Where Greater Men Have Fallen
| Where Greater Men Have Fallen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 25, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | June 2014[1] | |||
| Studio | Grouse Lodge studios (Westmeath, Ireland)[2] | |||
| Genre | Black metal, Celtic metal, doom metal | |||
| Length | 58:45 | |||
| Label | Metal Blade Records | |||
| Producer | Jaime Gomez Arellano | |||
| Primordial chronology | ||||
| ||||
Where Greater Men Have Fallen is the eighth full-length album by Irish metal band Primordial. The album was released on November 25, 2014, through Metal Blade Records.[3] A music video for the track 'Babel's Tower' was released on November 24, 2014.[4]
The album reached #24 on the Top Heatseekers chart,[5] #24 on Billboard's Top New Artist Chart and #43 on Billboard's Hard Music Chart, and #104 on Billboard's Independent Albums Chart.[6]
Track listing[edit]
All lyrics are written by A.A. Nemtheanga[7]
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Where Greater Men Have Fallen" | Micheál O'Floinn | 8:06 |
| 2. | "Babel's Tower" | Ciáran MacUiliam | 8:15 |
| 3. | "Come the Flood" | MacUiliam | 7:16 |
| 4. | "The Seed of Tyrants" | MacUiliam | 5:32 |
| 5. | "Ghosts of the Charnel House" | Pól MacAmlaigh | 7:29 |
| 6. | "The Alchemist's Head" | MacUiliam | 6:08 |
| 7. | "Born to Night" | MacUiliam | 8:55 |
| 8. | "Wield Lightning to Split the Sun" | MacUiliam | 7:04 |
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [8] |
| Metal Injection | Very positive[9] |
| Pitchfork | 7.9/10[10] |
| Rolling Stone |  [11] |
The album was generally well received by critics. Pitchfork wrote that "Compared to Primordial’s past successes, the stripped-and-centered approach might seem simplistic, but the hour-long result is more immediate because of it. From beginning to end, Fallen feels like a compulsory listen."[10] About.com's Dan Drago also praised the album, concluding in his review that "Where Greater Men Have Fallen is more proof of their ability to grow and maintain such a high level of songwriting. Equal in stature to their last two releases, they seem to be reaching new heights and very few bands can match their passion. They have once again released a sure candidate for album of the year."
Many critics were particularly complimentary towards A.A. Nemtheanga's vocals on the album.[8][9][10] Writing for Rolling Stone, Kim Kelly wrote that "Alan Averill is a vocal powerhouse, soaring atop melodic black/folk metal compositions that channel doom and gloom as well as triumph. [...] When Averill howls "The heart of your motherland will be ripped from her chest," a million ghosts cry out with him."
Personnel[edit]
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[12]
Primordial[edit]
- A.A. Nemtheanga – Vocals, lyrics
- Ciáran MacUiliam – Guitars
- Michael O'Floinn – Guitars
- Pól MacAmlaigh – Bass
- Simon O'Laoghaire – Drums
Production and art[edit]
- Jaime Gomez Arellano – Producer, Engineer
- Costin Chioreanu – Artwork, Layout
- Jesko Mägle – Photography
- Marco Manzi – Photography
- John Gallardo – Photography
- Miluta Flueras – Back Cover Photo, Cover Photo
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] | 45 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] | 34 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 97 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[16] | 24 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Primordial on Facebook.com". 4 February 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen". discogs.com. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Metal Blade Primordial Where Greater Men Have Fallen". Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ "PRIMORDIAL release official videoclip for 'Babel's Tower'!". 24 November 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "AllMusic Where Greater Men Have Fallen awards". Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "PRIMORDIAL - Where Greater Men Have Fallen First Week Chart Numbers Revealed". 4 December 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "Allmusic Where Greater Men Have Fallen tracklist page". Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ a b Drago, Dan. "About.com Primordial Where Greater Men Have Fallen review". Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ a b Mathis, Shayne (26 November 2014). "Metal Injection Primordial Where Greater Men Have Fallen review". Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Currin, Grayson (9 December 2014). "Pitchfork Primordial Where Greater Men Have Fallen review". Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ Kelly, Kim (18 November 2014). "Rolling Stone Primordial Where Greater Men Have Fallen review". Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ "Allmusic Where Greater Men Have Fallen credits page". Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "Primordial: Where Greater Men Have Fallen" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Primordial Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
