Primitive

London based Primitive recently sent me through a copy of their EP Into The Void to see what we thought of it. This 5 piece are described as probably one of the top underground bands on the circuit today with their blend of melodic death metal and progressive polyrhythmic grooves, which sounds pretty damned epic! They’re also due to be appearing at the Artic Festival alongside our friends in 15 Times Dead and Down The Machine, so I thought it only right we check out what was on offer!
Opening with Age Of Men, immediately the bar is set high as pounding drums back hammering guitar lines whilst guttural vocals roar around to fully bring the track to life. Throwing in syncopated sections of guitars vs drums, the mix can’t possibly be described as simple ‘Death Metal’, there’s far more to the music than that. Throughout the track there’s a real sense of energy and excitement, at no point allowing the track to become predictable or boring due to the numerous changes and elements which are incorporated throughout it. Keeping everything raw and powerful, this is a seriously heavy track sure, but there’s also a hell of a lot of melody throughout it, allowing you to actually fully connect with it rather than just focus on the distortion. My personal favourite part though, the break down midway through, it’s heavy, off beat and just a pure moment of metal goodness!
Slaughterhouse follows on, another track full of pounding drum lines, distorted guitar lines and those awesome rib shaking vocal lines. Again the mix is left to form naturally on this one, the track continuing to keep the sense of syncopation throughout but also allowing it to be accessible and easy to listen to. This track sounds familiar in some aspects, but it’s hard to drawn comparison to any other bands, there’s a sense that this is a band you’ve come across before whilst keeping that unique tag firmly in place so as not to confuse the sound. Nothing Remains is another example of this, opening fast and rolling akin to the likes of Devil Driver or similar. More raw and powerful than the other tracks, this is one which is surely built for the live scene and is bound to have crowds going mental along to it. Opting for the heavier approach here, the combination of hammering riffs with rolling double bass is not only heavy, but funky at times, making you want to move whilst not losing an ounce of raw power. This is probably my personal favourite from the album, just because of the rolling pace and track progression, I could see myself happily going mental to this on the live scene!
Finishing with title track Into The Void, there’s no doubt left that these guys are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with in the world of metal for 2012. The track is once again a no holds barred assault on your ear drums, this time keeping the pace slower but not relenting in the slightest on the raw power front. The vocals seem to echo around on this track ,adding a further sense of darkness to things and creating a track which not only closes the album, but stays with you and permeates into your head for days to come, it’s one hell of a way to close an album!
Primitive are one of those bands who don’t do themselves justice on paper, the tag of melodic death metal just doesn’t match the style of music which they’re producing. Sure there’s elements of it within the EP, but it’s more advanced than that, almost adding in elements of prog through the tracks so as to make sure that each track is not only raw and powerful, but interesting and unique, never matching a track same for same. In all, what you end up with is an album which will not only satisfy that heavy desire, but also engage you and keep you listening to every single track, put simply, it’s a triumph.
To find out more about Primitive, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Opening with Age Of Men, immediately the bar is set high as pounding drums back hammering guitar lines whilst guttural vocals roar around to fully bring the track to life. Throwing in syncopated sections of guitars vs drums, the mix can’t possibly be described as simple ‘Death Metal’, there’s far more to the music than that. Throughout the track there’s a real sense of energy and excitement, at no point allowing the track to become predictable or boring due to the numerous changes and elements which are incorporated throughout it. Keeping everything raw and powerful, this is a seriously heavy track sure, but there’s also a hell of a lot of melody throughout it, allowing you to actually fully connect with it rather than just focus on the distortion. My personal favourite part though, the break down midway through, it’s heavy, off beat and just a pure moment of metal goodness!
Slaughterhouse follows on, another track full of pounding drum lines, distorted guitar lines and those awesome rib shaking vocal lines. Again the mix is left to form naturally on this one, the track continuing to keep the sense of syncopation throughout but also allowing it to be accessible and easy to listen to. This track sounds familiar in some aspects, but it’s hard to drawn comparison to any other bands, there’s a sense that this is a band you’ve come across before whilst keeping that unique tag firmly in place so as not to confuse the sound. Nothing Remains is another example of this, opening fast and rolling akin to the likes of Devil Driver or similar. More raw and powerful than the other tracks, this is one which is surely built for the live scene and is bound to have crowds going mental along to it. Opting for the heavier approach here, the combination of hammering riffs with rolling double bass is not only heavy, but funky at times, making you want to move whilst not losing an ounce of raw power. This is probably my personal favourite from the album, just because of the rolling pace and track progression, I could see myself happily going mental to this on the live scene!
Finishing with title track Into The Void, there’s no doubt left that these guys are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with in the world of metal for 2012. The track is once again a no holds barred assault on your ear drums, this time keeping the pace slower but not relenting in the slightest on the raw power front. The vocals seem to echo around on this track ,adding a further sense of darkness to things and creating a track which not only closes the album, but stays with you and permeates into your head for days to come, it’s one hell of a way to close an album!
Primitive are one of those bands who don’t do themselves justice on paper, the tag of melodic death metal just doesn’t match the style of music which they’re producing. Sure there’s elements of it within the EP, but it’s more advanced than that, almost adding in elements of prog through the tracks so as to make sure that each track is not only raw and powerful, but interesting and unique, never matching a track same for same. In all, what you end up with is an album which will not only satisfy that heavy desire, but also engage you and keep you listening to every single track, put simply, it’s a triumph.
To find out more about Primitive, check out their Facebook page HERE.