Search - Primordial :: Gathering Wilderness

Godsend to the Godless

A. Coulson | Columbia SC USA | 02/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Primordial had been one of the more interesting Metal bands active in recent years. Like ROOT, they have found their own sound, rather than copying their idols (current doom metal scene), re-recording the same thing over and over (current power metal scene) or wandering away from their metal roots (current black metal scene).

'Gathering Wilderness' should appeal to fans of the band's breakthrough 'Spirit the Earth Aflame' album. You have the same layered songs, with the guitars weaving a melodic but somewhat mournful backdrop for the music (those wanting power chords or riffmania had best pass), the same mournful yet defiant tone to the songs and the lyrics, and the same 'wailing' clean vocals. All good stuff.

The biggest change from StEA is the harsh vocals. Gone are the sick, spiteful rasps that gave that album such a venomous, hateful undertone (really accentuated the angry undercurent). The harsh vocals this time around are, well, different. More understandable, but IMO not as effective at conveying those dark emotions. They'll take some getting used to, and they are prominent in the opening track ('Golden Spiral') so they catch you a bit offguard at first. (this change in vocal delivery may have occurred on 'Storm Before Calm', but I haven't heard that album yet).

In short, GW should please fans of StEA, but don't expect it to top the grandeur of that album

EPILOGUE- adding this 6 months later to note that the album has not held up very well over time. It suffers a serious lack of hooks in the riff department, which allows the songs to just run on and bleed together rather badly. Still not a bad album, but i'd clip one of those stars off for failing to withstand the test of time.

"

Haunting epic album filled with tension and passion.

Ben Stubbs | Australia | 05/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Primordial are truly unique. In this day and age of clones and very slight variations of the same themes, it's a breath of fresh air to hear a band do something original and sounding like no other. Ever since 1998s "A Journey's End", they've been perfecting their style of Celtic folk black metal. But that's not to say that each album sounds the same. Although each riff on each album is blatantly Primordial, they have always managed to keep things interesting and most importantly, they have always kept their passion high.



The first thing that struck me about the latest album "The Gathering Wilderness" was the fantastic album cover. It's dark, beautiful and mesmerising which is just how their music sounds. The second thing I noticed was the change in sound. Primordial have stated that they can't stand the current black metal habit of having over-produced clinical sounding productions, so they have made a statement with their latest creation. It is quite raw sounding and each instrument sounds as it would live. Personally, I welcome this change with this particular band, but it's not to say I would like to see a band like Dimmu Borgir try it. It works for Primordial due to the added depth it gives these haunting atmospheric tracks and given the bands obsession with history and nature, it seems all the more fitting to have a more natural sound.



One of the features that makes Primordial stand out from the pack has always been Alan Nemtheanga's amazing vocals. He has always had a great black metal scream, but on the last few releases has concentrated more on a dramatic spoken word style. With "The Gathering Wilderness", he has brought in an aggressive clean singing style that suits the music perfectly and really adds another dimension to Primordial's work. Listen to "The Song of the Tomb" to see how talented this guy really is. The listener will feel the emotion of the lyrics through his passion and when added to some fantastic riffs and acoustic interludes, makes for something very special indeed, which is exactly what "The Gathering Wilderness" has turned out to be. Very special indeed!



Primordial have always had a loyal fan base with yours truly sitting at the top of the list, but surely this is the album that will bring them the greater success that they deserve. It's full of energy, dramatic tension, haunting melodies, superb vocals and an epic full sound. It will have to be a very good year for "The Gathering Wilderness" to be pushed out of my top 5 albums come the festive season."

Primordial are an incredibly dark and wonderful band.

Chad Brendan Fogelberg | Longmont, CO United States | 03/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Primordial, who hail from Ireland, are a fabulous example of many dark genres of Heavy Metal blended together. There is a bit of Folk Metal, Doom Metal, and Black Metal. They are a bit like Opeth's darker music, with Pagan lyrics and a more doom-y sound. They are truly amazing. I have heard very little Irish Metal, but I like what I hear in this band. Their lyrics are about a yearning for a more Pagan era, when the Celts ruled Ireland. Any fan of the genres mentioned above would consider this disc close to a masterpiece. The first couple of songs are extremely good, but there really aren't any songs on the album I dislike."