Review by Stephen Pedicino
Pop quiz. How many metal bands can you name from Ireland? (After Thin Lizzy)… Yeah, I thought so…I’d be at a loss myself if it weren’t for these Irish gents, Primordial. Famous for integrating Celtic aspects with black metal, they’ve carved a decent name for themselves in the European metal scene. It all started with the 1995 debut of Imrama, which has been reissued by Metal Blade Records to score a few extra sales. The actual Immrama is basically a collection of heroic Irish tales about a search for the Otherworld amidst a merry consumption of Guinness. Because as we know, everything Irish is centered around alcohol…right?
The stoic mysticism of “Fuil Ársa” befits the inception of a cd like Imrama. Thirty seconds of folksy guitars yield to a hurried pulse of percussion and hovering guitar work. The song transitions very nicely from tuneful moments to shadowy ones. “Infernal Summer” strides in more haunting fashion. The track takes a while to get going, but it eventually does. Persistent double bass and gnarly vocals foster a very black metal aura. You’ll notice that the distorted guitars on Imrama have some rhythm but are used more for raw feel than precision or clarity (as demonstrated by this track). The production isn’t the best by the way. Being produced in 1995, the overall sound could feel closer and clearer. But, since Imrama was their debut, I’ll cut Primordial some slack. Besides, the murkiness proves to enhance that pagan flavor we all cherish so dearly.
“The Darkest Flame” is the most lugubrious track off the cd. Everything about it is doomy, from its structure to the lyrics conveyed by star-crossed vocals. If you can’t absorb the emotion, then you probably won’t absorb the song. Let me say that if emo were more like this, I, along with a vast number of metalheads, wouldn’t have the feverish urge to kill it. The gloomy keyboard halfway through will relocate your thoughts to a deeply pale forest before vocalist Alan Averill whispers a quote from the historically controversial Baudelaire into your eardrums. A bit of theatrics but nothing pompous. The interlude, “Mealltach,” is literally chilling. Delicate cymbal taps among an echoing mountain wind overlay the sound of shivers and a soliloquy. It drains into “Let the Sun Set on Life Forever.” Can’t you just feel the joy?...Its upbeat yet dark first minute actually reminded me of doom metal band Agalloch, but I doubt these Irish legends were influenced by an American act who debuted four years after they did. The Scandinavian signatures later take command of the song, resulting in a frosty, mid-tempo black metal track with highly emphatic throat work.
There is a balanced mix between shrill screams and melancholic crooning from Alan Averill. He did a decent job with the production limits and didn’t force an over abundance of emotion into his voice, just like how the songs don’t force an over abundance of energy onto themselves. Imrama is a rather subdued album centered on consistency. Yes, some may find it boring. There won’t be any slick hooks or sing-a-long choruses found here, as this album will attempt to engage your mind through bleak aesthetics. The scarcely sprinkled Celtic aspects provide glimmers of distinction, but Primordial became much more adept with that and rhythm after this debut.
“To the Ends of the Earth” begins as a rising storm of steady double bass and trudging tremolo guitar work. The raspy vocals might reach their height in terms of pitch here, straddling that line between coarse and uncomfortable. After three and a half minutes the paradigm shifts to a more progressive function. Eerie acoustic plucking and groovy bass lines pave the very mellow way for a subsequent beauty of a song, “Beneath A Bronze Sky.” It will literally drape your imagination with Celtic wilderness. Nothing more than an acoustic guitar, earthly drums, and a beautiful pan flute are combined to produce this simply mesmerizing tune. Consider it a soundtrack to the forest. The whispered vocals are barely decipherable, leaving me at a loss for their lyrical meaning. But, as I later realized, if their volume were any greater, the song would not feel the same. Definitely a track to space out to. After it comes a terse transition to the recurring black metal mechanics of “Awaiting the Dawn.” The drumming intensifies to its zenith here as it and those fuzzy, dry guitars carry Imrama to a frigid, sinister end. But wait…we have bonus tracks! Two of them are unpolished, demo versions of “The Darkest Flame” and “To the Ends of the Earth.” The other two aren’t terrible. “To Enter Pagan” hints at 80’s punk rock with its intro, but rest assured this song is no cover. The enhanced catchiness actually makes this track one of my favorites off this edition of Imrama.
For those looking to hear the primitive roots of Primordial, look towards Imrama. This album is better taken as a whole instead of in parts since the songs are consistent and each continues the story in their own way. Nothing will drop your jaw, but keep in mind this album was crafted 14 years ago. Michael Jordan was still playing with the Bulls back then! Every band needs bedrock to start on, and for bedrock, Imrama isn’t all that bad.