Primitive – With The Rats And Snakes
Release Date: 12th August 2022
Label: Self-Released
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Melodic-Metalcore
FFO: Trivium, Sylosis, early Lamb of God.
Review By: Ryan Payne
From Melbourne, Australia, we have the 4-piece metal band Primitive, with their 2nd EP “With the Rats and Snakes”, a follow-up from their self-titled debut EP which was released in 2017. These boys’ pride themselves on bringing back the early 2000’s era metalcore back into the mainstream by releasing an EP that is crammed full of grooves, solos and riffs that will kick you straight back to the good old days. When asked about the upcoming release and the release of their 1st single from the record, vocalist/guitarist Tim Gauci had this to say:
“‘With the Rats and Snakes’ is a natural step to a more directed and matured sound. It was a conscious effort to learn from our previous efforts, see what we could expand on, and introduce new elements to draw closer to perfecting ‘our sound’. The title track/first single perfectly encompasses what we’ve done before, and what we’ve recently discovered in the writing room.”
We open with the song “Curses” which acts as an introduction for the rest of the EP. The simplistic and dark tones from the acoustic guitar and the drums building up really set the atmosphere for what’s yet to come. We then explode into the next track and the 1st single from the record, “With the Rats and Snakes”. This one song alone brings back all the memories of falling in love with the genre all those years ago: the harmonized metalcore riffs being played atop the drumming that keep the speed and aggression flowing throughout the track, the solos that combine thrash speed and melodic beauty thrown in several places to add a bit more flavour to the song. For fans of early Trivium and As I Lay Dying, I can tell this EP is really going to resonate with you. “Broken Hands” brings a more groove element to the table while keeping true with the Primitive sound we’re accustomed to. We also get to hear a bit more range from the vocals in this track, hitting some very nice mid-low-level screams in the middle section. “The Last Night” has a slower sound than the previous tracks, but in no way does it lack the energy from the previous tracks. The hook in this song will definitely get heads banging and crowds screaming words back.
The music is definitely the main focus throughout “With the Rats and Snakes”, bringing forward the amazing writing capabilities and talent these musicians have to offer. Every riff, solo and beat is executed with perfection, and it is definitely an attribute I heavily admire. The vocals got a bit repetitive for me after a while, there wasn’t much range or anything that really stuck out while listening. For a band that thrives on sticking to the old school sound, I was hoping for more diversity vocally. Lucky enough, the music makes up for it and whenever I decide to bring out the golden age records, I’ll be throwing these guys right into the mix. 
(3 / 5)
