CoC : Primal Dawn - The Euthanasia Programme : Review

Primal Dawn - _The Euthanasia Programme_
(Independent, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)

This apparently self-released MCD from Ireland's Primal Dawn shows a band still struggling to convey their musical intents in a way that can impress the listener. The lengthy song structures need some trimming, as the riffs are generally not strong enough to carry a track for so long (seven to eight minutes each). This is not to say the music is bad or the riffs wholly uninspired; Primal Dawn do come up with some decent material throughout the disc, only it is never remarkable enough to justify the ambitious track length. Growls and screams are used as the music shifts from death to blackened metal, the sound remaining relatively harsh (though the mediocre production may have something to do with that). The way the lyrics are phrased also needs some work, and overall the band does not come across as a sufficiently tight unit yet. _The Euthanasia Programme_ contains enough decent ideas (mostly on "The Cull") to avoid Primal Dawn being discarded just yet, but it is just another passable demo-like disc thrown amidst countless others while they hone their skills.

Contact: http://www.primaldawn.net

(article published 22/8/2003)