Dublin, Ireland-based Pagan metal icons PRIMORDIAL today reveal their latest single, “Pilgrimage To The World’s End,” accompanied by an evocative lyric video. This track serves as a glimpse into the band’s highly anticipated tenth studio album, How It Ends, scheduled for release on September 29th via Metal Blade Records.
With a remarkable thirty-two-year journey, PRIMORDIAL is returning with a powerful new studio offering that solidifies their status as a primal force in the metal scene. Following their critically acclaimed 2018 release, “Exile Amongst The Ruins,” How It Ends sees PRIMORDIAL continuing to craft their signature blend of Celtic and black metal, now infused with an intensified urgency as they confront the apocalypse. In a metal landscape filled with soundalike bands across subgenres, PRIMORDIAL stands out as an authentic and undeniable presence, as vocalist A. A. Nemtheanga emphasizes: “It sounds stupid to say, but it’s not fantasy, not escapism. It’s not compromised and co-opted, it’s genuine, in a world where that seems to count for less and less.”
Nemtheanga delves into the album’s title, stating: “The title is a question – ‘is this how it ends?’ How it all goes down: culture, language, history, society – humanity – who knows? Regardless of who you are or were, you get one chance at all of this, and it’s asking is this the end of your town, state, nation? Myths, traditions, relationships, and I suppose it asks the question, who reacts, who rebels – how does it end now for them?”
Collaborating with founding members Pól MacAmlaigh (bass) and Ciáran MacUilliam (guitar), along with longtime drummer Simon O’Laoghaire, the band embarked on the writing process in the Fall of 2022 with a sense of urgency and productivity. PRIMORDIAL’s approach involves letting their records naturally take shape, and for How It Ends, Nemtheanga aimed for a grander, more expansive sound coupled with increased aggression – an objective they successfully achieved.
Lyrically drawing from both modern and historical influences, Nemtheanga continues to provoke thought and introspection with How It Ends. The latest single, the somber and desperate “Pilgrimage To The World’s End,” was inspired by the stories of impoverished Irish convicts exiled to the ends of the Earth, figures like Ned Kelly, who stood against oppressive laws and eventually became symbols of resistance. Nemtheanga explains, “This is an album of resistance… ‘Pilgrimage To The World’s End’ began with inspiration from the struggles of Irish convicts sent to Australia, but it evolved into a broader narrative, reflecting the plight of all people in the 19th century who, due to famine, war, or poverty, sought a new life. It’s a song that resonates with the modern era, capturing the struggles of refugees worldwide, always at the mercy of a small economic elite profiting from their suffering.”
In a musical landscape filled with imitations, PRIMORDIAL stands as a beacon of authenticity and artistic integrity. As they prepare to release How It Ends on September 29th, fans can expect a powerful and thought-provoking addition to the band’s storied discography.
