Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)

Expertly crafted, “Where Greater Men Have Fallen” continues the legacy of Primordial and their unique Celtic infused Folk Metal. Delivering 58 minutes of engaging tracks that need to gimmicks to appeal to the listener, the band does a great job in keeping their sound and legacy intact with a very high quality release. Any fan of the band will be greatly pleased by this album that brings us some memories of the band’s epic: “Spirit the Earth Aflame”.

The head banging session starts early with the crushing opening of the album’s title track, we love how Primordial has always managed to deliver Folky sounding music with heavy riffs and not a plethora of bagpipes and similar elements. A.A. Nemtheanga’s vocals gracefully lead the band’s musical onslaught with great vocal melodies that perfectly fit the mood of the songs. Make no mistake, there are plenty of heavy sections for the fans that like the harsher side of the band, as we can see on tracks like “Babel’s Tower” and “The Seed of Tyrants”, as well as sprinkled around in between epic melodic passages.

We find tracks that are more emotional and complex like “Come the Flood” and “Ghosts of the Charnel House” to be more appealing and engaging, showing the more mature and complex side of Primordial. Some of our favorite songs are the mysterious “The Alchemist’s Head” and “Born to Night”, featuring the very signature style from the band and yet being different and showcasing the band’s ability to experiment a bit with their sound.

As the majestic “Wield Lightning to Split the Sun” closes this release, we are left impressed by how Primordial has managed to mature over time and still retain their uniqueness and raw strength. With all the Folk stuff these days sounding like it comes from a crank organ, we have to give props to the band for keeping their raw power intact and delivering guitar-based melodic and moody songs that induce non-stop head banging. If you like the band’s previous releases, you will love the consistency of this one.

Label: Metal Blade Records

Release: November 25th, 2014

Genre: Celtic Folk/Black Metal

Country: Ireland