UK Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal band Primitai have been steadily developing their own particular identity for about 15 years now, but with 2018’s “The Calling” they made an extra leap forward, bringing a class, maturity and style that, although always evident on previous releases, seemed to ooze with it on that particular release. Another label shift onto the up-and-coming impressive roster of Rock Of Angels Records has accentuated the in-roads made previously and right from the word go it’s evident fans of the genre are in for a bit of a treat with “Violence Of The Skies”.

The fact that this is the band’s sixth release becomes increasingly more evident as the album progresses, showing the way the songs are arranged in such an intelligent and ear-catching way that balances heaviness with melody so well throughout. “Violence Of The Skies generally takes it’s musically influential leads from Europe and the USA rather than Old Blighty – but there are occasional hints of NWOBHM, alongside a bit of modern day Tygers Of Pan Tang, a hint of latter-day Saxon (original Saxon guitarist Paul Quinn makes a guest appearance by the way) with maybe a little Marshall Law, Intense or even Balance Of Power in the mix. But in the main they add dashes of Stateside – Queensryche, Mike Howe fronted Metal Church and classic Vicious Rumours – with touches of Pyramaze through to Stratovarius and Firewind from the European persuasion.

But really Primitai are their own beast, with their own identity, familiar yet original in the time-honoured way that they craft a Melodic Metal track. The vocals courtesy of Guy Miller are as usual handled with a talent and dexterity which I’m sorry to say has been a little thin on the ground in the UK Metal scene for many a year, with a tight, powerful rhythm section and more than enough catchy riffs and dynamic lead guitar to please any Heavy Metal fan. Although you are always assuredly certain that there is a memorable chorus or vocal hook wrapped up in each track, the band sensibly don’t base each song around it, they let the track just get there when it should before and after invariably dazzling with another lead break. This is another impressive Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal release from a band who are rapidly becoming one of the top acts in the genre.

(9/10 Andy Barker)

https://www.facebook.com/primitai

https://rockworld24.bandcamp.com/album/violence-of-the-skies