23rd September 2023

Review: “Primal Fury” by Earthblood

“With the might of the crushing bass and rumble of drums the immense fuzz guitar smashes through a world tormented by demons and ape warriors” ~ Earthblood

Adorned by cover artwork from Indonesian artist Reza Putra (Sadists, Shotgun Angels, Daelkyr) the debut EP “Primal Fury” from Espoo, Finland trio Earthblood looks set to be simply the tip of the iceberg. Humorously describing their sound as “Frenzied ape thunder metal”, drummer Niko Kauhanen, guitarist and vocalist Jere Halonen and bassist and vocalist Joel Notkonen only formed the band in the spring of 2023 but with a history of friendship the tip had a clear vision. So much so that they were actually recording a sophomore EP before their debut arrived, details of which are promised before the year is out…

So what’s the vision of Earthblood? Well on their debut they seamlessly fuse classic elements of Stoner and Sludge Metal with the fast tempos and riffing of both Thrash and Death Metal to create their hallmark sound… and it’s not as primitive as they seem to suggest. Opening cut “Primal Fury” is an absolute thunderstorm of a track built around a whirlwind of percussion that drives everything forward at the temp of the damned. There are echoes of Max Cavalera’s work in Soulfly here, the with his vocal stylings a seemingly obvious influence while the riffs are also not to distant from those of the Brazilian, all well executed powerhouse rhythms, the absence of a solo made up for by the sheer force of the impact. Leads give “Sigil” a slightly different dynamic with hints at Melodic Death Metal influence buried beneath the frantic and frenetic energy of the piece while some surprising deeper, darker death growls mid cut are a real demonic calling from the void. This one does feature a solo and it’s an absolute face melter which begs the question how did these ideas come to fruition so quickly? From formation to release in less than six months is simply astounding.

The death growls return in “The Bellows of Terra” which also has some almost ethereal clean backing vocals that border on the work of a choir underneath the sonic weight of the sound. The contrast is masterful, as is the kit work of Kauhanen whose work is not only phenomenal but thoroughly engaging in its own right. There are so many nuances in the complexity of the drum sound alone that it makes others sound lazy. Delivered at breakneck speed “Acid Viking” is an ode to folklore, a tale of strength and power that knows no bounds. A fine addition, it pushes the boundaries of the earlier offerings on the record, showcasing that the band have more that tribal rhythms and crushing bass up their collective sleeves and may even have a Motorhead cover in their locker for a rainy day. As debut records go this is easily amongst the most polished and complete sounding with the band being not only obviously a talented groups of musicians but having a clear vision of what they want to sound like… [8.5/10]

Track Listing