WYRDSTÆF – PRIMORDIAL BLOODLINES (REVIEW) (BLACKENED TRIBAL METAL/NEO-FOLK) - RELEASED SEPTEMBER 4TH (APOCALYPTIC WITCHCRAFT)
I. White Spring - The intro begins with a great drum kick joined by the primal lead vox to take us further into the track with shamanistic backing support vocals. As the track progresses, the lead vox transition into a louder chorus that continues.
The atmosphere and ability to hook the listener in work, because they invite the listener into the storytelling world as it unfolds. There are also more supporting vox in a blackened style that add to the primal and ancient feel.
What Bog liked was how the main lead vocals were blended in the background, not completely deactivated, but transitioning to become the support to the new lead vocals. Nice touch, and it felt natural. It is like a tribe is gathered together and they flow in and out of the lead vocals.
The drums are solid, and you can hear their timed rhythmic patterns. They run super sick, and Bog was counting the drum strikes.
Also, a point to note Stenchers: the lead vocals sync in time with those drum patterns. When Bog says sync, he really means in sync —it's not just that the timing works well. Those early lead vocals sounded like another layer of BPM on top of the drums.
Bog's ears were tingling, because he could hear this perfectly, and he was like, 'Ohhhhh niceeeeeee'
It helps build the track into the electric guitar drop at 2:38, where the backing blackened vocals take over as lead while the former lead vox transition to become the new supporting vocals.
From this point forward we have a tribal/blackened neo-folk metal track, Bog guesses, and it serves as an encapsulating introduction. Bog knew at this point, a special album was coming up.
The main chorus line doesn't stop with the riffs, and it's sick.
II. Great Migrations - A pure black metal track, but it has some notable influences and elements, and the theme is a nice approach.
The drums are organized and are struck in sync with the guitars, which display angry riffing. A sure-fire "stand in the cave and swing your head around while roaring" track.
Bog will do said roaring soon, probably when he realizes The World Clown Roleplay Injury Cup has weeks to go, featuring detached idiots commentating on how blatant impersonations of pain are a definite penalty while players roll around on the floor more than a donut doing a downhill slalom while escaping Big Mabel's Shitty Sugar Food Store.
The good thing on Primordial Bloodlines is that the roaring vocals are born from a passionate display of raw energy, not manufactured FC Ball Ache City.
They impose on the track and take the lead; you can hear the words, if you listen closely. The guitars have a nice tone that carries a signature sound for the track, and they vary the riff structure.
The solid-ass fast parts are super mega for headbanging, and the atmosphere, with Wyrdstæf's core feel, is distinguishable.
The audio levels are tight and carry the aggressive music nicely for the ear. Sick, sick track.
The outro with the closing riffs moves into a brief, fast passage like the earlier bars, before fading out with the vocals. It is quite a cinematic ending.
III. Hyperborean - The opening riff after the tribal vocals is deeply captivating, and it is like being transported back in time to prehistory.
The vocals start whispering the chorus line before becoming louder. Such a sick way to build the track into the louder flow after the beginning. It sets the tone, feel, and mood.
There are solid signature riffs throughout, which were interesting to hear, and the familiar drumming style is consistent.
It's another nice black metal track, but featuring a neo-folk intro.
The fade-out with the vocal effects are cool, and then they bleed cleanly into
the next track, Parhelion.
IV Parhelion - The intro starts with the sounds of the wind and a "walking on the ground" effect. It is highly immersive, and the wind remains in the background while the band members join together with shamanic/tribal vocals that are synced together. Bog's hip-hop head activated here for a random reason to think it was like neolithic beatboxing, in a manner of speaking.
The hypnotic effect is strong and awakens the blood. The bogoids and our own shamans were listening in the Boglands and noting the human techniques. We were all in a trance and focused!
Wyrdstæf lowers the volume at 3:29 with a kind of 'shhh' used on the vocals. They continue to reduce the pitch, then at 3:54, they transition to unbelievably sick, lead ritualistic vocals. The drums also start to get louder. The drop to this effect is so sick, Bog actually stopped, stood silent, and just let the music guide him.
It is cinematic musical storytelling, and Bog loved it.
Stenchers, Parhelion has to be listened to outside to really appreciate the atmosphere. Ideally, when the sun rises, or when it sets.
It’s a slow, steady pulsing rhythm continuing until about 6:52, then a mellow harmony drops, and it's a guitar riff played with a gentle tone, but ear-grabbing nonetheless! It reminds Bog of something, but he cannot think of what, but he can hear it.
A stunning end section, it fades at the end, then bleeds and drops as the intro for Primordial Bloodlines.
Primordial Bloodlines - The guitar riffs extend from the outro bars of the previous track with a drum drop. It is orchestrated, beautiful music, and here we are again with something different, and isn’t that a good thing?
There is almost
a slight jazz kind of feel.
At 1:35, the vocal drops. It's clean and haunting, with good supporting backing vox. The track is full of immersion and atmosphere.
If ever there was a track to say
humans have lost something, this is it, quoting a line from the track, ‘I remember a time when the world was
young and wild’. The track has a lot to say and is thought-provoking. There is
a deep, embedded sadness in the title track, Primordial Bloodlines.
At 4:01, the electric guitar riffs drop with the lead vocals, and there is a powerful ballad feel.
At 6:25, the track drops back to a slow flow in the vein of the earlier sections.
At 6:57, the drums signal a return to the electric guitar
riffs, and there is a guitar solo that hasn't lost the emotion of Primordial Bloodlines. Bog can hear the
sadness. A very poignant track.
At 8:03, it transitions back to the quiet feel, and the gentle riff tone returns to follow at 8:13. Bog was counting the BPM again, because the rhythmic feel in the music just never stops.
Wyrdstæf plays music like that; it hooks you in, whatever the instrument or vocal style.
As Bog said with the beatboxing analogy, it's when you can vibe and flow with each other from something innate. In this instance, we are referring to the whole essence of the band, with both the music and vocal styles that cover clean and harsh effects.
Wyrdstæf should have no problem with audience participation wherever they play in the world. If there is, then it's due to some serious, closed minds that have been programmed by The Gate.
Bog's Thoughts: The mastering and production are crisp and pristine, and it's one of the best audio mixed albums Bog has heard in some time.
It had to be to do justice to the varying instrumentation and vocal approaches. If they were wacked out, this wouldn’t have worked, and you would miss out on so much.
A tremendous amount of hard work and time has been invested in Primordial Bloodlines. It has been composed to make sure the music sonically flows with the lyricism, so the storytelling aspect is supported, and shared through the music, and not just the vocals.
For those that want to bang their heads, yes, there are one or two tracks for solely that purpose.
Primordial Bloodlines goes much further. There is nothing wrong with pure mosh music—we like it all, as you see with our transmissions—but Bog does think Wyrdstæf tapped into their ancestors' spirits and channelled the lineage into their music to give it an authentic quality.
If we go super Bog nerdy: imagine sitting in front of a band
outside an ancient woodland, or a cave overlooking the sea. Wyrdstæf appears, and then they start singing, chanting, and playing various
instruments. It catches your attention. The band is telling a story through lyrics
and music; it's pretty much what Primordial Bloodlines does.
A diverse, wide, and musical echo from the past to remind people of what has been lost.
Line-up:
Urzhan – Vocals
Shaman – Guitars
Baksu – Bass
Malang – Drums
Revenant - Guitars, Electronic
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Wyrdstaef
https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/
