Band:	Primitive Man
Album:	Scorn
Style:	Noise, Blackened sludge metal
Release date:	February 2013

01. Scorn
02. Rags
03. I Can't Forget
04. Antietam
05. Black Smoke
06. Stretched Thin
07. Astral Sleep

People sometimes misunderstand the word "melody" to mean upbeat or accessible, and "subtle" to always mean delicate or refined. Quite to the contrary, a melody is simply "a sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying." A melody can be happy, sad, or angry; intricate or simple. Likewise, subtle can also mean "a small detail that is usually important but not obvious," or even more fitting in relation to blackened sludge, "operating in a hidden, usually injurious way; insidious." Unfortunately for Primitive Man, I don't find Scorn to have a strong enough handle on either of these details that make the genre particularly interesting to me.

After hearing Lord Mantis's Death Mask last year, I was hungry for more moral debasement. I shelved the desire for a few months, but after a slew of excellent sludge releases in the past weeks, my interest was once more piqued. A little digging quickly led me to what fans described as some of the most oppressive music to hit in 2013. As such, I was happy to see the album available for stream at bandcamp. Maybe it was a case of overhype, but I did not find myself impressed.

The vocals, yes, are gritty. They are a bit different from some of the other similar things I have heard. Foregoing the more Today Is The Day shriek, Primitive Man go for a more?well?primitive death growl. This is probably the high point of what the band has to offer me sonically. While there are some nice discordant guitar screeches and earworm melodies to be found, the lengthy portions of dragging palm mutes are far less engaging. The title track is a good example with the closing minutes dedicated to a slow chug that is apparently perfectly okay for blackened sludge, but not for deathcore. Yeah, I said it. It's the same exact concept, just dressed up in a different format. I kept thinking of beatdown, slowcore (it's a thing) tracks like "Malignant" by Traitors.

I anticipate plenty of hate for daring to make a comparison to the current naughty-word genre of metal, but the overall point is that I think other groups do this better. For every tasty riff, like the instantly likeable opening of "Rags," we get at least 3-4 times as many dreary slogs through Chugville. "But it's atmospheric," you say. Fair argument, but other groups like tech-deathers Ulcerate and blackened deathers Malthusian are also capable of building soul-rending soundscapes while displaying far more technical dexterity and song-writing chops.

While I am admittedly new to Indian, their last two albums gripped me instantly and resulted in marathon listens. There are layers to be peeled away. Anyone who thinks that tracks like "The Fate Before Fate," "Rhetoric Of No," or the last half of "Grace" have no melody need to get their ears checked and pull out a dictionary or book on music theory. Similarly, tracks like "Guiltless" and "Disambiguation" make subtle choices with drum patterns and guitar playing that separate the men from the boys. The same goes for Lord Mantis: creating disgustingly harsh journeys without sacrificing musicianship or memorability. While I don't hate Scorn (haha) and what it has to offer, I would choose "Body Choke" or "Possession Prayer" over "Stretched Thin" any day of the week.

Ultimately, Scorn is a worthwhile piece of pure, primal degradation. If you were looking for something to pound you into the ground without thinking much about it, this album is probably for you. If you love it, great. I just recommend you also check out some of the other bands I mentioned along the way. Personally, I expect a bit more as a jaded, aging guitar player. Now get off my lawn, you kids!