The Primal Event

Let me start out by saying: those of you who haven't heard this gem yet, as soon as you are done reading this review – run and get the CD! I strongly suggest you won’t be disappointed. This album is the only offering by these Swedes. Unfortunately, from I what know, the band is defunct. Thus, I don't know about the availability of this CD, but somebody out there must surely have it on their mailorder.

Sometimes when you order a bunch of CD’s from some place there is always the one you don’t know much about, a “dark horse”. This was my case with Lothlorien . I don’t even recall the rest of that order, however The Primal Event has been a frequent visitor to my player ever since. This music totally connects with me. Its combination of brutality and aggression coupled with the most grieving emotions that can be expressed completely captivates me.

What we have here is melodic death metal, Gothenberg style, at its best. If you are into the melodic guitar carrying the day this is for you. Complex melodic textures are intertwined with unbelievable solos (those twin guitars never stop working!) throughout the album. The drum sound is a little clicky and somewhat low in the mix, but it is the only complaint. The rhythm varies from the regular blast beat to the death metal gallop. The light, but omnipresent touch of keyboards, does not distract, but aids in creating the background. The "vokills" are snarly and have a certain raspy feel to them. Sometimes the guy goes into an all out screaming, but never throws out a blackened high pitch. One may argue that “singing” needs a lot of improvement, but it is extremely emotional. Somehow the vocals fit perfectly well with the lyrics on the album. It is all about suicide and wanting to end it all for one reason or another. Trust me the lyrics in all 8 songs pack enough punch. You either want to rescue the guy or put him out of his misery. Sometimes the music reminds me of early Dark Tranquillity , but it definitely has its own personality.

The opener I Wear Mankind starts you off right away without lengthy intros. I could listen to the chorus and the melodic interlude so many times and it never gets boring. Moments is a slower mid-tempo introspective song with bass lines more prominent than on the rest of the album . Sorrowsoul is another amazing song. If I had a choice to play only one song from the album, it probably would be this one. Its main melody attenuated by tasteful keys is unbelievable. Riff-rhythm change in the midesection on The Other Side leads into the best, most anthemic solo on the album. Supernatural is a shorter, quicker, to the point track. It all ends with Among Those Who Wept , an epic song which would shine oh-so-brightly on the album like Dark Tranquillity’s masterpiece The Gallery .

Guitars are not being very distorted in the production which does not make it sound too brutal. Overall, production is not crystal clear, and the drum sound is buried, again, a very minor complaint when all is said and done. Lothlorien is not the fastest or the most brutal band out there, but their sense of melodious grief will convince you in the end that “life does not have a meaning”.

Here it is. Quite possibly the most underrated act that plays the Gothenburg style of melodic death metal. Lothlorien infuses their music with symphonic keyboards, giving it a distinct and almost neo-classical sound.

This is the one and only release from Lothlorien, and there is basically no information about them on the web, aside from the few snippets that have been gathered here on the Encyclopaedia Metallum. Aside from this album, the only thing that remains of Lothlorien is the member of Fatal Embrace (Henrik Serholt) who supplies the vocals. So the only thing I can really talk about is the music, most of it being mid paced, and while I don't want to say aggressive, I will say epic. Like most other Swedish bands of this calliber, the In Flames comparison is not all too far off for Lothlorien, but I still feel the use of sythns sets them apart as unique. The guitar melodies are cleverly crafted and are practically constantly doing something interesting. The vocals are particularly raspy, and are thoroughly badass. The shortest song on The Primal Event is only thirty seconds short of five minutes, and while most of the other songs are past the six minute mark, not a damn second of any of the songs are boresome.

One of my highest recommendations, check out Lothlorien. My personal favorite track would have to be Sorrowsoul.