Search - Primordial :: Spirit the Earth Aflame

Best Primordial yet

Owen Cunningham | Southern New England | 12/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had been impressed with Primordial's two previous efforts, "Imrama" and "A Journey's End," so imagine my surprise when my expectations, high as they were, _still_ managed to be exceeded by this album. "Spirit the Earth Aflame" is simply amazing. It does have its bad spots --- I found tracks 6 and 8 mildly annoying, although I'm not sure I can articulate why. But the rest of the album roars forth as a butt-kickin' departure from the mopey please-give-me-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-so-I-can-down-them-all-in-one-shot mood of "A Journey's End" (effective and enjoyable as that may have been). Nearly every song is an epic battle hymn exhorting the righteous sons of Ireland to seize the world that is rightfully theirs --- imagine the themes of "Eld"-era Enslaved reworked to apply to Ireland. Highlights are "Gods to the Godless," a stirring ode to genocide (um...guess you have to be there), "The Soul Must Sleep," which manages to wallow in weary depression while simultaneously exuding pure menace, "Children of the Harvest," an unbelievable, beautiful, agonized metallic epic (complete with the vocal work that everybody seems to think originated with Bathory). The vocals on this album are truly outstanding; I thought the singer tended to stray a bit beyond the high end of his range in previous albums, but here he never loses power no matter where his melodies take him. And the grim screams are throatier than his prior I'm-an-enraged-leprechaun screeches, a wonderful, almost Opethian, bass growl. The biggest surprise of the album is the closer (not counting the cover of "And the Sun Set on Life Forever"), "Among the Lazarae," which is a startlingly raw slab of true black metal. This piece is thrilling because it showcases a new side of Primordial --- we know they can do embitterment, rage, hate, agony, misery, fatalism, etc., but they've never sounded just plain _evil_ before now. It's the only song I've heard them produce worthy of corpsepaint. Get it now!!"

Not like anything in your record collection

David Horacek | 03/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record is indescribably beautiful. It churns with guitars, feedback, pounding rhythms and layers of instrumental complexity. However, when this is combined with strangely detatched, pleading and musical singing, the effect is absolutely haunting. Most music in the metal genre tries to get "in your face" while this album does just the opposite. The indistinct production only adds to the sense of distance, leaving you with the feeling that a true epic is unfolding before you. When you listen to the lyrics, which are quite distinct and clear, you'll be transported to the misty shores of Ireland, where you can almost see its ancient people as they accept the torments of war, weather and sea with detatchment. No, this is not the tokenistic, wailing, jolly Ireland of Enya or the Pogues. This has depth."

A Beautiful, Epic Masterpiece

James Proctor | Grenada, MS USA | 12/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Upon first hearing the band Primordial, I was immediately intrigued. I first heard their previous album, "Journey's End," and it is certainly a glorious piece, as is this CD. Primordial plays a style of doom/black metal that has an Irish flare. The guitar parts and the singing combine beautifully with the evenly laid cadence of the drums, all to combine and produce the most atmospheric experience I've ever encountered with music. The songs provoke images of mountains and moors and celtic-type images. As Primordial has said, they are a metal band, but first, they are an Irish band. The singer mainly uses three types of vocal. Most often, he actually sings, and beautifully at that. As well, he uses what I call "deep talk." He talks in a deep voice that acts as a narrative to follow the music. And then, at times, he uses black metal vox... It all fits wonderfully. The guitars parts are beautiful and melodic, the bass molds wonderfully with the guitars, and the drums fit in the mix perfectly. Primordial is perhaps the best band in their scene, and one of the better bands in the extreme end of metal. Long live this band, and I highly recommend purchasing this album, as well as "Journey's End" if you can find it. Prepare to be taken upon a journey!"