Review Summary: One of the most overlooked and underappreciated black metal albums of all time.
Primordial is a band that needs no endorsement from anyone. If you're a black metal fan, chances are you've heard these Irish warlords at one point or another. However, there's also a chance that you've completely overlooked their debut
Imrama which is a very grave mistake.
First off, this album is way more raw than anything Primordial has done since its release. All of the epic folky and pagan elements are still very much present, but there's a clear and heavy darkness wrapped around this album like a cloak. The riffage is still massive sounding, but they also sound icier and more vicious than ever before. Flurries of frozen tremolo picked riffs will overtake your soul like a demonic possession. They're almost early Dissection or Satyricon esque a la
Storm of the Light's Bane or
Dark Medieval Times with the perfect balance between melody and the ability to shred your lips off of your face. Drumming here is pretty standard for a black metal albums. Tons of blast beats, which is also different for Primordial. Really no atmospheric and plodding doom sections that they would later perfect into their pagan black metal sound.
The main difference between
Imrama and all of the albums that followed is the vocal performance by frontman, and one of my personal favorites of all time, AA Nemtheanga. His throaty and painful crooning that has become so popular is nowhere to be found here. What you get is more typical blackened shrieks but his execution is impeccable. Its like you can hear the phlegm in his throat as each tortured scream escapes his wretched vocal chords. They may be a different speed than what people know and love, but man are they emotional and haunting.
Imrama is quite simply one of the most underrated black metal albums of all time. It gets lost among classics like
Spirit the Earth Aflame,
The Gathering Wilderness and
To the Nameless Dead. What people don't realize is that
Imrama is just as epic and soaring as all of those albums, just in a more raw and Satanic way. This is Primordial before the fame and glory. This is stripped down and raw black ***ing metal at its core. Be wise friends, don't overlook the pure passion of
Imrama.
