Primordial
Spirit the Earth Aflame

March Hamm
Released: For, 2000
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Waspman

Yeah, I know this disc is kinda old to be reviewing now, but I just got it awhile ago and think it’s worth reviewing. Primordial have been around for awhile now, as StEA is their fourth release, but this Irish band is still far from being a “household” name in metal. From what I understand, their previous material was more black and aggressive than what’s found on this disc, but to my ears, the music on StEA is best described as epic dark metal with a dash of folk that falls somewhere in between old Anathema and black metal. Quite an interesting concoction, no?



The CD opens with a rousing intro before really breaking open with “Gods to the Godless”. This song is, simply put, astounding! Incorporating a few lines from Romeo & Juliet, vocalist A.A. Nemtheanga wails his tale of woe in a voice that is mixture of blacked vox and Aaron from My Dying Bride. Very cool. Behind him, the band churns forth some repetitive but captivating riffs that never fail to grab my attention and put me in a trance-like state. Amazing. The best part? The rest of the CD follows this formula and is equally as fascinating!