down there with Redemption and a little above Where Greater Men Have Fallen. Strange how dull it sounds coming after Exile which felt really vibrant to me, and like a band revitalised. Was that a final fiery attack before ultimate creative death? We'll see. Maybe these songs are slow burners, but initial contact isn't exactly thrilling.

[Circlepit]

Just starting now. I hope this is not their 72 seasons.
Redemption is a great album.

[Eoin McLove]

Redemption is a cunt of a thing. Truly bad. Any argument and I'll set TIR on you.

[ldj]

Had a listen this morning and yeah, I'll give it a few listens to judge properly but so far nothing really sticking out.

Exile was fairly divisive but I remember liking tracks like To Hell or the Hangman and Nail Their Tongues immediately. The only track that really sticks out so far is All Against All, that like To Hell... has a bit of a post-punk/Killing Joke thing going on, maybe that's something they could have explored a bit more.

[Circlepit]

Redemption is a cunt of a thing. Truly bad. Any argument and I'll set TIR on you.

Set away. Its great.
This new one however. AA has said many times that he records his vocals in one take when possible with no real input from the rest of them. 
So far this screams that fact. Whilst he sounds powerful etc the melodies chosen are very AA. Particularly We Shall Not Serve.
I'd imagine he would fight tooth and nail with somebody telling him no/try something different.
It could be a grower. Exile took ages to clock for me.

Finally... Nothing New Under The Sun is brilliant. Sounds like something completely different.

[jobrok1]

Andy is correct!
Redemption is near impossible to listen to anymore, IMO. And 'Greater Men' got stale fairly quick too, but nowhere near Redemption.
Both those albums actually pute completely off even bothering with 'Exile'. But talk on here about that one has at least peaked my interest to finally give it a go.

I'll listen to the new one, but not buying till I try it.

[Eoin McLove]

Alan could definitely do with attempting a few more takes I think, or at least planning his melodies out more because he always ends up falling back on the same few phrasings, not to mention the lyrical Bingo effect mentioned earlier. Martyrs to dust in bitter defeat... Apparently the last few albums have been about different things but how could you even tell, with the exception of Exile which seemed injected with plenty of new ideas. But that creativity seems to have mostly dried up again. Back to the old martyrs.