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| Interview by Burt Wolf with Paddy Kennedy, guitarist & backing vocals for PRIMAL DAWN. Interview done December 20th, 2006. |
| CAN YOU GIVE US A RUN DOWN OF THE HISTORY OF PRIMAL DAWN SO FAR? HOW YOU GOT TOGETHER & ANY PREVIOUS BANDS MEMBERS WERE IN BEFORE? PRIMAL DAWN was formed after the demise of a previous band that involved both myself & John. We recorded our first self titled MCD about three months after forming. This was more in the style of late 80's Death Metal, DEATH, MORGOTH, MASSACRE, etc. The second MCD, "THE EUTHANASIA PROGRAM" was recorded in 2002 after the recruitment of Jason Connolly on drums. This was very different in style from the first release, with longer songs, better musicianship & some different influences through out. "ZEALOT" was recorded last year after Rory joined on second guitar. WHY WAS THE NAME PRIMAL DAWN CHOSEN AS THE BANDS NAME? It refers to a point on the ever repeating cycle of civilization, birth, zenith, decline, death, rebirth, etc. The PRIMAL DAWN is the ever recurring beginning when everything is rebuilt a new. WHO OR WHAT HAS HAD ANY INFLUENCE ON YOU IN MUSIC & LIFE IN GENERAL? Musically the likes of ANGELCORPSE, ALLFATHER, AXIS OF ADVANCE, early MORBID ANGEL, early DEICIDE, DESTROYER 666, etc. Concept wise our lyrics deal with decline, degeneration, decadence & such things, while promoting strong values in contrast to this. The concept of creating your own superior status over the enslaved majority through awareness, learning, the building of physical & mental strength, etc. Creating something positive for yourself, living by a good moral character in the face of such decline & filth. |
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| HOW WOULD YOU BEST DESCRIBE THE STYLE & SOUND OF PRIMAL DAWN TO ANYONE WHO HAS YET TO HEAR YOU GUYS? It's hard to describe as somebody on the inside. A mix of the above mentioned influences. Fast, brutal & intense with thought provoking, positive lyrics. YOUR NEWEST RELEASE OUT IS "ZEALOT" WHICH HAS BEEN OUT FOR SOME TIME NOW. WHAT HAS THE OVER ALL RESPONSE BEEN TO THIS RELEASE SO FAR? |
| The response has been excellent so far. The CD has really surprised a lot of people & generated a lot of interest in the band. HAS THERE BEEN ANY LABEL INTEREST STIRRED UP FROM THIS RELEASE? IF SO, WHICH LABELS? Yes, our first album will be released on INVICTUS PRODUCTIONS next year & "ZEALOT" is also being re-released by Canada's NHR RECORDS with some extra stuff. We also have a split 7" coming out with ALLFATHER due out some time next year, although we have not found a label to put that out yet. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE COVER ARTWORK A LITTLE BIT & WHO DID IT? The cover was designed by Lindsay A Kerr, who has also done art for ALLFATHER, SOL AXIS & SPEARHEAD, as well as doing the PRIMAL DAWN & INVICTUS websites. The cover art is a depection of a Norman battle scene, surrounded by images reflecting death, to represent the idea that decline & death is inevitable in life, despite all noble efforts to the contray. Tying again in with the theme of a PRIMAL DAWN. YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE THE TYPICAL LYRICAL CONTENT AS MOST BANDS IN YOUR STYLE. WHAT IS SOME OF THE LYRICAL CONTENT IN YOUR SONGS? "Wrathe Of The Righteous" is about human low life in general & calls for a general cleansing of these people. This is obviously quite a fantastical notion in an age where it is considered noble & moral to perpetuate the existance of such beings, but never the less, serves as a statement of distain for modern morality, if you can call it that. "Reap The Chosen" is about the herd of the mindless masses & how easily they are controlled, either by religion, the media, capitalists, lying politicians, various interest groups & so fourth. "Worlds Within Worlds" is similar in it's theme, again a criticism of the general herd of mentality. "Siliently By The Sword" refers to the Cromwellian Invasion in Ireland in the seventeenth century, in which elevene million acres of land was taken from the Irish people by the invaders. In many ways this laid the foundations of many of the peoblems we have in Ireland today. WHO WRITES THE MAJORITY OF THE MUSIC & LYRICS IN THE BAND OR IS IT A WHOLE BAND COLLABORATION THING? It is a collaboration between the 4 of us, although it has to be said that Rory is very industrious when it comes to writing music these days. I really need to get the finger out & get writing stuff myself. The lyrics are written only by myself & John. |
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| IS THERE ANY NEWER MATERIAL IN THE WORKS OR ALREADY RELEASED BESIDES "ZEALOT"? There are newer songs written & the song for the split with ALLFATHER is recorded. HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU GUYS HAVE IMPROVED OR CHANGED SINCE YOUR FIRST RELEASE TO NOW? The band of today is unrecognizable from the band that recorded the first MCD. We have improved on every level since the early days. It was not until the release of "ZEALOT" that we really found our right style I think. The band is stronger & more focused now than at any point previously & I think this comes across in the music! |
| DOES PRIMAL DAWN PLAY OUT A LOT? WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES YOU'VE PLAYED? WHO WERE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS YOU'VE SHARED THE STAGE WITH? We don't play so much, we generally will only play to support some bigger touring playing Dublin. We did some gigs in Europe recently which went really well, especially INFERNAL WAR in London who were really excellent. It was great to share the stage with DESTROYER 666 & REVENGE when they played in Dublin & also ANCIENT RITES when they played here as I am a big fan of these bands. WHAT DO THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND DO WHEN NOT DOING ANY WORK FOR THE BAND? JOBS, HOBBIES, ETC? I work full time & I am doing a degree in politics part time. I am very much into fitness, generally weight lifting & also martial arts. I also read a lot, generally history & WWII related. ARE YOU INTO ANY OTHER STYLES OF MUSIC BESIDES WHAT YOU PLAY? WHO ARE SOME OF THE BANDS YOU HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN LISTENING TO? Some favorites of mine are CHANGES, BLOOD AXIS, AXIS OF ADVANCE, ANGELCORPSE, ARDITI, old MORBID ANGEL (Vincent era only), old MAYHEM, BATHORY, DISSECTION, PUISSANCE, BURZUM, DEAD CAN DANCE, ABIGOR, DESTROYER 666, SIGRBLOT, etc. The last CD I bought that impressed me was the new ARCHGOAT album "WHORE OF BETHLEHEM". WHAT WAS THE FIRST CONCERT YOU EVER WENT TO? WHAT WAS THE FIRST ALBUM YOU REMEMBER BUYING? The first album I ever got was IRON MAIDEN "LIVE AFTER DEATH". The first concert I was at was MACHINE HEAD/MESHUGGAH in 1994 (I think). I would have been 14 or 15. I wasn't a fan of MACHINE HEAD as to me they were nothing more than a bunch of Hip Hop loving twats, but some of the guys I was friends with at the time were fans & were going, plus gigs were quite scarce in Dublin at the time, so when something like that was on, all the Metalheads used to go regardless of their interest in the band. |
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| WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BEST & WORST PART ABOUT BEING IN A BAND? The best part of course that satisfaction of a good release or even walking off stage after a good gig. The worst is lugging gear around before gigs & listening to people complain about having to do it, to sum it up briefly for me. |
| WHAT IS LIFE LIKE LIVING IN IRELAND? ANY MISCONCEPTIONS? Plenty of misconceptions of course, but unfortunately many of the stereotypes are justified. Ireland in 2006 is like any other western nation. Affleuent, cultureless, emaciated, multicultural, effeminate, decadent & a general disgrace to our forefathers who laid down their lives to give us the comforts we take for granted today. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE NEXT FROM PRIMAL DAWN? As I said above, we have a few things due out next year, but the dates are not set as of yet. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE ANSWERING THIS INTERVIEW? WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW THAT IT'S DONE? Reading Hess-The Missing Years by David Irving. Great book. I'M OUT OF QUESTIONS. THANX FOR ANSWERING THEM. ADD ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO CLOSE OUT! Thanks for supporting PRIMAL DAWN & apologies for the delay in returning the interview. |
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| ALL PHOTOS & GRAPHICS COURTESY OF PRIMAL DAWN INTERVIEWS MAIN PAGE |