Primordial Black Metal / Co. Dublin

2009 – The following year continued much as 2008 had left off; we went on our first North American tour as part of the Paganfest. The fest saw 8 shows in Canada and 17 in North America with Korpiklaani and Moonsorrow among others. It had become obvious that just as in Europe, North America was falling under the spell of pagan metal and the kids were hungry for anything European. We also saw many older, old school metal fans and black metal people who had followed the band for years waiting for us to tour showing up, especially on either coast of America, Los Angeles being a fitting climax to a great tour and experience for the band.

The summer continued with the odd festival in Europe and a few mini tours here and there but the prospect of writing new songs was now hanging over us. For the first time we felt the weight of expectation. Previously we had always been something of an unknown quantity but now mainstream metal fans were wondering where we might go next after Empire Falls became our beer hall festival anthem and we stepped blinking into the light of the mainstream. The year ended with us sketching out some new ideas and tentatively planning a new album in 2010.

2010 – This was the year that wheels very nearly came off completely. After nearly 20 years of playing together we began to unravel. Having always been a strong live band we began to have a few off nights worse for the wear for drink and all the temptations that go with touring and festival life, culminating in a disaster of a show in Athens which nearly spelled the end of the band. The messy details are already on the internet and were dissected at length at the time but needless to say that night represented the low point of two decades in the band.

The aftermath of that show was that our drummer, Simon O’Laoghaire, was asked to leave. Recording for the new album was put on hold indefinitely and we began to audition drummers over the summer of 2010. We honoured some festival shows in Lithuania, Hungary and Belgium and later in the year, a mini tour of Spain and Portugal taking in Madrid is the Dark, all without Simon, but it became clear to all of us that he along with any of the band are essential components, take away one and we can struggle through somewhat lame but it isn’t Primordial.

So we sat around, discussed, shouted, conceded and cajoled the circumstances until they took the shape of the five of us agreeing the band was bigger than all of us and it could only continue with those five people. Simon rejoined the band and we began to put the songs together in the autumn of 2010 for what would become Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand. We went into Foel Studios in Wales once again over December of 2010 and into January 2011 to record eight new tracks.