A Storm Of Light / Nadja / Primitive North

Robotic Empire

Every few years a collaboration stands above the myriad split releases that are haphazardly scrapped together. Primitive North is what two strong bands can create when their forces are joined together.  Reaching well beyond their debut album, And We Wept the Black Ocean Within, A Storm of Light enters uncharted territories. Fusing delicate melodies with oppressive dirge metal and dense atmospherics, the band has truly come into their own with these two phenomenal tracks. Contagious, hypnotic, and haunting--though no big surprise, considering A Storm of Light is helmed by frontman Josh Graham, who cut his teeth as the visual artist for Neurosis and is a founding member of both Red Sparowes and Battle of Mice.  The prolific Nadja, a true behemoth of stark, glacial-paced sludge, delivers another massive epic of blissful genius. The duo's single 20-plus-minute track consists of their patented molasses-thick wall of ultra-dense fuzz and surprisingly tuneful white noise. Shifting from a serene and uplifting aural setting to an absolutely soul-crushing Broadrick-esque industrial nightmare, Nadja is a beast of many faces.   Primitive North offers the best of both worlds, as volatile remixes also accompany the original works. Each band has reconfigured the other's material, resulting in re-workings that complement the original songs perfectly. Adding to all of this is stunning original artwork by Graham, packaged in a beautiful five-color gatefold sleeve with a CD version of the same material. Last but not least, the flipside of the remix disc has laser-etched artwork, taking the whole concept of a split release to the next level.

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