Primordial
The Gathering Wilderness
Metal Blade
By: Krista G.
These guys are from Ireland, and were the first Irish Metal Band to get signed, by anyone, anywhere. That was back in '89. And the production hasn't gained anything over time, since this sounds like a pretty bad demo. They lean towards powermetal, but they do have some break downs that are thrashy, add some occasional deathy type screeches. They make grand and epic type metal, or at least try to, since this misses almost every mark possible. It's like pissing drunk, and not making it into the toilet. It's all over the floor, walls, and dripping down the toilet seat. They are trying so hard, they've got the HEART, they're INTO it, they just...miss the mark. With nearly every song. I'm not sure if the muddy production is a blessing in disguise, lack of proper facilities in Ireland, or monetary restrictions. Either way, this is pretty murky. I feel bad for trashing it, since it's obvious that they mean business.
So some good points are that I can see fans of Blind Guardian, Katatonia, or even Opeth, digging this, or at least accepting it. It's got the epic tones, the large expansive paint strokes with guitars, the drumming that pounds a theme that feels ancient. The pagan element is present, and I really dig that, but the glimpses of it are only sprinkled throughout, rather than a deep undercurrent, which would be far more to my liking. Primordial are trying to capture elements that seem historical, are passionate and personal, however, the vocals aren't that strong, just yelling without any great melodies incorporated. When the dude tries to sing, he ends it with a growl/screech that lacks power; mostly due to production. The guitar work is a bit underwhelming, but due to the length of the songs on the whole, there's a shitload of rhythm work flowing underneath the songs. Strong riffs pop out here and there, carrying a grand tone to a menacing streak as the lyrics seem to demand the effort. The drums are where the ancient, and pagan elements come from, and this was drummed nearly perfectly. They're mic'ed by themselves, so that gives a different sound.
"The Song of the Tomb" isn't so bad, in fact it has this big swing to it, and had this had better production, I might be able to hear even more of what these guys are trying to accomplish. Their songs are long, the shortest being just shy of 8 minutes. The nearly ten minute "The Coffin Ships" is pretty good, with open and beautiful guitar work, with excellent use of quiet in transitions.
Here's the remarkable thing about this disc. I keep coming back to it time after time. I'm drawn to it, because I think it truly has that certain "something", although it's not present heavily. Tantalizing, every minute or so, your ears perk up, and really try to absorb the emotion, or the beat. This one, my friends, has been a beast on my back. I want it to be something it really isn't, but keep listening because as I said, these guys mean serious doomy business.
There's the attempt at being EPIC, but, these guys are no Symphony X, nor Green Carnation. The vocals are on the weak side, the production is crap, and this experienced band aren't very good songwriters, sadly. Only okay. I keep listening to it, trying to isolate some good points, but I find
There's no real magic, just lengthy songs that meander with no real path, and no conclusion, dragging things out like a painful death. Just like this review.
2 1/2
Track listing:
1. The Golden Spiral
2. The Gathering Wilderness
3. The Song Of The Tomb
4. End Of All Times
5. The Coffin Ships
6. Tragedys Birth (I can't even make it through that song)
7. Cities Carved In Stone
3/16/05
