I still fondly remember those early ‘Imrama’ shows put on by The Devil’s Church in London when Primordial, fresh off the ferry from Ireland, were just creating a stir in the underground. Was it really almost 30 years ago their Dark Romanticism demo came out? Since then they have risen from strength to strength both on album and with their formidable stage presence. Stirring song-craft has always been what they are about as they mix traditional tales of hardship along with blackness and doom, somewhat uniquely compared with others of their craft. Album number ten is all about rebellion and standing up against tyranny. You can see that from the song titles and although a vitriolic, antagonistic and passionate Primordial is nothing new, the fire in their belly’s here is immediately evident.
‘How It End’s is how it starts, with the title track and for the next 66-minutes the quartet have us enraptured. There’s some fantastic guitar work from Ciarán MacUilliam, who delivers his parts full of poise and drenches things with sublime atmosphere. It’s him we hear first with a sorrowful solo before Simon O’Laoghaire bounces in with tribal booming drums and we take off with an absolutely divine melody enforced by Nemtheanga’s ever expressive beseeching vocals. Completed with Pól MacAmlaigh’s rattling bass work what we have is a sterling opener that is full of memorable hooks and impossible to shake off. ‘Ploughs to Rust, Swords to Dust’ kind of suggests feudal oppression and the workers being worn to the bone to provide for the tyrannical forces in control. It’s evocative with some great melodious meandering guitar parts and is a jaunty number that bounces around. The storm is suggested and when it hits its nothing short of devastating. I knew that ‘We Shall Not Serve’ was a cracking number on the first encounter. It could well be one of the band’s best songs and it’s a “stand up and fight” number that plunged me back in time to anthems such as New Model Army’s ‘My Country’ with is message. After a rattling guitar part, the black skies break and the heavens open on a cry of “Go,” and we romp off at a barrelling velocity. This is going to be up there with ‘The Coffin Ships’ live, as it catches us “in the raging storm.” A monster of a track! It’s probably just as well a traditional instrumental ‘Traidisiúnta’ is provided after taking us back to calm down in the old world after. Deep breath needed.
The spirit of exploration and divine redemption are all over the poetic prose of ‘Pilgrimage to the World’s End.’ Delivered as a message to a God who probably isn’t listening, its seeped in hardship and history. My Dying Bride are not the only band who are capable of bringing the listener to knees in this fashion. Tinged with sorrow, not all will survive this journey and God will be abandoned as the words “But nothing will ever make us pray in this deep dark world” attest. Complete with some high hitting vocal lines it’s guaranteed to get under the skin. So too are the proggy sounding guitar lines of ‘Nothing New Under The Sun’ which sound like they could have escaped from a recent Enslaved album. These build into another rising clamour which seers the listener’s very soul and gets the heart beating along in time to the drum beat. The consummate and masterful musicianship is allowed to sprawl deliciously here and takes into a near state of blissful nirvana. As for the ‘Call to Cernunnos’ primal instincts are engaged and pagan spirits borne aflame.
Showcasing some interesting guitar parts and a feeling of bleakness and pessimism ‘All Against All’ is a deadbeat number with a nihilistic fervour about it. It’s slightly experimental and contains chanting that is close to throat singing about it before it rises to a near psychedelic finale. With ‘Death Holy Death’ acting as a sweet caress to the fevered brow. The album subverts a quote from JFK for inspiration and swings towards closure on ‘Victory Has 1000 Fathers, Defeat Is an Orphan.’ A final foot-stomping flourish is just ‘How It Ends’ the dour and dire prophecy of the past couple of numbers perhaps defeated and some form of redemption delivered.
This is an incredibly well-balanced album and one with every song having its own form of scintillating identity. Sincere, profound and epic ‘How It Ends’ covers all bases and should certainly touch all who are incited to rally to its call. An essential purchase.
(9/10 Pete Woods)
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