ALBUM OF THE WEEK/ INTERVIEW: THE PRIMAL AGE- MASKED ENEMY
The band combine groove-laden riffs with pummeling drums and death growl vocals in the cause of animal rights, vegetarianism and human rights. They consist of vocalist Didier, bassist Dmitri, drummer Rudy and guitarists Florian and Benoit.
The album opens with a spoken word intro that segues into the eerie "Wise Old Men", a slow, menacing build that combusts into a full-throttle snarl. Next up is "The Devil Is Hidden In Shadow", an equally apoplectic track with abrasive riffs, long double harmonic passages, and double blast beats that will leave the listener empathetic with the cause.
The album opens with a spoken word intro that segues into the eerie "Wise Old Men", a slow, menacing build that combusts into a full-throttle snarl. Next up is "The Devil Is Hidden In Shadow", an equally apoplectic track with abrasive riffs, long double harmonic passages, and double blast beats that will leave the listener empathetic with the cause.
Primal Age continues to build tracks this way through inventive means. The band combine long, pulsating harmonies with sharp, angular riffs to appeal to fans anew, and loyal, to the outfit. Each track is bombastic in musicianship and songwriting, but not in the serious messages the band hope to deliver.
Another leading single "The Two-Head's Monster" is another track that can be attributed to these aforementioned qualities. Lead vocalist Didier and bassist Dmitri combine howls, and anguished harsh vocals over dark, harrowing guitar lines and earth-shattering drums. Other highlights are the title track "Masked Enemy" with obvious death metal influences, the ferocious punk attitude of "Who Dare Wins", the horrifying rhythmic chugging of "Blinded By Cruelty" that is reminiscent of the nightmares of its subject and, finally, Masked Enemy wraps up with an instrumental outro to seal its fate.
Overall, Primal Age has produced a powerful and emotional reminder of the horrors that permeate our earth with signature thrash, death and metalcore stylings that will appeal to a new audience.
Words by Anselm Anderson
DMITRI- PRIMAL AGE BASSIST INTERVIEW
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Hello, How are you? Could you introduce yourself to the readers?
Hi everyone, I'm Dimitri, I do the bass and some singing in Primal Age since the beginning. Didier, our singer and I, are the two members of the original lineup.
When did you form, and what were your reasons to form Primal Age?
We created Primal Age in 93. Didier and I had our own band at the time, but nothing serious. We both wanted to do more than make music with friends and stay in our town.
How would you describe your sound to new listeners?
We do a mix of Metal and Hardcore, with a very aggressive sound. We are one of the first European bands to do that and for sure, one of the last survivors of this huge period.
Primal Age recently released "Masked Enemy" in June via WTF Records. Could you tell me about the album and the general themes behind the release?
Of course. We're very proud of this project, hard to achieve but finally our best album ever. We always denounce the abuse against animals and Earth. These topics are in all our albums, but of course not the only ones. This one is more political.
You have released two music videos for “ The 2 Head's Monster” and “The Devil Hidden In Shadow”. What could you tell us about the videos, as well as the message behind the tracks?
Because of this shitty period (there was a curfew in France), and the lack of money, as usual, we had the great contribution of Marine (Didier's wife). It's very important for a non-professional band to catch some competencies around us. "The 2 Head's Monster" is about the collusion between the food industry and big pharmacies: on one hand we produce some shit to feed you and make you sick, on the other hand, we have the pills to cure.
With "The Devil is hidden in Shadow", it all boils down to the loss of landmarks: those who lead us parent themselves with virtue, and those who resist are every time demonized.
What was the recording and writing process going into making this album?
I wrote the lyrics four years ago and began to make the first tracks because I'm the only musician here from the start, and we had two guitar players who had never composed for Primal Age. Fortunately, one of them, Florian has joined me in this process and gave us some wonderful tracks. For this reason, we have a very rich album with relief.
What are the reasons behind the name “Masked Enemy”?
It's the main idea in this album: our elites, those who rule the world and pull the strings have a so huge power of manipulation that we don't even know who to blame when we feel angry. They are most of the time backstage, hidden behind politicians who are just puppets on the frontline.
I understand a lot of your songs cover Vegetarianism and animal rights, How important do you feel raising subjects like this are for your fanbase and music?
We don't really know if the guys who are listening to Primal Age have the same thoughts. It doesn't matter, we hope to plant seeds in minds. We hope to share what we feel.
Is this something you would like to see more bands do?
I don't want to give any lesson, do what you want with your band. My point of view is that music is a huge medium. So if you want to explain some ideas to help people being more aware, why not ?
What else do you do to help raise awareness of these subjects within your fanbase and beyond?
At each show, we let some flyers of associations defending this cause. We also make a partnership with one association for each album in order to put a light on it.
What are the ambitions of Primal Age going forward?
We always want more 'cause some of us are old and we have this passion deep in our hearts. So we hope to visit some countries we don't know yet.
And finally, what next for Primal Age?
We feel very confident with this album, so we just want to play it live and share it with those who follow us.
Interview conducted by Anselm Anderson
SOCIAL MEDIA
https://www.facebook.com/PRIMALAGEhttps://www.instagram.com/primal_age/
https://fanlink.to/PrimalAge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvf1R4-5vzM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MQsAi0S6Hs
"The 2 Head's Monster"
"The Devil is Hidden in Shadow"
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