PRIMORDIAL Frontman Clarifies His Stance On Illegal Music Downloading

Vocalist Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill of the of the Irish dark metal masters PRIMORDIAL has issued the following update:

"The [new PRIMORDIAL] album ['To the Nameless Dead'] is officially out this week and while the shipping figures from the label are excellent and more than the last one sold, it remains to be seen if people will go out and buy the thing…perhaps we are going to become the greatest 'cult' band of the last decade or more and live with it.

"That, my friends, is simply the way of the world sometimes. I'm not, of course, setting us up for this before I know the facts, but as Mr. Steele said, 'No Hope = No Fear!'

"Guess it's my self-defence mechanism kicking in before we know the results…

"None of it was our intention when we started the band anyway so it has been strange to be courted by certain sections of the media as if this was our first album.

"You could say at least critically we have come in from the fringes of the scene. Winning the soundchecks in Hammer, Rock Hard and Legacy in Germany was something we have been told only the last IRON MAIDEN album did leaves me feeling a little more detached than usual.

"Apparently, Brucie's [IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson] been playing us on his radio show anyway…strangers in a strange land indeed.

"Somehow I think even if we are on the inside we will remain on the outside. Outsider or rebel status befits us as a band and as Irishmen perfectly.

"I can't help feeling that maybe some of this attention has come somewhat late as we approach the twilight of our career, not really able to take up arms and hit the road for four weeks anymore like I can see younger bands doing. This is, as I said, the way of the world however. I have the feeling live shows are going to have to be something cherished in the future as they become more the exception than the norm.

"For all you vinyl fiends, it is out and you can get it from the store at www.metalblade.de and very nice it looks, if I may say so myself.

"We are hoping to start confirming some festivals for next year very soon. There are are a few confirmed like the Tomahawk and Ragnarok festivals in Germany but we hope to be able to throw a few more dates out there soon.

"Getting on tour is, of course, a priority for this album but there doesn't seem to be much happening tour-wise for the first five months of next year at all. Festivals are surely killing off touring for most bands. The only shows that seem to pull people are necro-underground bands that have dedicated fans and bands you would never see at a festival anyway, 5/6 band bills or huge bands. Leaves us bands in the purgatory I mentioned before somewhat lost! …Although thankfully we have always had the support of the underground we came from and feel most at home in, hopefully some dates will be confirmed soon as we try and unravel the mess each one of our lives have become as we gracefully reach 30 something respectability and find a tour written in the entrails…

"For some reason, in an article in Zero Tolerance magazine from the UK on downloading, my quote has been taken out of context and sprayed up on the walls at Blabbermouth like a tabloid headline. Saying I 'slam' illegal downloading.

"I've read and received a few snotty messages from people over the subject, and firstly, my quote is taken out of context not only with what I said, but secondly with the article itself. Of course I'm not stupid enough to think that downloading doesn't help bands like PRIMORDIAL become more widely known, and that yes 'x' of people do go out and buy the album.

"The fundamental principle of me having to pay to record me album and someone right-clicks and gets it for free is wrong in a basic sense. If I made the music for free, then maybe…however, I don't. And by doing so, the chances of us (or any band) playing in your town become slimmer or of being dropped by our label become greater. Bands don't exist on goodwill and luck alone…so stop your fucking chatroom whinging.

"Anyway, Arnhem Metal Meeting is only just over a week away and we are going to be playing a few new songs for the first time at it so we hope to see you at the Sacris Music Hall down the front waiting for the MAMA'S BOYS cover set…

"Condolences go out to the guys from DECAPITATED and Vitek's family.

"As unlikely a pairing as it seems we played a weekend of shows with them in Portugal 2 or 3 years ago and I can hear Vitek now telling me to calm down blaring AC/DC in the bus and have a spliff…."