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Irish metal act Primordial have released one of the more enveloping albums I have come to hear in a while with "To The Nameless Dead". Initial listens inspired resistance and a tendancy to want to overlook the finer points of this record and how deep it actually is. However, after reading the lyrics and the liner notes, you really get a sense of the band being philosophically endowed and in a historical sense: a thinking man's band. I have to say something of roughly 97% of the Irish/Scottish bands that I have reviewed: they truly embrace their culture and proudly incorporate it so as to define the modern "Irish metal" sound. Celtic tribal styling is almost always present, and I have grown to really enjoy that aspect. Primordial ingrain this into their music, they bring together an honest presentation of GOOD epic metal AND a nod to their roots that cannot be denied. In the liner notes, it is stated that the theme of the album (loosely) is a study in the history of nations, the battles that groups of people will endure for the acquisition of, or the preservation of, land. What value do these people give to their ancestory and how important is it? See.....thinking man's material.... But on to the music itself, vocalist A.A. Nemtheanga really didn't catch my ear initially. His style is that of a more slightly gruff rock singer than of a more extreme nature. No gutturals, though there are some slight (and I mean slight) black metalish vocals from time to time. The guitars and bass (brought to us by Ciaran MaCuilliam and Micheal O' Floinn for guitars and Pol MacAmlaigh on bass) have an epic tone and an ability to paint a simultaneously morose and full picture of what state of mind the band is trying to conjure. The drumming is nothing super-spectacular, but Simon O'Laoghaire is a very fitting drummer for this band. There's a bit of blasting on one song I believe, but that's it, and this guys tribal style I will say is decently captivating. The only bummer here is the production, I feel like it's a bit more muddy than it needed to be. This could be due to the fairly depressing vibe the band wanted to invoke here, or it could be due to bad production, I can't tell. Song-wise, the music itself suffers not, and opener "Empire Falls" kicks off the album in an almost Opeth-like fashion. "Gallows Hymn" is a truly dark and dirge-like tune that plods along with the same sadness you'd expect from the title of the track. "As Rome Burns" starts off with that tasty tribal style and some scathing guitars that I very much become inspired by. To do what, I don't know, but it's violent. "Failures Burden" is in the vein of "Gallow's Hymn" though more upbeat, and dealing with mortality from the angle of age and the bitterness that can come with it. "Heathen Tribes" is my favorite track here, and it kicks a ton of ass, and again, inspires me to throw on some war paint and fight the English for some reason. An acoustic guitar and tribal drum intro brings this proudly stomping monster through your speakers like an army of Celtic warriors on horseback. I could go on about this disc forever, but to save everyone a full blown essay, I will say that this disc is an excellent purchase, and is one that the listener must truly dig into to enjoy. If you enjoy Celtic ANYTHING, this is definitely a necessary acquisition for you. Primordial for the victory!
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