Ireland's first black metal band, Primordial have been making their Celtic-tinted thrash for close to 16 years without flagging. Their sixth album, TO THE NAMELESS DEAD, shows them evolving further from their black roots to create a textured, almost romantic sound that's equal parts harshness and pastoral beauty. "Heathen Tribes" takes advantage of the band's ethnic background to introduce traditional Irish instruments into the thick metal stew, while the moody slow-burners "Gallows Hymn" and "Failures Burden" cast twilight shadows on emerald hillsides. TO THE NAMELESS DEAD's sound is such that the title could refer to either comrades lost in battle or lovers lost to time.
