Primordial

Primordial come from Skerries, County Dublin, and trace their roots to 1987, when bassist Pól MacAmhlaigh and guitarist Ciáran MacUiliam began playing thrash and death metal covers. Singer Alan Averill, known as Nemtheanga, answered an advert in 1991, and by 1993 the band had taken the name Primordial and recorded the Dark Romanticism demo, one of the first black metal releases from Ireland.

The debut Imrama (1995) on Cacophonous Records was followed by A Journey’s End (1998), Spirit the Earth Aflame (2000) and Storm Before Calm (2002). Over those records the band blended black metal with Celtic and folk melodies, and drummer Simon Ó Laoghaire joined in 1997.

From The Gathering Wilderness (2005) onwards Primordial have released their music through Metal Blade. To the Nameless Dead (2007), Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand (2011), Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014) and Exile Amongst the Ruins (2018) made them one of the most respected bands in European pagan metal. Guitarist Micheál Ó Floinn, a member since 2001, left in 2022.

After a five-year wait, their tenth studio album How It Ends was released on 29 September 2023. Primordial continue to play festivals across Europe, with Gerry Clince on second guitar live.

Current line-up: Alan Averill “Nemtheanga” (vocals), Ciáran MacUiliam (guitar), Pól MacAmhlaigh (bass), Simon Ó Laoghaire (drums). Live guitar: Gerry Clince.