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Arar proudly presents the official reissue of Thy Primordial’s legendary 1997 full-length, available on 180g vinyl and housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket. Printed on heavy 350gsm cardstock with a 7mm spine, the packaging features gold flood interior print, gold hotfoil stamping, gold Pantone accents, UV spot gloss, and matching gold Pantone labels. A thick A2 poster with special gold Pantone detail is also included. This edition is available in wine-colored vinyl (limited to 88 copies), gold vinyl (limited to 88 copies), and classic black vinyl in an undisclosed quantity.
A cornerstone of Swedish melodic black metal, this album captures Thy Primordial at their most ferocious and majestic. Clocking in at 45 minutes, it delivers a seamless fusion of searing blast beats and icy melodies, securing its place as a timeless milestone in the genre. Widely regarded as one of the finest acts to emerge from Sweden’s black metal scene, Thy Primordial’s 1997 opus remains a masterclass in raw atmosphere and melodic intensity.
Among the many unsung pillars of Sweden’s black metal movement, Where Only the Seasons Mark the Paths of Time stands out as a criminally overlooked example of atmospheric fury done right. Originally released in 1997, it was reportedly the first underground release to benefit from 20-bit mastering technology—mastered at Rolab Music Studio in September 1996—giving it a sonic clarity that sharply contrasted the rawness of its peers.
Thy Primordial harness a whirlwind of tremolo riffs and relentless blast beats, yet there’s a surprising sense of structure and purpose beneath the chaos. The melodies are cold but soaring, stitched into each track like threads of frost weaving through a storm. Guitar harmonies rise and fall with an epic sensibility, while the drums maintain a merciless intensity that never lets up.
Vocals are delivered in piercing, high-pitched rasps—at times chaotic, sometimes even oddly expressive—adding to the music’s manic urgency. The lyrics, mostly indecipherable in the traditional sense, still manage to convey an overwhelming mood of misanthropy, mysticism, and apocalyptic grandeur. Subtle acoustic passages and ambient interludes are used sparingly but effectively, adding atmosphere without diluting the relentless assault.
Fans of early Setherial, Sacramentum, and the more melodic side of Emperor will find much to admire here. Tracks like “The Conquest,” “Hail Unto Thee…,” and “Dödskuggan” stand out for their balance of aggression and atmosphere, offering sweeping compositions that remain grounded in icy precision.
Where Only the Seasons Mark the Paths of Time may not have received the recognition it deserved upon its initial release, but its mastery of melodic black metal remains undeniable. Raw, epic, and frost-covered—this is a hidden cornerstone of Sweden’s black metal legacy.
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