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Primordial - To The Nameless Dead review




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Reviewer:
9.8

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8.84
Band: Primordial
Album: To The Nameless Dead
Release date: November 2007


Disc I
01. Empire Falls
02. Gallows Hymn
03. As Rome Burns
04. Failures Burden
05. Heathen Tribes
06. The Rising Tide
07. Traitors Gate
08. No Nation On This Earth

Disc II [limited edition, live at Rock Hard Festival 2006]
01. The Golden Spiral
02. The Gathering Wilderness
03. Sons Of The Morrigan
04. The Coffin Ships
05. Song Of The Tomb
06. Gods To The Godless

Did you ever wonder how to make music that is epic and powerful without use of any keyboards, orchestra or samples? Well, if you do not know the answer, you should probably ask Primordial. They certainly managed to achieve that.

Primordial never released an album that would be rated less than amazing, and they still follow this trend with their latest called To The Nameless Dead. As I already mentioned, the first thing that came to my mind when I listened to this album was: "This is what I call "epic" metal!" Album has an amazing beginning with song Empire Falls (which is in my opinion one of the best Primordial have ever done) and all the others that follow are also great of course. Here we have again an outstanding vocal performance from Nemtheanga which sings with such passion that only few vocalists really could. His vocal work is always brilliant, no matter if he sings clean parts or he does harsh vocals. Other members are extremely "well-trained" too, especially the drummer which brings even greater epic feel to the album with his very varied and precise drumming. Album is produced and written as it should be, songs are not only very well composed but also have great lyrics which are written of course by Nemtheanga. Most of them begins with slow intros and then slowly evolve into great, timeless, epic masterpieces.

Besides classifying this as epic metal, it would be very difficult to put this album into one genre. Primordial music is specific as always, there are folk, black, even gothic/doom elements so it would be very hard to say in which kind of metal this album belongs. But it certainly belongs in group of best metal releases in year 2007.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 10
Originality: 9
Production: 10

Written by Silent Creeper | 09.11.2008




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 29   Visited by: 372 users
10.11.2008 - 20:43
Deadsoulman

"This is what I call "epic" metal!"

Those are exactly the words that came to my mind when I listened to To The Nameless Dead for the first time Amazingly epic with passionate vocals, as you said.
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10.11.2008 - 20:48
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
It might be amazingly epic but certainly not epic metal, if you know what I mean
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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10.11.2008 - 22:12
Deadsoulman

Which is what the ""'s are for
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10.11.2008 - 22:17
Rating: 9
Silent Creeper
Senile Veteran
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.11.2008 at 20:48

It might be amazingly epic but certainly not epic metal, if you know what I mean


Yeah, I meant that, just didn't express it right I think...
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16.11.2008 - 17:12
BornOfWilderness
Account deleted
In my opinion this is one of the most rewarding artworks to experience through, as said, the passion of the vocal work is nothing but amazing. The drumming may not be 250 beats per minute but that's where they go just right! This pathetic piece of shame that we call the metal scene today is just about the fast drumming and emo vocals. Primordial makes a statement with it's every work of art: they show us what is missing in the metal music today, and with really something to say in their lyrics they are truly an exception, a god among insects if I might say. 10/10
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16.11.2008 - 19:21
Southern Wind
Account deleted
This album is perfection made music....
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19.11.2008 - 22:45
VPeter

This album is pure crap made music....
One of the most overrated and crappy albums of 2007, As Rome Burns and Traitors Gate are the only just listenable tracks, the rest is total garbage. Nemtheanga is just like Tony Kakko
he wants to sound deep and EMOtonial but fails miserably at it and it just sounds fake. Actually Nemtheanga is even worse, while Tony is still bearable to listen to despite the cheesiness and being fake, Nemtheanga's vocals are god awful and are a pain to listen to. the music itself is pagan black metal, but preformed poorly, they should have added keyboards or Folk instruments - it could cover most of there crappy and boring performance.
3/10
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20.04.2009 - 00:39
Ragana
Rawrcat
Written by VPeter on 19.11.2008 at 22:45

Nemtheanga is just like Tony Kakko

Hey, that was funny.

I could possibly agree with you about vocals - not perfect but that's not the reason to rate this album with 3. Actually, I kinda like the vocals, I bet he was trying hard. But anyway, the most interesting part is the background, and I appreciate that there are no keyboards behind it all because it all still sounds pretty melodic to me.
However, I don't think this album is worth the rating 9.8. Sure, probably I haven't evaluated it fairly but I seriously don't think it is that good though the music is good, some songs are really good but not the whole album.
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09.05.2009 - 09:34
Rating: 10
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
I disagree in regards to the vocals. i love them. god forbid someone show some degree of emotion in their music, especially if music is their way of expressing their emotions.

not a "perfect" album, but it is on my proverbial "Desert Island, you only get to bring 10 metal albums" list.
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09.05.2009 - 13:05
Darkside Momo
Retired
Disagree about the vocals too. While Alan Nemtheanga doesn't sing always really well, I think it doesn't matter because he puts so much of himself in his singing, it's completely overflowing with emotion. It's a part of what makes this album so great.
Then again, if one likes a singer to be perfect, make o mistakes and be really varied, maybe Primordial is not the best band to listen to...
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09.05.2009 - 13:24
Rating: 10
Jason W.
Razorbliss
Written by VPeter on 19.11.2008 at 22:45

This album is pure crap made music....
One of the most overrated and crappy albums of 2007, As Rome Burns and Traitors Gate are the only just listenable tracks, the rest is total garbage. Nemtheanga is just like Tony Kakko
he wants to sound deep and EMOtonial but fails miserably at it and it just sounds fake. Actually Nemtheanga is even worse, while Tony is still bearable to listen to despite the cheesiness and being fake, Nemtheanga's vocals are god awful and are a pain to listen to. the music itself is pagan black metal, but preformed poorly, they should have added keyboards or Folk instruments - it could cover most of there crappy and boring performance.
3/10

This is quite possibly the worst review of an album I've read in a long time, and just shows a total lack of understand as to the entire purpose of what Primordial is trying to do with their music. Hating a band or their music is purely taste, but not recogizing that Primordial's vocals are raw and unpolished at times because they attempt to replicate the human spirit of so many painful and inspirational moments is just immature listening on your part here.

And a band "should" never do anything! If you want to make music your way, a studio is always available for booking so you can make music perfect and show everyone what perfect music is! Adding folk instruments or any other totally cliche thing in their music would contradict the abrasive, raw essence of what they are trying to do. Ugh.
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"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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09.05.2009 - 15:27
VPeter

Written by Jason W. on 09.05.2009 at 13:24

Written by VPeter on 19.11.2008 at 22:45

This album is pure crap made music....
One of the most overrated and crappy albums of 2007, As Rome Burns and Traitors Gate are the only just listenable tracks, the rest is total garbage. Nemtheanga is just like Tony Kakko
he wants to sound deep and EMOtonial but fails miserably at it and it just sounds fake. Actually Nemtheanga is even worse, while Tony is still bearable to listen to despite the cheesiness and being fake, Nemtheanga's vocals are god awful and are a pain to listen to. the music itself is pagan black metal, but preformed poorly, they should have added keyboards or Folk instruments - it could cover most of there crappy and boring performance.
3/10

This is quite possibly the worst review of an album I've read in a long time, and just shows a total lack of understand as to the entire purpose of what Primordial is trying to do with their music. Hating a band or their music is purely taste, but not recogizing that Primordial's vocals are raw and unpolished at times because they attempt to replicate the human spirit of so many painful and inspirational moments is just immature listening on your part here.

And a band "should" never do anything! If you want to make music your way, a studio is always available for booking so you can make music perfect and show everyone what perfect music is! Adding folk instruments or any other totally cliche thing in their music would contradict the abrasive, raw essence of what they are trying to do. Ugh.

It's not a review, it's just a saying. Primordial's vocals are amateurishly raw and are as convincing as that of a whiny emo. And I can stand a lot of whiny vocals, I listen to My Dying Bride for example.

I said "should" not "must".... Actually Primordial did use Folk instruments in an other way on a "A Journeys End" and it worked well. Primordial's albums from Imrama to Storm Before Calm are pretty decent Pagan Black Metal but with The Gathering Wilderness they started to try sound epic in a boring and tedious way, with whiny emo vocals. To The Nameless Dead is by far the the most overrated and of the most worst releases of 2007 it's boring, uninspired, lame and weak. Luckily they are getting shat out by the rest of the Folk Metallers and walk off when they play with Eluveitie or an other Folk Metal band, since live they suck just as much on CD and they are very arrogant.
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09.05.2009 - 17:43
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by VPeter on 09.05.2009 at 15:27

Luckily they are getting shat out by the rest of the Folk Metallers and walk off when they play with Eluveitie or an other Folk Metal band, since live they suck just as much on CD and they are very arrogant.


Live they are superior to shite crap bands such Eluveitie but the folk metal crowd has no taste, as we know (how else can they like Korpiklaani?)
As for arrogant... Primordial are far from arrogant. I have met them a couple of times and they are exactly the most laid back and anti-rockstar people around.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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09.05.2009 - 18:22
VPeter

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.05.2009 at 17:43

Written by VPeter on 09.05.2009 at 15:27

Luckily they are getting shat out by the rest of the Folk Metallers and walk off when they play with Eluveitie or an other Folk Metal band, since live they suck just as much on CD and they are very arrogant.


Live they are superior to shite crap bands such Eluveitie but the folk metal crowd has no taste, as we know (how else can they like Korpiklaani?)
As for arrogant... Primordial are far from arrogant. I have met them a couple of times and they are exactly the most laid back and anti-rockstar people around.

No you have no taste how can you like Primordial when they are at the same epic fail as Manowar?
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10.05.2009 - 03:42
Dark Cornatus
Powerslave
Written by VPeter on 19.11.2008 at 22:45

This album is pure crap made music....
One of the most overrated and crappy albums of 2007, As Rome Burns and Traitors Gate are the only just listenable tracks, the rest is total garbage. Nemtheanga is just like Tony Kakko
he wants to sound deep and EMOtonial but fails miserably at it and it just sounds fake. Actually Nemtheanga is even worse, while Tony is still bearable to listen to despite the cheesiness and being fake, Nemtheanga's vocals are god awful and are a pain to listen to. the music itself is pagan black metal, but preformed poorly, they should have added keyboards or Folk instruments - it could cover most of there crappy and boring performance.
3/10

I feel the opposite. The BEST thing about this album is the fact they didnt use folk instruments and keyboards. Its raw and appealing rather than almost of the repetitive stuff in the folk genre. The vocals are unlike any ive heard, and fit perfectly. Great album!
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10.06.2009 - 19:54
Rating: 10
Zergaloth

What are we trying to achieve here? Apparently Petur doesn't like the album, and others do.
That's noted. No need to try and convince eachother otherwise.

Personally I would recommend this (and the previous album) to anyone with a taste for epic music, but not epic like power metal, but rather a kind of 'epic' that conjures feelings of loneliness and helplessness. When I went to Ireland, this music really seemed to fit the country.

The music is very repetitive. (throughout every track, not the whole album) Don't expect soaring guitar solos or folky melodies.
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12.09.2009 - 11:55
Rating: 10
blackwreath

I could listen to this album all day, to me it's up there with Reign In Blood and Ride The Lightning.
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08.11.2009 - 10:12
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Absolutly the most easy to listen of all their discography. And thats a good thing, the emotion that lacked (imo) on ''Gathering...'' and ''Storm before calm'' simply overflows in this album.

I think that what may have pissed of Pétur was the song ''Gallows Hymn'', one of the worst songs ever made by Primordial, boring as hell, and also a little annoying despite being short. The vocal didnt sound their best to me either, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless.
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----
member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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27.05.2010 - 09:31
Valentin B
Iconoclast
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.11.2008 at 20:48

It might be amazingly epic but certainly not epic metal, if you know what I mean

so it's an epic fail then?
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03.06.2010 - 01:11
Rating: 9
flamey

What is this blasphemy I witness, people claiming Nemtheanga "tries" to sound emotional and fails? Are we talking about the same guy here? It's his voice which makes this album EPIC as fuck. He has one of the most passionate and powerful voices I've ever heard.
And no, Primordial should not and thankfully does not, include crappy keyboards or pretentious folk instruments in their music. There are plenty of folk metal bands doing that, so let Primordial be unique.

This is an awesome album and my favorite of them, can't wait what they'll put out in 2010.
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03.06.2010 - 02:15
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
I've had this aching feeling the past year or so that this album is a little overrated. The way people endlessly bark on about it as though it's the greatest thing since sliced ham; it's a damn strong album but not that great; it's a little bit middling, doesn't seem to want to take any risks etc. as least from a personal perspective anyway. I'd take Spirit The Earth Aflame over this any day. There's nothing here that even begins to approach the goosebump inducing majesty that is Gods To The Godless.
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03.06.2010 - 11:52
Mikyz

Written by Guest on 03.06.2010 at 02:15

I've had this aching feeling the past year or so that this album is a little overrated. The way people endlessly bark on about it as though it's the greatest thing since sliced ham; it's a damn strong album but not that great; it's a little bit middling, doesn't seem to want to take any risks etc. as least from a personal perspective anyway. I'd take Spirit The Earth Aflame over this any day. There's nothing here that even begins to approach the goosebump inducing majesty that is Gods To The Godless.


Whether this is your favorite Primordial album or not depends on your state of mind. I like to think of this as an album that is aimed at a certain faction of the listeners because it resurfaces feelings that are hard to describe. Personally I find the musicianship to be undoubtedly near flawless in its execution and composition, however when it comes to the vocals its an acquired taste either you're infatuated by the passionate, heartfelt vocal performance or not. So if you didn't get goosebumps listening to this then it only means that this doesn't really evoke anything special too you on a personal scale. Only two words can describe this album: Epic Masterpiece. From the soul drenched guitar riffs to the painful vocal performance.
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Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
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03.06.2010 - 11:59
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Mikyz on 03.06.2010 at 11:52

Written by Guest on 03.06.2010 at 02:15

I've had this aching feeling the past year or so that this album is a little overrated. The way people endlessly bark on about it as though it's the greatest thing since sliced ham; it's a damn strong album but not that great; it's a little bit middling, doesn't seem to want to take any risks etc. as least from a personal perspective anyway. I'd take Spirit The Earth Aflame over this any day. There's nothing here that even begins to approach the goosebump inducing majesty that is Gods To The Godless.


Whether this is your favorite Primordial album or not depends on your state of mind. I like to think of this as an album that is aimed at a certain faction of the listeners because it resurfaces feelings that are hard to describe. Personally I find the musicianship to be undoubtedly near flawless in its execution and composition, however when it comes to the vocals its an acquired taste either you're infatuated by the passionate, heartfelt vocal performance or not. So if you didn't get goosebumps listening to this then it only means that this doesn't really evoke anything special too you on a personal scale. Only two words can describe this album: Epic Masterpiece. From the soul drenched guitar riffs to the painful vocal performance.

Indubitably! Can't really disagree with that, it's certainly a fan favourite.
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25.07.2010 - 19:10
Rating: 6
Piro

I gotta say, this is the only Primordial album I own or have listened to. It's not bad, especially if you take the time to listen through the songs, which can get boring, due to the repetitive nature. I liked the vocals, for the most part, they were powerful and filled the void where the instrumentals failed. However, they didn't always sound authentic. I'd give this album a 7.5/10. I've heard much worse, but I don't think it deserves the hype it got.
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<Philosophy>Insert Intelligent Sounding yet meaningless Philosophical Quote Here</Philosophy>
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28.02.2011 - 07:42
Marcus
Doit Like Bernie
Finally got around to listening to this, way overrated. Its a good album, no doubt, but I can't help but think that the album is too conservative; nothing really happens, especially in the closing track. However, I will say the vocals are easily the highlight of the album.
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16.03.2012 - 23:35
Rating: 10
lord artan

Gallows Hymn...what a masterpiece
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03.02.2014 - 19:51
Aristarchos

Written by BitterCOld on 09.05.2009 at 09:34

I disagree in regards to the vocals. i love them. god forbid someone show some degree of emotion in their music, especially if music is their way of expressing their emotions.

not a "perfect" album, but it is on my proverbial "Desert Island, you only get to bring 10 metal albums" list.

I love the vocals too
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04.11.2016 - 01:25
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Quote:
Did you ever wonder how to make music that is epic and powerful without use of any keyboards, orchestra or samples? Well, if you do not know the answer, you should probably ask Primordial. They certainly managed to achieve that.


I agree only chosen bands can write good music whit those, but most bands like prog and so on what are promoted now, som ply cant put it
Here we go, an awesome masterpiece , this band simply cant write bad music, and bad lyrics ....
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Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
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10.07.2021 - 23:22
Rating: 10
sgtrobo

I get a kick out of finally discovering an album, coming here, and reading the bickering back and forth on the forums after the album review. FWIW, I think this album is incredible
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