“Psychedelic Episodes” was released a few months ago and I’m only just getting around to reviewing it. One could argue that this is because I wanted to have time to really get to know the album. Or, you could just say I’m lazy and easily distracted. To be fair, either of those explanations is true.
I reviewed Primitive Graven Image’s debut album at the start of 2012 (click here to read the review) and it was at this point that I really reacquainted myself with the band. Despite owning the album for a fair few years (and loving it), it had been almost forgotten about. However, since writing the review, I have rekindled my PGI obsession and I soon found myself owning the band’s follow up album “Celebrating Impending Chaos” and eagerly awaiting “Psychedelic Episodes {Observations on Death and Deathlessness}”. Once “Psychedelic Episodes {Observations on Death and Deathlessness}” had been released, I pounced upon it with the same amount of enthusiasm as a ravenous zombie would pounce upon the living.
To say that “Psychedelic Episodes” picks up where “Celebrating Impending Chaos” ends seems like a bit of a cop out – but it’s true. More or less. One thing that stands out when you listen to Primitive Graven Image’s work is how much they’ve grown as a band and as musicians. “Traversing the Awesome Night” (the debut) was a terrific example of a band that was hungry and determined to make their mark. “Celebrating Impending Chaos” continued in this direction, but it was more confident. “Psychedelic Episodes” shows us a band who is now extremely confident in their own abilities and this is no bad thing. PGI know they’re onto something good and they’re not afraid to flaunt it.
“Psychedelic Episodes” takes this UK Black Metal band to new levels. It’s still Black Metal, but it’s more progressive – a bit spacey or ethereal. Clean guitar solos slice through the gritty atmosphere, almost creating a streak of light across an otherwise bleak sky. The music on this album continues to attack straight out of the darkness, but there’s even more of a focus on melody (this was on the previous albums as well, but seemingly more so here). Instead of diluting the overall impact, the melodies and clean passages serve to create an even more sinister atmosphere. You never truly know what’s going to happen. I’ve listened to this album a ridiculous amount since its release and I’m still discovering little bits and pieces that I hadn’t noticed before.
Check out the video for “Slave To The Mannequin” below as a bit of a taster:
Primitive Graven Image will be playing some shows in March 2013 – one of which will be at the Black Heart in Camden. Click here for more details.
Rating: 98%
Infected Brain finally dwelve into the darkness that is Black Metal, 4 pieces of extreme darkness hit the stage in early March.
Primitive Graven Image
facebook.com/primitivegravenimage
The melody of the chaotic universe has arrived at your doorstep as these adventurous guys explore, deviate but always stay true to their black metal roots.
Verdelet
facebook.com/verdeletmusic
Slow, brooding and menacing. Verdelet will hit the stage on the night to set the mood, however dark they desire.
Vehement
facebook.com/officialvehement
This promising band carries something familiar to the ear. And just when you think you have them figured out…think again!
Premature Birth
facebook.com/PrematureBirthOfficial
Raw Black Metal that hits you in the face and doesn’t ask any questions.
Doors @ 7:00pm
Tickets: £8.00 (adv)
General queries: info@infectedbrain.co.uk
Ticket queries: tickets@infectedbrain.co.uk
Metal Buddy Event Page: metal-buddy.com/events/primitive-graven-image-verdelet-vehement-premature-birth
Facebook Event Page: facebook.com/events/170164709791839/?fref=ts
I’m gradually adjusting to the real world again after the fun and games of Bloodstock, so I’m having a look to see what I’ve missed over the past few days… And, it turns out, that I’ve missed out on some rather awesome news as the utterly fantastic Primitive Graven Image have announced news on their new album (which I have promptly pre-ordered) and unleashed a video for our audio/visual enjoyment.
Primitive Graven Image are pleased to finally be able to announce the full details of their third album. Entitled “Psychedelic Episodes – Observations on Death and Deathlessness”, the follow up to 2010′s “Celebrating Impending Chaos” is once again produced by Russ Russell (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir, Evile), with artwork from Darkwave Art, and is another loosely themed concept album – this time based around psychedelic experience of the physical, spiritual and emotional kind.
“We took war as a big theme for Celebrating Impending Chaos (2010), but there was also a more cosmic theme running throughout the album as well, on tracks like “Kings Of Infinite Space” for example – and that’s what we’ve decided to run with this time round. We’ve decided to look into the mirror instead and into our own psyches. After all, the outside world is surely only a reflection of what is inside? This album is about getting closer to the source of all this stuff, which is where the real horrors lie. It’s an interesting and fresh concept to play with but still lends itself very well to twisting into a black metal framework. The concept has lead to our most structured and focussed lyrics to date and the album has become a weird journey through man’s struggle with his gods, his mortality and his brief but often chaotic life here on this mysterious rock. Musically we have stuck to the black metal feel that we know and love and in some cases this shines through even more than on our last album.
We’ve also brought in a very healthy dose of death and thrash metal influenced sections and the psychedelic and progressive elements we started to play with on Chaos have made a big return. We have included some truly experimental moments with some elongated prog-out sections and wonderful analog keyboard sounds.”
The first offering from the album is new digital only single “Slave To The Mannequin” – which is accompanied by a music video and is to be available as a free download from the band’s web site at primitivegravenimage.com shortly.
Check out the video on the band’s official youtube channel at youtube.com/primitivegravenimage… or just have a look below 
The full track listing is as follows:
1. Eye Of Existence
2. Ten Thousand Armageddons
3. Mock The Lifeline
4. Slave To The Mannequin
5. Attack The Attacker
6. Breathe
7. The Maniacal Laughter Of A Dying Man
8. The Killer, The Philosopher and the Holy Man
9. Of Death And Deathlessness
I can’t quite believe that almost another week has passed without me updating numerous goodies to the site. I can only apologise for my lack of updates. Anyway, I hope this will change fairly soon… 
In case you’re not familiar with the concept of “Freebie of the Week”, here’s a brief explanation… Each week I go on a little hunt through the vast wastelands of the Internet in search of FREE and LEGAL downloads. So, all of the downloads featured here will be obtainable through trustworthy means… and they’ll be guilt-free. For example, I will only ever feature music available from official band websites, profiles (such as MySpace, Reverbnation or Facebook) and Last.fm (or equivalent).
Primitive Graven Image are, without doubt, one of the UK’s finest Black Metal bands at the moment. They can definitely count me as a fan – and, hopefully after this edition of Freebie of the Week, you’ll be fans too. Check out the widget below to grab “Into The Godless Chambers” from the band’s second album “Celebrating Impending Chaos”. If you like what you hear, buy their stuff!!!
Info:
Primitive Graven Image was formed in 2006 by guitarists and brothers Rob and Luke Lehane, out of a love for the traditional black metal style. Immortal, Darkthrone and Emperor were the flavour of the day and a 6 track demo of spontaneous, infectious blackness was swiftly kicked into shape.
Within 2 months, the band were offered a deal and signed to Pennsylvania based Open Grave Records, who released the band’s demo to the press as a sign of things to come. Hot on the heels of the demo reviews, the band’s debut album “Traversing The Awesome Night” was released in May 2007 in the midst of the enthusiasm, provoking a good responses from the black metal underground and beyond in the USA, Europe, Australia, and the UK alike, putting the band on the black metal map almost immediately.
A live show of unrelenting fury was swiftly put together. Drummer Matt Platts, previously of the pre-Akercocke “Salem Orchid” line up, and more recently of Interlock and Empyreal Destroyer was recruited, to be followed shortly afterwards by Bassist Joshua Coxon, who took up the remaining five strings. The bands debut live appearance at Fusion festival in Chesham just a few weeks later saw the band pull a huge crowd, winning them over with a set of warp speed blast beats, derranged groove, tribal fury and sheer intensity resulting in the band being invited back to headline a year later. With other choice gigs in the UK and Ireland including Cork Winterfest 2008 with Armon Amarth and Skyclad, and Bloodstock Open Air 2009 with Cradle Of Filth, Arch Enemy, Carcass and many more the band began to slowly spread their dark vision further.
Working now as a fully creative four piece, and beginning to escape their black metal roots and discover their own unique sound, a second album began to take shape. Beginning in Winter 2007, in a place that would come to be known as ‘The Black Metal Farm’, the band moved in and new material was written, recorded, re written, re reordered, scrapped, programmed, mixed and remixed until the band caught the attention of Russ Russell (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir) and in January 2009 the album was taken to Parlour Sound studios in Northamptonshire for Russ to work his unique magic upon the recordings.
Now, ‘Celebrating Impending Chaos’ is finally finished and lies quietly awaiting its destiny. A worldwide deal has been struck with a new label.. more details on this to come with the official press release. Diverging from the traditional black metal style slightly, the new material features influences ranging from the epic death metal of Nile to the beautifully misanthropic noise of PGI’s fellow countrymen Anaal Nathrakh and The Axis Of Perdition. A dose of 70s progressive rock may just be heard bubbling away in the background, whilst chaotic thrash riffs weave in and out of melodious and highly atmospheric black metal.
The Chaos Is Coming…
Line-Up:
Luke ‘Ljosalfur’ Lehane – guitar, vocals
Rob ‘Dokkalfur’ Lehane – vocals, guitar
Matt ‘Vordr’ Platts – drums
Simon ‘Psi’ Hancock – Bass
Links:
primitivegravenimage.com
facebook.com/primitivegravenimage
primitivegravenimage.bandcamp.com
myspace.com/primitivegravenimage
