Black Metal Primordial

[Mr. Gregory]

Official Website

Current members:

• Alan Averill (aka Nemtheanga) - Vocals
• Ciáran MacUilliam - Guitar
• Micheál O'Floinn - Guitar
• Pól MacAmhlaigh - Bass
• Simon O'Laoghaire - Drums

Albums:

• Imrama (1995)
• A Journey's End (1998)
• Spirit the Earth Aflame (2000)
• Storm Before Calm (2002)
• The Gathering Wilderness (2005)
• To the Nameless Dead (2007)
• Redemption at the Puritan's Hand (2011)
• Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)
• Exile Amongst the Ruins (2018)
• How It Ends (2023)

Primordial is an Irish band that plays a blend of black metal and traditional folk/Celtic metal, but not in the Eluveitie sense where you have a hurdy gurdy, a flute, and other traditional folk instruments. Everything they do is guitar based, and they tend to play longer songs (usually between 5 and 8 minutes or so). Their lyrics tend to be historical/cultural and have pagan/heathen themes, which I dig.

They're one of my favorite bands. I love Nemtheanga's vocals - he just sings with so much passion and conviction. All of their albums are pretty darn good. Looking forward to Exile Amongst the Ruins, which comes out tomorrow, March 30th. Here's the first single they released from that album:

This is my favorite track from their previous album, Where Greater Men Have Fallen:

And this is a good one off of the album before that, Redemption at the Puritan's Hand:

 

[Oldhippie]

Good stuff,

 

[Magic]

I like Eluveitie.
I like the tracks you posted. Give me the best album to start with.....and I will start from there.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I like Eluveitie.
I like the tracks you posted. Give me the best album to start with.....and I will start from there.

I like Eluveitie too! I'll have to do a thread about them at some point. Maybe they'll be next.

As for Primordial, from my observation, most people tend to go for To the Nameless Dead first. That's probably a good place to start. Where Greater Men Have Fallen is my personal favorite of theirs, but you really can't go wrong with any of their stuff IMO.

Here's the opener from To the Nameless Dead.

 

[Magic]

thanks. Will check both, with a couple fair spins. Let you know my thoughts!

 

[Mr. Gregory]

So, yeah, I listened to Exile Amongst the Ruins today, and it's a really good album, as I expected. I buy all my music and preordered this album, but Metal Blade Records, their current label, is streaming it on YouTube. It's a little over an hour. Check it out if you have some time to spare:

Primordial - Exile Amongst the Ruins

I also listened to To the Nameless Dead again today. I forgot how good that album is.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Here are two more great songs, "The Coffin Ships" from The Gathering Wilderness, and one of my all time favorite songs of theirs, "Gods to the Godless" from Spirit the Earth Aflame.

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I've been listening to Primordial's newest album, How It Ends. I haven't gotten all the way through it yet, but it's great so far. These guys have aged like a fine wine. My current favorite songs from it so far are the intro/title track and the short instrumental interlude, Traidisiúnta.

How It Ends

Traidisiúnta

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[HEADS UP]

 

[Magic]

I never took the time to look into Primordial but my introduction to the group has been reignited. I will post some first impressions as I go through the albums!

thank you @Mr. Gregory !

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I never took the time to look into Primordial but my introduction to the group has been reignited. I will post some first impressions as I go through the albums!

thank you @Mr. Gregory !

It took me a little while to get into this band. They were initially presented to me as a black metal band but sounded nothing like any of the other second wave black metal bands I was listening to at the time. Once I got over my incorrect initial expectations and everything clicked for me, it was a wrap.

I love these guys. They're one of the only such bands I started listening to back then that have stood the test of time for me. They put so much heart into their music, and it shows.

I should do another run through their discography, too. It's been quite some time since I last did that. Last I recall, there were a couple decent songs on Spirit the Earth Aflame, but business really started to pick up with The Gathering Wilderness. I like everything from that one onwards for sure.