I’m going to throw out some names and see if you recognize any of them: Tommy Victor, Dave Ogilvie, Chris Kniker, Graham Crabb, Erie Loch, Mark Thwaite. Do you recognize any of these names? You better because these are just some of the names involved with Primitive Race that make it an honest supergroup.
I’m always skeptical when the term “supergroup” is thrown around. Many “supergroups” have disappointed fans in the years past. Usually suffering from a producer taking a ton of raw talent and forcing it to all be the same thing. This is something Primitive Race does NOT do and why they work so well.
With a roster of talent from the likes of Prong, Skinny Puppy, RevCo, and Pop Will Eat Itself, Primitive Race is eleven Industrial tracks that all work together in harmony but each have their own identity. Tracks like “Seeing Through It All” and “Taking Things Back” play out like industrial synthed Prong tracks (a lot of that due to Tommy Victor on vocals).
Tracks like “Cage Rattler” kicks up things with some catchy, swinging industrial grooves that’ll make you move. “Follow The Leader” performs in a similar vein with one hell of a simple, but earwig [song stuck in your head] inducing groove and ultra catchy chorus. After listening to this track, there were times I would find myself randomly chanting the chorus to myself while in a dead silent room.
Primitive Race is not throat smashing industrial metal. If you’re looking for lightning speed, thrashy guitars or thunder pounding drums, this isn’t the album for you. Don’t misunderstand though, Primitive Race is heavy industrial. It’s smart industrial. It’s catchy industrial. It’s a world full of talent that knows how to make groove laden, industrial tunes that stick in your head. That’s what makes Primitive Race well worth a purchase.