The long awaited follow up to 2014’s Where Greater Men Have Fallen sees the veterans of Irish metal rise to new heights.

Exile Amongst the Ruins is stark in its execution. Each track is as triumphantly well-crafted as the next, with the expressive and poignant lyrics of AA Nemtheanga leading the charge. But the record marks a leap forward for Primordial, by cultivating more layers of atmospheric emotion around their unique sound.

Most acts classified under the doom and black metal genres usually explore visceral themes as a way of asserting provocation. Primordial explore dark themes for sure, but with a level of maturity in their erudite lyrics that puts them miles ahead of their counterparts.

The songwriting talent of the band is everywhere evident on their 9th studio release - experimenting with new rhythms and song structures. Crushing opener ‘Nail Their Tongues’ gets proceedings underway with a mighty roar, inspiring a crescendo that tethers the lines of doom and black metal. ‘Stolen Years’ feels like a musical inception, characterised with atmospheric guitar and soul stirring lyrics.

The title-track is trademark Primordial, with dark haunting melodies that linger in the inagination. Nemtheanga’s ability to crank up the intensity on ‘Where Lie The Gods’ is nothing short of mesmerising. The album is one of their heaviest yet, with the pummeling ‘To Hell Or The Hangman’ chugging like a freight train.

Raw and emotive,Exile Amongst the Ruins is a juggernaut of an album that will be difficult to top this year. Truly brilliant stuff.

Record label: Metal Blade Records
Listen to: 'Where Lie The Gods'
Rating: 9/10