PRIME CREATION – Prime Creation

Prime Creation’s self-titled debut offering is a solid Melodic Metal album, a clean-sounding blend of rapid industrial drumming, sharp edged riffs, and strong, clear vocals. The initial vibe is reminiscent of Nevermore; fans of that band will likely find Prime Creation a high point in Metal for 2017. Singer Esa Englund channels Graham Bonnet during the Alcatrazz years (this is a high compliment) throughout the album, but especially on the chorus of “27” where he stretches into the higher ranges of his vocal ability. His performances are stellar on each track and the vocals are one of the most compelling attributes of the record. Judicious use of keyboards here and there add pleasant atmospherics to some of the tracks, most notably on “Crown Of Creation”, but are never obtrusive enough to distract from the machine-tooled punch of the drums or shred of the guitars.

There isn’t a bad track on the album, but neither is there a clear stand out for next months’ mix playlist (although on repeated listens “Years Of Crossness” and “Born In Fear” both come close). The eight songs on Prime Creation are all well-crafted, well-executed shards of Metal, but there isn’t the sense of risk or exploration that transforms a good album into a great one. Still, Prime Creation is a very good album, with a great singer, and there’s always room for good albums and promising new bands in Metal. Prime Creation will be a band to watch.

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