Redemption at the Puritan's Hand

Primordial has darkly traced through bleakest song the terrible roots and realities of their heritage and while the pain would seem localized, what has been their winning formula has been their ability to hinge these stories upon the axis of all mankind. They may lyrically be the most relatable metal band - if by relatable, you like me, mean overwrought yet authentically driven tales of impending decay and historical malice. The thing however, that has consistently kept them both awesome and limited in terms of accessibility is the denseness of the entire affair. The music is dizzyingly harsh and pondering even when sparse, and the vocal delivery is not content with being soulful as it is gut wrenching and demanding. A.A. Nemtheanga possesses a fervor that's almost religious and a sorrowful conviction with which he delivers his lines. His lyricism is penetrating, reflective and dismal. When he heartily yells things like, "I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times; no regrets and no remorse, no 4 am whiskey soaked wisdom or bloody knuckled politics do I regret and not a single moment will I ever repent", the effect is quickly arresting and informing of the sculpture within his (seemingly) perpetually troubled mind. It is not grand poetry and it is not cute. It is bold and whimpering at the same time. It is vulgar and pious and by turns cruel and lamenting. You don't come away feeling he does all this effortlessly but as though he culled it from the very heart of his pain - and his that of his fathers'. That's what makes this band, if not special, then definitely vital. Many shall perhaps point at "The Gathering Wilderness" and "To The Nameless Dead" as Primordial's peaks but "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand" is, I feel, the band finally at ease with their established sound - it is more nuanced and fleshed out than anything before it and although the two records before it boasts of more immediacy and boldness, it has the most wholesome content and works better together as an album.

The music is everything you've been told it is; overt folksiness drenched in seething black metal tones and doom undertones. Those who have called the band epic and their sound palpable are not far off the mark either. Furthermore, those who have singled out Nemtheanga for praise have done so with good reason. He doesn't rise above his mates, he merely carries their sound and execution with the stoicism of the forever burdened. He gives their jilted riffs the darkness and grim shade they deserve. He doesn't oversing - he just mourns and laments with heart. Sometimes he even comes off as deeply fearful and superstitious which speaks to that quality Primordial has like no other band - tapping into the harrowing pulse of nature felt most deeply by country folk who have tended the years with fatalism and cautionary tales.

It is easy to walk a line through Bathory to Candlemass when listening to Primordial. Try "The Black Hundred" for instance with its tired pace adrift scant hectic riffing. Or how about the anthemic "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" which for all intents and purposes casts aside the cliched metal-festival fists in the air tropes for something more cruelly potent and everlasting. Does it speak of endurance and fortitude? Sure. But it would rather leave you feeling reflective than triumphant. The drumming on this record for some reason reminded me of Neurosis in their "A Sun That Never Sets" and onward days. Rather sparse, rather pronounced, tribal and effective. It guides strongly the weightier, moodier material like "The Mouth Of Judas" and "The Puritan's Hand" where Nemtheanga ever the optimist mercilessly opines; "There is plague at the door, it begs to be among us in the ashen dreams of crippled children".

Furious riffing accompanies "No Grave Deep Enough" and "Lain with the Wolf" which both sound wonderfully long in the tooth like relics of the timeless suffering of all men consigned to art. They are the most recognizably Primordial songs and having them open the record makes the listener settle right in. There's some gambles like "God's Old Snake" that hearken back to a bloodier, blacker past but don't exactly pay out much as far as Primordial's singular current identity goes, and then there's the rousing epic closer "Death of the Gods" which lumbers more than it rocks but ultimately makes its point savagely. The overwhelming tone of this album is a deathly, lonely one and in the bruised but expert hands of Primordial it translates well. The melodic prowess of the guitarists is put to the task of crafting wealthy dismal tracks and they more than deliver - they seem to project every ounce of regret and humiliation known to man upon these wistful death songs.

Primordial had a difficult task in the process of writing and recording music for "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand". The couple of previous albums, bitter "The Gathering Wilderness" and belligerent "To the Nameless Dead", were very successful and defining for the band. Still the sound of those works had a lot of ground for the further development. So, Primordial sticks to that style to present new masterpieces.

Logically the music of "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand" is black/doom metal with Celtic atmosphere and majestic moods. However, there's a one specific thing about the album and it's well-noticed after warlike "To the Nameless Dead": "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand" overall is a deeper and more lyrical work, although it's not at the level of sorrow and darkness, which was on "The Gathering Wilderness".

However, the album starts with rousing "No Grave Deep Enough". This composition is extremely catchy. It wakes a listener up perfectly. That's a great way to start the album. It's even a bit odd, that the music becomes completely different right after this pushing start. "Lain with the Wolf" and "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" are significantly deeper. Anyway, such a contrast isn't bad. Those two compositions are relatively dynamical, while both of them have a kind of a ballad vibe, a melancholy. These tracks are beautiful and also they are ones of the best on "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand".

The biggest standout moment of the album is "The Mouth of Judas". This composition has a sort of a bluesy touch. It starts with the apathy prevailing. Then it slowly flows to more dramatic parts. It culminates with the piercing guitar solo. Then there come emotive painful vocals. It's very interesting composition, definitely a one of the most uncommon for Primordial.

The best part of "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand" is though in the conclusion of this record. "Death of the Gods" is absolutely epic. The biggest part of the magnificence prepared for the album was given to that composition. It's typical Primordial, with own sound at its best. "Death of the Gods" creates the majestic atmosphere, which can be compared to the likes of "The Burning Season" or "Sons of the Morrigan", or, for example, "As Rome Burns".

So, "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand" is a very good album. Maybe it doesn't reach the highest Primordial's achievements including the success of its nearest predecessors, but it's impossible to be at the peak all time. That's normal. In any case "Redemption at The Puritan's Hand" is a worthy representation of Primordial's style. The release has its highlights and some specific things about it. This is the main point.

If Primordial have been considered a revelation by some owing to albums like To the Nameless Dead and the nearly-as-good The Gathering Wilderness, there are also a party of those less satisfied by the style peddled by the Irish crew. Without much of the black metal aesthetic or spirit that had informed their early releases, those albums cranked up the epic factor by several notches, honed in on the national identity, and somehow brought all their unique qualities together into songs bristling with passion, triumph, and sorrow. What the naysayers have been...er...saying is that Primordial did indeed manage to do those things, just with the substitution of the words "repetitive" and "boring" in the place of "passionate" and "epic". And, despite the reputation the five-piece gathered in the early and mid-'00s, I have to agree that there was a lot of sections that seemed endless in their building or spiraling progress, while Alan Nemtheanga contributed to the effect by his of the word "and", which is an epic trait used to increase size and scope by addition, though actually makes the songs feel like a list at times.

That word "and" dogs this album too, but it is by turns mediated and exacerbated by other features. The basis of this band for those who have never listened before is a folky, rolling percussion that intertwines with or battles against billowing tremolo riffs that have left black metal far behind and are off in the post-metal realms of Drudkh and Sólstafir, conjuring shapes of mountains and valleys and raging water. Topping off the elemental sound are the searing vocals that seem to drive the tides of music from within, roaring out in wholly intelligible tones hymns of ancient loss, ancient hope, and modern desolation. Primordial's professed intention for Redemption at the Puritan's Hand was to tone down the epic qualities a little and introduce some darker elements back into the sound, though these are more in the vein of brooding Negură Bunget atmospheres and slowly rising post-metal tension than any of the Enslaved riffing of the band's early days. The intensity comes and goes throughout the album, most songs beginning gradually and only taking off with the entrance of Nemtheanga's voice. As such, there is a bit more in the way of dynamics on this album, yet also moments that appear to wander off course and can leave the listener drifting without particular features to hold onto.

In general terms, that sounds rather lukewarm and I must admit that I'm not such a huge fan of songs like 'The Mouth of Judas' that "goes Icelandic" in its mirroring of dreamy post-rock bands and insignificant though not unpleasant slow riffs and leads, reminding me also of Anathema back in the mid-'90s. Simon O'Laoghaire seems to have taken a degree in traditional rhythm playing, a lot of beats going off the straight and narrow track of metal playing and into deliberately skewed folky and martial patterns that battle against the smoother guitars. There are frequent switches between heavy and cleanish guitar playing that has a certain Irish feel to it in the circular strumming patterns and galloping nature of the riff rhythms, though the slower pace of 'The Black Hundred' and the like give this album none of the traditional exuberance of folk. There are a few moments when the starkness of these different elements fail to gel together, especially when the guitars take a back seat and simply provide textures, since Nemtheanga isn't driving through the lyrics as lustily as on a song like 'Empire Falls' from the preceding album. 'Bloodied Yet Unbowed' is one of few times when he really rips into the verses and it's notable that the other bandmembers are busting a gut to support him too, a similar description fitting both of the opening two tracks as well.

This is an album that exceeds previous efforts in terms of variation, dwelling in murky atmosphere for full three minutes at the start of the title track and forcing 'God's Old Snake' into uncharted waters, yet there is something missing. And I know what it is. And I will tell you what it is. And you will probably understand. Guessed it? It's that word "and". As a feature of language, it should be used as a linking word to connect similar ideas or unfolding events, while another function is to add detail so that one can impress a situation more deeply on the listener. Here, there is little sense of ideas linking together, nor really that much progress from the beginning to end of each song, and certainly not a sense of place or event that can be deeply felt. Primordial have changed things up but have lost what made them really great, which was the drama that the sense of onward movement brought to the music, dialled back now to a mere unthinking extension of the songs. Excuse me for putting such a fine point on it, but doesn't Redemption at the Puritan's Hand feel really long compared with To the Nameless Dead or compared with those Enslaved and Emperor albums and even with some of the post-metal soundscapes? This should be vital and essential, but instead it just makes me check my watch.

Granted, it isn't all bad news for Primordial, though there is at best a half measure of what the band can achieve at their best. There are interesting features here for those looking for a singular identity, as one still can't say that this sounds much like anyone else, partly due to the Irish elements and the distinctive vocals. The songs are a sadly mixed bag, with the beginning and ending of the album containing the best stuff, though the aggression and inspiration is mostly used up by the end of the third song. I would strongly suggest you try other Primordial material before this album or that you listen to 'No Grave Deep Enough' five or six times before deciding whether to invest. Redemption at the Puritan's Hand just doesn't meet the benchmark.

Redemption at the Puritans Hand is Primordial's follow-up to their (rightfully) popular To the Nameless Dead. These guys make black/pagan/folk metal and while that specific combination of genres normally would lead me to a fit of endless nausea-induced regurgitation, Primordial actually know what they're doing. Maybe it's because they're Irish and try to sound Irish, instead of being Scandinavian and trying to sound Viking (or being whichever non-Scandinavian nationality and trying to sound Viking...), which essentially seems to mean that bands turn into leather/sackcloth-clad pussies who'd rather play with their flutes than actually making music worthy of their ancestors.

Regardless of most bands in this style not getting it, Primordial's infusion of black metal with Celtic-themed lyrics and a certain melancholy that seems to fit the Irish so well is highly original and just works perfectly. A lot of hypnotic riffing, build-ups and powerful drumming carries you on a journey along the myths and history of the Celts of yore. Besides the more drawn out guitar work (e.g. Bloodied Yet Unbowed), melodic parts (e.g. The Mouth of Judas) and rhythmic pummelling (e.g. The Black Hundred) offer variation and depth to this album. No cliché bombastic bullshit, no needless technical masturbation, just pure atmosphere and power.

The singer, Nemtheanga, mainly employs a powerful and gripping (almost) narrating style of raspy vocals which soar into the heights when needed and sometimes (rarely, actually) devolve into straight-up black metal screams. This by itself is -very- refreshing to hear! On parts of the second track, Lain with the Wolf, he even sounds like avant-garde god Czral (Virus) and all in all he seems to have improved compared to their earlier efforts.

In short, the music and the vocals work in perfect unison to draw a clear picture of melancholy and lost history without ever falling into cliché and cornyness. This may even be better than their previous releases, which already were top-quality work!

I still get shivers when a far-off horn cry begins to intermingle with a slow, ominous guitar melody. From somewhere deep in the production the rhythmic pounding of war drums begins as if coming from deep inside the earth itself. The volume builds like the sounds of an approaching army before the first real riff of 'No Grave Deep Enough', the first track of Primordial's Redemption at the Puritan's Hand, knocks the listener flat with a vengeance. With full drum-kit pounding away at the double-bass and the cruching riff, mad with power, tears up my speakers, I feel perfectly the anticipation that the band has worked into the opening track perfectly. The only thing to bring this music into some of the best would be a great vocalist.

Though almost never resorting to an extreme metal growl or scream (never needing to, either), the vocals are some of the most powerful I've heard in folk-metal. Far from corny, overdone, or sugary, Alan Averill delivers a war-mongering ferocious roar of a singing performance, perfectly complementing the speedy folk metal. The verses here and throughout the rest of the album are delivered with great passion, the harsh vocals used only in very small doses, but they too are memorable and well-executed.

The production is as good as it could be without sounding sterile and over-polished. Although I would have preferred the bass end to be a bit higher, what one still gets is a dense, heavy sound that perfectly represents every instrument and layer as an individual. The guitar still manages to keep a sharp bite over most else except for the flooring vocal performance, but the drums and even the bass are perfectly audible also. At the same time, each instrument, though they clearly work off each other to create the most 'complete' performance possible, there is an openess to the playing and in the production that makes things feel nice and spread out, allowing for resonance and atmosphere. Each instrument on its own is as varied as one could probably desire. The bass, though for a lot of the hook riffs follows the lead of the guitars, will sometimes take its own path and lay down another melody behind the guitars, complemented by a drummer who can switch from cymbal fills to pounding, face-melting pummeling in a heartbeat as the songs change tempo like the many turns of a coursing river mixing with streams and lakes and other runoffs until the music swirls and courses like rapids.

The music Primordial writes here is epic, sprawling, atmospheric, and churns between harsh, hammering power and furious melody-laden riffs to low, ominous ballads, Celtic culture taking a spotlight in tone, bringing up images and themes of death-defying journying by sea and land, conquerers, warriors, and ever other viking metal thematic staple. The best part is that Primordial never crosses the line from great songwriting into pretentious territory. They never sound cheap or fake--their music takes their source material as seriously as any viking or folk metal band I've heard since Valfar died and Windir ended. They also do not degrade themselves to tongue-and-cheek goofiness and corniness that so many other folk metal bands seem guilty of these days. The songs here are emotional and highly dramatic--theatrical even--but it is done as well as I have heard it done before. The music, unhindered by hamminess nor pretention, is huge, dynamic and powerful. The band does a great job at conveying the emotion it wants the listener to feel, and though many of the songs deal with lyrical themes of mortality intermingled with the desperate hope for an afterlife (being represented by lyrics about a time when war, plague, and famine claimed the lives of many), the band still manages to create an overall sense of power in the listener. Each song is like a journey and adventure. Though a couple songs seem to stay more or less in one place, going through a few exchanges of chorus and verse before a solo or 'climax' to a song, many take you on a clear path, leading you from a point A to a point B, filled with many different twists and turns, steep cliffs, deep oceans, and mountains. Quiet, soft moments take the place of dense pounding ones while rarely breaking the consistency of each song. Instead of each interlude or break cutting off all the forward drive of the song and coming off like a track stitched together from badly-placed coexisting sections, everything fits together very cohesively; a songwriting skill that is often sorely missed with music of this sort.

The songs themselves vary greatly from one another. No Grave Deep Enough is an aggressive opener eager to tear you down from the get-go after its almost soothing intro harshly comes to a halt. Lain With the Wolf, the song that follows, is full of a power of a different sort; a passionate mid-tempo track full of anger and bitter resentment that begins to change as it goes into a song of seeking power and making choices, and with tonal shift the music follows suit and begins an ascent into optimism. The Mouth of Judas is a sorrowful ballad that shakes you to your core and brings itself into an unforgettable climax. The guitars pulse from slow minor scale apreggios to hard-hitting riffs as the verses alternate is a great way to progress a song, too. The title track is almost like an ascension, moving from slow, expectant melodies into wild Celtic-inspired riffs of vigourous wild musicianship, full of an energy that makes it hard not to headbang. Primordial also mixes genres as best as just about any other band as I've seen, shifting to whatever style best suits the themes presented in each song. Though I'd primarily classify this album as a viking or folk album, the band uses doom metal and black metal as secondaries, most notably in the songs Mouth of Judas and God's Old Snake. They also dabble a little in thrash when it comes to some of the speed and and agression they hit in the climaxes of their heavier, faster songs.

The only song I'm not particularly fond of is The Black Hundred. While by no means a bad song (that ravaging riff that comes in a bit after the four minute mark is a monster and the buildup that precedes it just as well-done), it seems to meander often, falling a short of the mark of its possible potential. The following two tracks more than make up for it, even though the first few minutes of the song seems like a small lag in the album, and in general comes off as a little more disconnected and unfocused as other songs here. I suppose The Black Hundred could be shaved from the album entirely and actually benefit the overall sound of the album. The only other issue is that once in a while Alan Averill's singing seems not to mesh with the music that follows him, and at these times it sounds like he is trying to read from a set of lyrics while applying obligatory singing voices to the music. I notice this the most on the first few lines of Bloodied Yet Unbowed, and a few more instances of this can be found throughout the album, even though outside of the aforementioned track it is rare.

I would defenitely go as far as to call this my favourite folk metal album. It is only my first time listening to a Primordial album, and I am currently unfamiliar with their discography except for To the Nameless Dead, their album that precedes this one. I was completely unfamiliar with the band's hype until well after I called this my favourite folk metal album, but I can say that I defenitely see where this hype comes from. The band does many things right that so many other popular folk metal bands do wrong, and their sound stands far apart from the clones that pollute the genre. I recommend this for any folk metal fan tired of the obnoxious tongue-in-cheek delivery of other bands within the genre, and for anyone seeking a passionate but powerful metal album. This is not an album that many would consider a mistake to listen to.

Originally posted on: http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/

After their fame found with previous releases The Gathering Wilderness and To The Nameless Dead, Celtic extreme metal band Primordial had considerable pressure to deliver on their 7th album. It took nearly 4 years to come, but finally Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand has emerged. The County Dublin quintet, instead of attempting an album full of triumphant anthemic feel of tracks like “Empire Falls” and “As Rome Burns”, have opted for a dirge-like atmosphere, occasionally breaking out stridently, and allowing each song to develop as an entity, without losing the feel of a complete album.


The band make a grand entrance with opener and call-to-arms “No Grave Deep Enough”, and it’s pure trademark Primordial. A slow folk-inspired riff and tribal-sounding toms soon morph into a familiar mid-tempo black metal section with Laoghaire’s pounding snares and the twin guitars of MacUiliam and Floinn. But the center stage has always been reserved for vocalist “Nemtheanga” Averill, whose emotional mid-range singing and fearsome black metal rasps have forever been an integral part of the Primordial sound. And the sound, due to the production, has grown cavernous; the music feels more organic, an homage to their jam-style of writing, and the vocals become even more commanding than before.

Primordial are no strangers to lengthier numbers, and Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand is no exception. All of the 8 songs exceed 6 minutes, although they do not outstay their welcome. From the bleak doom of “Bloodied Yet Unbowed” (my personal favorite) to the black metal blast of “The Black Hundred”, the band flow through styles without losing any of the emotion and atmosphere. Only during the quiet melancholy of “The Mouth Of Judas” do they lose their way and meander a little, but it is far from a weak song. Lastly, as one can expect from Primordial, the album closer “Death Of The Gods” is nothing short of stellar.

Each song is a journey in itself, and Averill is the guide. His role as a frontman is undisputed, and as a lyricist he covers a wide range of topics from both mythology and history, but does so with a knack to make it accessible to those who aren’t so familiar with the themes. From the far-flung Latvian Rebellion of 1905 to the Irish Troubles closer to home, he plays each role as an actor, whether singing, screaming or speaking. Some may be put off by his slower and off-timing vocal delivery, but for me it works more effectively: “No 4AM whiskey-soaked wisdom or bloody-knuckled politic”. Several moments send cliché-less chills down my spine, especially the translated quote in “The Black Hundred”: “My nation with fiery iron was beset and slaughtered”. Only once do I lose the references, during the last verse of “Death Of The Gods”, where Irish nationalists and socialists like Padraig Pearse and James Connolly are thrown in a melting pot not unlike Pearse’s speeches as Averill proclaims “this is the death of the Republic”.

Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand is an album that is sure to divide the fanbase, but my personal view is that it’s an album worthy of the Primordial title, if not an attempt to topple the previous releases. One spin does not do this album justice, it’s certainly one which requires time to develop, but if you are patient then it can be a rewarding hour, and it’ll be sure to make my Best Of 2011.

Originally posted at www.mostlymetal.wordpress.com

Never have I been more convinced of an album's full 10/10 status than I was with Primordial's 2007 epic "To The Nameless Dead", a release which I described as "one of the greatest" and "future classic", with not a hint exaggeration not then and not now. To say I had greatly anticipated that masterpiece's follow-up would be stating the obvious to the extreme, but with so much riding on it I have not hurried my review, instead giving it three months of countless listens as I did with their previous opus to make the most informed judgment on album no. 7 from one of metal’s greatest current acts.

The adjectives I have previously used with Ireland's Primordial - "epic", "emotive", "vastness", "grandeur", "passionate" - all naturally remain by the bucketload as the song constructions found within "Redemption…" could arguably be described as more relentless than "To The…"; the battles being fought 4 years ago are still in continuance yet the feeling is more pessimistic this time around. As frontman (or I prefer to say, my idol) Alan Averill chants in the likes of "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" he do so as a preacher standing at the pulpit, issuing sermons of strength, distrust and conviction to the seething mass of metalheads beneath him, blood coursing through his veins with all the rage and strength of spirit that remains undiminished in those with the heart to fight true to the end, at whatever cost. "No Grave Deep Enough" is the rallying call at the start of the album as "Empire Falls" was before, resounding, fast and uplifting, while "Lain With The Wolf" and "The Mouth Of Judas" both reside at the slower end of the spectrum in their dress of personality and humane warmth, fuelling the need for variance in song to garner these kind of plaudits all others fail to get near.

What is quickly clear on a Primordial album (among countless other compliments) is their brilliant, unique and organic production style. Why so few other bands outside certain regions of black and doom metal eschew the conveyor belt, lifeless and downright unnatural modern production trend is a curiosity, as what we have here is simply better. It sounds like a real band. No more need be said on this issue…

While few obvious hints of Primordial's more blackened past remain those that do are not shy to appear in "God's Old Snake" and "The Black Hundred", Averill's vocals taking on a howling anger matching the bleak riffing of guitarists Ciaran MacUiliam and Michael O'Floinn as the strain of releasing music with such depth begins to take it's toll on the vigour of the band's output. With "The Black Hundred" and "The Puritan's Hand" there are moments (yes, only moments) where the intensity does sag, revealing flakes of imperfection that were simply non-existent on previous records, but truth be told they don't last long. With all eight songs topping 6 minutes in length there seems countless time for each to tell their own story and impeach upon the listener their own meaning behind the band's thoughtful lyrics and dynamically rhythmic angles. I believe Averill's assertions that their music is crafted in the old-fashioned way: one band, in a room, jamming until the songs take form, however long the process. It really shows.

"Redemption at the Puritan's Hand" has taken more listens to grasp than previous experiences with the band but do not let that become a barrier to enjoyment. What we have here is an art form and it should be enjoyed by all. I may continue to rate "To The Nameless Dead" as the superior but this, this is still stunningly good. When does Primordial's coronation take place exactly?

I have been listening to Primordial for a few years now, ever since discovering their 2007 album. I identify with Irish music, being Irish myself. It has always had a bit of a heart-wrenching quality to it. Primordial takes this quality and applies it to their own brand of extreme metal.

Although it has been a long time since Primordial's music could really be classified as black metal, they do still have their moments when their aggression comes through, most notably on "God's Old Snake". The riffing on that song is as close to black metal as the band has gotten in several albums. A.A. Nemtheanga even resurrects his raspy black metal voice on this track.

Most of the rest of the album is similar to the band's most recent output. Melodic, yet crushing and emotional. Primordial has always been a band of contradictions. They can put out an absolutely menacing track and then immediately switch gears to reflective and somber in the blink of an eye. The track immediately after "God's Old Snake" is a particularly noteworthy example of this. "The Mouth of Judas" is a long track, but the emotion keeps it listenable. Nemtheanga has never really sounded as vulnerable as on the verses of this song.

Primordial is Nemtheanga's band. Without him, they would likely be quickly forgotten. His distinctive vocal style fits in so well with the music that it practically becomes the music. Oftentimes I find myself missing what is going on musically because Nemtheanga's voice is so impressive and trance-inducing. That is actually kind of a shame because the band has really outdone themselves on this one. They sound better than they ever have before, and that is saying something.

This is a definite contender for the Top 10 at the end of the year. Primordial keeps getting better. I thought it would be tough to top To the Nameless Dead, but this certainly comes close.

The buzz for Primordial's new effort was high, and that's for a little reason called "To the Nameless Dead," one of the best-received albums of the last decade. I'd dare say it was as bit overrated, but it was still great, and "Empire Falls" is basically the greatest song ever this side of "Crimson." A strong argument could be made for their originality and talent in creating heartfelt music. Their use of feeling and emotional power over songwriting is not one I particularly find mesmerizing, however, and Redemption at the Puritan's Hand features the band's greatest amount of this sentiment yet. The first time I heard it, I was very underwhelmed and shocked at how ineffectual it was. Not a single song was memorable and I basically hated it; but as others have noted, this album is a grower. It just takes some listens to properly appreciate, and though I still don't like it very much, I must admit that it's a fairly decent release that should please fans of the band.

Primordial specializes in creating an enveloping sound of blackened celtic metal. They draw you in with music that speaks with glorious pride for their nation and grab your attention with Alan Averill's emotive vocals. He's probaby the most controversial element in the band, which is ironic considering that I don't love Primordial and he's my favorite part. He passionately and painfully puts himself into every powerful groan, growl, and scream. He never goes beyond the range you'd expect, but his more extreme aspects will surprise you with their proficient depth. The rest of the band finds their role to be one of simplicity, which is all that is necessary for them. Their goal is to make a thick inferno of metal for Alan's tortured delivery to bounce safely on top of. All of it is very intense and might overwhelm those expecting an easy listen.

I just wish the band had a better songwriting template than the one they continually insist on using. Sure, I'm not expecting upbeat choruses everywhere I look, but they could add some parts to capture my interest every once in a while. As it stands, I can hardly remember a thing about any of the songs. The length of each track certainly irks me, as well. I have no idea why almost all of therm have to be eight minutes or longer when barely have any repeating parts. There are a couple on here that I couldn't go as far to even call a song, like "The Black Hundred;" they're more like a collection of random loose bits and pieces. It also certainly doesn't help that the droning atmosphere of the thing is putting me to sleep before I reach track six. A little Primordial goes a long, long way. I prefer to hear them in smaller doses than an hour+ album.

I'm not sure whether Redemption at the Puritan's Hand is just a flawed release, or that it's just not in my best interests. I strongly suspect the former, however, since I still at least enjoyed To the Nameless Dead for a good amount of time. This is an album that I feel forced to come back and listen to, since it gives me no natural urge to do so myself. It's a real shame, too, since I want to like Primordial so much and there is a lot to like about them; but until they radically alter their song structures, I doubt I ever will. I did like a few songs, such as "No Grave Deep Enough," "Lain with the Wolf," and "Death of the Gods," but not enough to keep me coming back. I'm aware that I'm in the minority here, so maybe it's too much to ask. Let people listen to what they enjoy, I suppose.

(http://metallicfaithimmortal.blogspot.com/)

"Redemption at the Puritan's Hand" marks another chapter in Primordial's ethereal journey into Celtic-influenced black metal. The Irish faction made bombing waves among the metal underground when they released "The Gathering Wilderness" and "To the Nameless Dead," which rightfully brought tides of overwhelmingly positive opinions upon the band's shores. "Redemption at the Puritan's Hand" continues these darkened hymns with few surprises, sprouting a wobbling balance between the triumphant means of "To the Nameless Dead," yet carrying an edge of despair and anguish often channeled throughout the group’s discography. Passion and emotion still play a pivotal role in the factions's exploration of themes, although both qualities are divided among Primordial's gallery of explosive power rather excellently.

Customs among the band are a given at this point in their career: thrilling tremolo riffs, A.A. Nemtheanga's massive voice, the Celtic overtone, and long running tunes. The opening "No Grave Deep Enough" feels like a proper Primordial starter, yielding energetic riffs smeared under Nemtheanga's bellowing voice; pretty typical for the band, but a nice beginning nonetheless. It's weird though, because I feel like this is the only Primordial album that emits a just-another-Primordial-album incense. Not that this is unoriginal or boring, but a trifle predictable. I get a slight vibe that the song writing isn't as compelling or magnetic compared to the group’s previous records as well. None of the tracks are awkward or recycled, but the strong attractiveness of something like "Traitor's Gate" or the hooking despair of "Gods to the Godless" only occurs throughout a handful of anthems.

The group still hits gold quite frequently, even though their abilities have slightly dwindled a bit. "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" builds off a soft guitar line driven at a slow tempo with A.A. Nemtheanga's harrowing vocals dubbed over the melancholic hymn, once again going through a number of tremolo riffs, and in this case bursting into a harsh black metal passage layered in blast beats and fierce riffing; its feeling strikes a similar note to the sorrowful yet uplifting incense of "To the Nameless Dead," but musically one of Primordial's finest cuts, ever. "Lain With the Wolf" swims into a number of sections and channels, each one boiling with the total power of pristine musicality and Nemtheanga's chromatic throat. "Mouth of Judas" strikes a pessimistic note with slow, melancholic guitar nods while Nemtheanga excels wonderfully once again...simply amazing tune.

So all in all, another great slab of Celtic-baptized black metal from the masters of Celtic-baptized black metal. Some of their material reaches beyond expectations, yet a feeling of polarization occurs during the album's lackluster side, like "The Black Hundred" or "The Puritan's Hand." And even then, these cuts aren't truly mediocre or bad; just a little lacking when stacked against Primordial's previous sermons. Take "Redemption at the Puritan's Hand" at face value; it's more or less another Primordial album, but you'll still find happiness after grabbing a helping. Newer fans will find this appealing, but most of Primordial's discography unquestionably reigns over "Redemption at the Puritan's Hand."

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

Over about 20 years as a band, Primordial have managed to do something most bands could only dream of; they've kept getting better. Each and every release is better than the last, and with The Gathering Wilderness and To the Nameless Dead, the band had their work cut of for them to continue their upwards climb. Sadly they have not achieved this, and have put out their worst release since really getting into their current style on Spirit the Earth Aflame. There is some good stuff on here, so it won't undo all the popularity they've achieved, but this really shouldn't strengthen their reputation.

As the bands pre-release statements and sentiments presented on the All Empires Fall DVD had alluded to, the band has wanted to step back from the anthemic and proud style of To the Nameless Dead and make something darker here, and more or less they've done this, there are only a couple of anthemic songs here, sadly they are the best songs on here, as the brooding side just isn't firing. The lyrics are dark, the vocals wail, the tempos are slow and although not as repetitive as earlier works, the number of riffs is cut down to four or 5 different ones per song more like what they did on their 2005 effort, but there's just something lacking here. This isn't bad music for the main part, but there just isn't that something special which sends shivers down my spine mostly. The blame of this comes down to only a couple of reasons that would surprise many; the quality of the darker music and A.A. Nemtheanga.

While TtND was still a dark album, it was bursting with passion, pride and power, Redemption... has attempted to nullify this, with only the opener and Bloodied Yet Unbound delivering that same sort of feeling, with the rest of the music taking on a much more defeatist attitude. As expected, the sound is a little dirtier, not as melodic or catchy, and brings back some of the repetition of previous outings. This isn't as repetitive as say The Gathering Wilderness, but many of these songs only consist of half a dozen different riffs, this isn't a problem when the riffs are good, but unfortunately they aren't. The softer building riffs are pretty decent, such as the intro to "Lain with the Wolf", but the heavier sections are messy, not particularly interesting and seem to hoping Alan will carry them, and he's out of form. The extremely recklessly unique drumming adds to the messy nature of those, Simon O'Laoghaire tries his hardest to Irish up the rhythm work, there is a huge amount of tom work and weird, rolling rhythms, and at times it does sound pretty cool, but when the metal is coming sometimes something a little more restrained would work better, and as result several songs end up sounding off time and messy, and in turn fail to have an emotional impact.

The off-time problem is all surprisingly exacerbated by the usually phenomenal Nemtheanga. Alan has always had an element of oddly of time and fragmented delivery to his structuring, but he has really gone overboard on this one, bringing more memories of Blood Revolt than of Primordial, the often political lyrics strengthen this similarity even more. Lyrically he is as good as ever with a nice mix of his uplifting brotherhood based content and his grandiose old fashioned spite and misery, excellent lines pop up in every song and as usual he will not disappoint, the problem is just how fragmented his performance is to get them to fit. Added to this there are some awkward overdubs to boost the vocal thickness at times which are at best distracting on great songs like "Bloodied Yet Unbowed", and are at worst irritating during lesser tracks.

With that said, this isn't all bad, "God's Old Snake" seems to be the only track which is hard to get through, most songs will coast through without leaving an impact positive or negative. There are three out and out good songs, "No Grave Deep Enough" apes the amazing “Empire Falls” and hits with a magnificent chorus, but overall is a little lacking and only functions as a successfully catchy opener. "Bloodied yet Unbowed" combines a mellower opening half with an excellent epic final few minutes which have the same majestic scope as the finish to "No Nation on this Earth", and as whole is as good as anything the band has ever done except for the awful vocals over the blasted section. Lastly "Mouth of Judas" is a successfully dark and brooding number with some very affecting sections, with only one oddly clean and hopeful lead type riff kind of ruining the mood in the middle, and it peaks pretty early with the first massive "Casts No Shadow" part.

Sadly other than that this album more or less wanders from mediocre to poor apart from these songs, there's the odd little lead, or one of Nemtheanga's wails won't feel random and out of place here and there, but mostly this album disappoints. The quality of the good songs makes this album worthwhile on it's own, and makes up for all the jarring and dull material that surrounds it, but this is not a classic, this not even a solid album, it's a subpar album from a band who’s good is so magnificent it makes up for it. It's odd to give a 70% rating to an album I admit I dislike five out of 8 songs on, but when Primordial get it right they do it well, pick it up, rock out to a few really cool songs and imagine the rest never happened.

Various commentators (including the reviewers below) have criticized Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand for a number of reasons, such as its awkward vocal phrasing, its generally slower rhythms, and its lack of easily memorable song structure. Basically, they are criticizing it for not being as catchy as To the Nameless Dead, and that’s true – it’s not as immediately striking and perhaps it’s a bit rough around the edges. But that’s what Primordial are – rough, and driven by passion rather than form, structure, or the desire to make songs “work just right.”

To the Nameless dead had a number of songs that were perfect, including “Empire Falls,” “As Rome Burns,” and “Heathen Tribes.” In a way, they were too perfect for Primordial – they began and ended exactly when you thought they should, they climaxed right at the moment it felt like they ought to, and they generally left you feeling excited and ready to go kill the English. However, in penning such very direct and very structured anthems, Primordial gave up a bit of the depth and looseness that characterized their greatest masterwork, The Gathering Wilderness. They didn’t sound as much like the jagged, rocky mountains that dot the shores of Ireland from whence they come.

On Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand, they have regained that depth, though it is a depth that takes numerous listens to expose. There are a few moments where they reach a bright, aggressive climax like those found on the last album; the ends of “No Grave Deep Enough” and “Bloodied Yet Unbowed” follow this model, though they do not emerge as obviously as comparable moments in, for example “Heathen Tribes,” where the guitar melodies clearly indicate that the song’s high point is coming. Better yet, however, are new album’s moments of subtle brilliance, such as the underlaying of the verse of “Lain With the Wolf” to a slightly busier drumbeat the second time you hear it, or the unexpected modulation back to minor after the equally surprising major bridge in “The Mouth of Judas.” Repeated close hearings, for myself and I suspect for most other listeners, make these subtleties even more anticipated and revelatory than the (admittedly fantastic) climax of “Heathen Tribes” could ever be. Primordial have revealed their brilliance and complexity yet again, and they don’t look to stop any time soon.

2011 brings us a new Primordial album to follow up the critically acclaimed "To The Nameless Dead." And while "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand" is by no means an album to ignore, it also feels underwhelming compared to what I felt would be a near impossible album to summit. So in the end, after thinking about it for a few weeks now, I place "Redemption..." as tied for second place amongst their discography with The Gathering Wilderness, the first of the band's decidedly current-sounding albums. Spirit The Earth Aflame is right on their heels though. I still feel that "To The Nameless Dead" is their iconic release. It may be that a year from now, when I revisit this record in full, and give it two or three more listens, I may feel differently about it's place in the ranks of Primordial's past efforts but my feelings on the tracks will most likely remain and, something I thought I would never have to say about the band, is what will ultimately always drag the record down; Alan Nemtheanga's vocals do not live up to my expectations.

For me, and I feel the vast majority of Primordial fans, Alan separates Primordial from the vast majority of other bands. Of course the music is excellent but it is propelled to a different level with Alan's heartfelt vocals and unique melodic confidence. I remember reading that Alan was sick during recording this record and maybe that had an effect on his performance. To be blunt, I don't feel the vocals on many of the tracks flow naturally, there is a hesitation in the rhythmic patterns, a staggered movement through the verses usually bogs down what should be a smooth moving and confident proclamation. Of course, this is only apparent on some select tracks and I find my favorite tracks don't suffer from this uncomfortable stumbling across the vocal parts. At times, a trained ear can easily hear overdubbed vocal parts meant to thicken up what would be thin sounding vocal tracks. At times the vocal production on the record is sloppy, something that a record with so many eyes and ears focused on it should be careful to avoid.

Where his vocals disappoint, Alan has once again, with the aid of Irish poet Padraig Pearse on "Death Of The Gods," written a strikingly aware commentary with the lyrics on this record. Where "To The Nameless Dead" questioned why it is we fight and die for the concept of the nation, "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand" feels like a purging of feelings built up as a result and, I feel, possibly answers the questions posed on the previous record with a simple answer. To be free. There are scattered fragments of a single thought across the record all told through different metaphors. According to Alan on the Primordial website, he claims this is the "Death" album. Some would say death is just another road to freedom. Overall, the album is full of the same grandiose poetry we have come to expect from Primordial and in this regard Nemtheanga delivers. You can make your own interpretations of the lyrics of course.

The production is similar to The Gathering Wilderness with a bit better mixing job. It's not quite as treble-laden as To The Nameless Dead and I felt a stronger bass presence from Pól MacAmlaigh which I personally love because his bass lines across the record are phenomenal. I feel he plays a lot like Geezer Butler would in this kind of band, giving the album weight by building his lines around the rhythm of the drums and not following the guitars as we would expect. Simon O'Laoghaire is becoming a more elite drummer with every record. He isn't just playing drum parts to fill in. Rhythms are calculated. Simon, on this record, is the cue giver; deciding what moments are build up sections, what kind of a feel a certain moment on the record will have and practically conducting the dynamics of the record from behind the kit.

Ciáran MacUiliam and Micheál O'Floinn once again leave us with captivating melodies. Rhythmically, the record follows in the vein of "To The Nameless Dead" except for "God's Old Snake," which reminds me of their much earlier records like "Journey's End" and "Imrama." It's difficult to pick out a real difference in tone between this record melodically from the Previous record but I don't find as many memorable sections. I don't feel like Ciáran and Micheál have fallen prey to using more clean guitars or playing more leads, or doing any egotistical guitar showmanship. Honestly, Primordial never needed that.

A quick run through of the record would read like this if I were asked to give a few sentences on the album. Opener "No Grave Deep Enough" is pretty much a whole lot like opening previous album's opening track "Empire Falls" with a short clean buildup, heavy intense riff, some of the harsher vocals on the album, and basically blasting Primordial's now solidified style through a megaphone. "Lain With The Wolf," the album's second track and third track, "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" are both immediate hits owing their success to Alan's vocals which shine on these two tracks best of all. "Bloodied Yet Unbowed" feels like an attempt at doing another "Heathen Tribes" styled anthem and works well but not as well as "Heathen Tribes." I have been skipping fourth track "God's Old Snake," I just don't care for the verse at all - something about the combination of the drumming and guitars that feels awkward to me.

The album at this point could take two paths. It could turn instantly boring should Primordial not have something exceptional next. "Mouth Of Judas" is absolutely excellent. Notable in this song is the lead 3/4 in which is layered over another emotion vocal section. At first I dreaded that the track would ride the album into the ground. It starts very slowly. I assume the band chose the track specifically for this reason after the faster, more aggressive previous song. "Mouth of Judas" never gets boring though, it is like watching a slow moving tragedy with every sad moment lingering, pressuring its sadness into the listener. It's a weaving song though - the track builds on itself, it's previous melodies. The song instantly codifies Primordial's elite place in metal, perhaps even more so than any one track on "To The Nameless Dead" did.

"The Black Hundred" is another good track, this one faster, again shaking up the pacing of the record and offering a different texture utilizing some baritone vocals in the style of a 1940's propaganda audio sample. The title track on the record, "The Puritan's Hand" is completely forgettable. Doesn't do anything for me and is relegated to the ranks of filler tunes on good records. Final track "Death Of The Gods" I want to love so much but really is a prime example of the lack of vocal flow on the record. Every vocal phrase feels truncated and shortened. Great lyrics which could probably be photocopied and dropped out of helicopters into the middle east to increase the upheavals and protests in those countries against the dictators and leaders who kill their citizens and suck dry any hopes for a decent life.

Since this is getting longer than I wanted, a really succinct conclusion is this: Primordial fans will adore this record though probably agree it isn't better than "To The Nameless Dead." People who have never listened to the band before, wouldn't be discouraged from checking out this record as it really is a good representation of the band's work, at least their past four records. I think that this album will make most of the "best of 2011" lists and I'm sure it will propel Primordial into the vocabulary of most aware metal fans. I doubt that Eddie Trunk will take notice even though he claims to be one of the world's leading experts on all things metal. Metal Blade will probably cash in on this record too. Primordial's next album will do for Primordial what Ghost Reveries did for Opeth and pretty soon when they tour the USA with Enslaved and a random folk metal band being peddled as the next great thing, we will find ourselves squashed between fifteen year old overweight high school girls and their gothic boyfriends in HIM beanies.

At the law firm where I used to practice, they have an annual St. Patrick's day party, starting early so people can go about to their later parties in time. Everyone has a good time until about 7:00. That's when a somewhat noted Irish tenor sings a few songs for everyone, reminding us all of just how stunningly depressing Irish music is, in both melody and lyrical content.

Primordial, the premier metal band of Ireland, does not stray from that tradition. They play an understated form of pagan metal, informed by black metal and traditional Celtic music played only on traditional metal instruments. The songs speak of loss and living under oppression before the lyrics even begin. But when Nemtheanga starts his throaty song, that's when things go from "decent, run-of-the-mill pagan metal" to "completely unique and essential band".

The band's approach would fail completely with a lesser vocalist. Luckily, they have one of the best in the business. He sings clean most of the time, but his clean voice his pained and gravelly. It's full of conviction, singing about the awful history of Ireland and of other downtrodden people. During "The Black Hundred", you might feel a personal stake in Russia's industrial/Communist revolution.

If you're familiar with the band, you know all of that, and you'll just want to know how it stacks up against their last couple of essential releases. Well, it's no To the Nameless Dead or The Gathering Wilderness, but it's still pretty damn good. There are no surprises, but mostly solid material, although it does drag a little around "The Mouth of Judas".

The Verdict: An expectedly good release from an excellent band, Redemption at the Puritan's Hand should be enough to woo those unfamiliar with the band or to appease long-time fans, but it won't convert anyone who doesn't like their older material (if such a person exists).

originally written for http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/