Primordial

[jobrok1]

Yeah! His vocals are on of the highlights. And as usual, so are SOL's drums.
I'm getting a lot of hints at almost every other album from the guitars, too. I think that's where the 'disjointed' vibe is coming from.

I keep seeing reviewers and punters commenting about it being a black metal album.
It's far from it. They haven't been a black metal band for 20+ years at this stage.
Celtic, Pagan, Epic Metal... Yes! But certainly not Black anymore.

[Eoin McLove]

Yep, I found all the mention of black metal more than a little strange.

[The Butcher]

I keep seeing reviewers and punters commenting about it being a black metal album.
It's far from it. They haven't been a black metal band for 20+ years at this stage.
Celtic, Pagan, Epic Metal... Yes! But certainly not Black anymore.

Yeah it's very odd at this stage!

Few more listens in - All Against All is very much the standout track for me - As Chris said it's very much like Bethlehem, spot on! As cliche as it would be, I think the title track should have ended the album with Victory being the first song. Ploughs still doesn't do anything for me, I think it's mainly that riff that kicks in at 1:16 that annoys the f**k out of me! It's reminds me of Iron Maidens 'A Matter of Life and Death' in terms of bloat and meandering intros/outros even though there is some solid songs in there.

[Eoin McLove]

I actually think that apart from Tradisiúnta, We Shall Not Serve is the best song on it. Musically anyway. It should have had proper snarling black metal vocals over it rather than the almost zero melody singing. I say almost zero, the bit of melody there is has been swiped from In Solitude! I honestly can't help but think that Alan phoned this one in.

Edit. And the main vocal melody in How It Ends is from a Procession song... lads lads lads.

[Circlepit]

The intro riff is brilliant on We Shall Not Serve, on first listen I thought it was heading back to a real old style song but it wasn't to be.

What's the Procession song?

[Eoin McLove]

Not sure. Maybe something from the demo but definitely sounds like them.

Ploughs to Rust is a great song actually. I like it a lot.

[Circlepit]

I must give the bonus disc a go to see,
The old demos should be savage.

[Nazgûl]

As cliche as it would be, I think the title track should have ended the album with Victory being the first song.

Maybe clichéd but I'd agree. The run of album openers from TTND up to WGMHF were all very much of that anthemic, immediate style they've been doing for years now and it works well to kick off an album. Nail Their Tongues from the last one really deviated from that in a great way and set the stage for what was a darker, more melancholic album overall (bar the 2nd track and the ballad).

The opener on this new one seems to go for that 'immediate banger' buzz but falls short. Victory would have fitted better imo too. Anyway, fuck it I'm probably talking out of my hole having not given it enough time yet. Here goes...

[Ducky]

Bar Spirit the Earth Aflame, and the sheer emotion of The Coffin Ships (which is robbed of so much power because of Anderson's shite production job), these boys are the most overrated band to ever come out of Ireland; seven to eight minute songs that are largely directionless and copy+paste riffs that are so unmemorable. Yep, this is no different.

Had a good laugh at the opening riff to Victory has 1,000 Fathers - it sounds like some lad at a trad session trying to play a Van Halen lick.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Well hey, at least you're in a club of at least two, with none other than AA Nemty himself, in thinking that the production on TGW is a weak spot!

[Thorn]

Going to delve in again at work tonight but the bar just got higher having been slain by the new Marduk a few times today..

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Still listening. Think How It Ends works perfectly as an opener. Wouldn't say they were going for an 'immediate banger'; the almost two minute instrumental build before even the drums come in makes for a much better mood setter than the Lizzy/Horslips style opening riff of Victory...

Think I'm gonna be ordering it.

[Thorn]

Yeah, I got the impression they,or Alan, thought it would be too obvious to have the title track as a closer so they turned it on it's head. Works fine.

[Eoin McLove]

Imrama on in the car. What a superb album. I am 99% sure that in 94 or 95 when it came out all of its idiosyncrasies would have flown over my tender machinefuckinhead, but I love its naive charm, its hunger, its passionate, creative kitchen sink approach, its energy... and it has possibly my favorite of all of their album covers, although the demo, Spirit and Gathering all work perfectly in their own different ways too. Even the early logo is cool. I have to pick this one up on vinyl soon, and hopefully not the bubblegum pink version I've seen. A long sleeve with that artwork would be welcome as well but no doubt such a thing is for the realm of daydreams.

[Anvil]

Struggling to get into the album.  Only given it a few listens while working but after the first 4 minutes of the title track, the rest is completely lost to me.