PRIMORDIAL To Tour North America In May

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

"It's been a long summer and an extended autumn, but finally after the Way of Darkness Festival, we are finished the festival season completely and I have to say I couldn't be more glad to be done with airports for at least six months. Getting up at the crack of dawn, airport security, landing then driving for another few hours to more or less go straight from the back of a van to the stage and then back home again after a sleepless night in a cheap hotel has really lost its appeal for a few months. I know this is what you sign up for when you start out in a band so it would be churlish to complain but for the moment I'm completely burnt out with it all.
Until 2009...

"Heidenfest [European tour] is almost upon us and we have been rehearsing for it. We have a 60-minute set and hope to rotate some different songs every night. There are a few things though that I feel I have to address about the tour because I've seen some disparaging remarks about the line up on forums and I've had a few negative conversations with people over the tour.

"We didn't choose the bands, we were one of the first bands offered the tour and although I did make suggestions to the booking agent for bands that would have added something to the tour but things are as they are. Nothing against the bands we are touring with, none are to my listening tastes as I'm sure anyone who knows me will know that but we view the tour as a challenge. Hardcore PRIMORDIAL fans may not want to pay the money for Heidenfest but believe me it won't be the last time we are on tour or playing in any of these countries. The decision is yours but once we stand on the stage, nothing will change. We are looking forward to it and making some new converts and having a beer or two with some new people and bands.

"We can also, after a lot of internal wrangling, announce that we will tour North America for the very first time in May of 2009. The details I can't announce yet but the line up looks solid and there are 24 dates in all, including Canada. We've been getting a lot of e-mails and messages on the subject this year so it is with a certain amount of satsifaction I can announce it and no little vindication that finally after all these years and only one show to our name in America we are coming back.

"The reissues are coming in early 2009 and Paul McCaroll from Scald is again going to over see the artwork and aesthetics. We are busy trying to find bonus material for all four discs.

"We have also announced another Dublin show for January 2009. Almost a year to the day we played in 2008. After much thought we decided to keep the lineup all Irish with DARKEST ERA and MOURNING BELOVETH making it a very strong bill. We will film it with an option to releasing it sometime if all things go according to plan. Many many people travelled a long way from all over the world to make the last show a very special occasion and we are hoping this one will be the same. We are going to try and make some special deal or freebie for anyone with a foreign passport at the door."

PRIMORDIAL's latest album, "To the Nameless Dead", was released in November 2007 on Metal Blade Records.

Fan-filmed video footage of PRIMORDIAL performing the song "As Rome Burns" at this year's Tuska festival on June 28, 2008 in Helsinki, Finland can be viewed below (clip uploaded by YouTube user "OneManHorde").