Raw, anguishing metal with some rhythmic volatility.

The band, Primitive Man, re-enters the extreme music landscape with the bleak, new full-length album, Observance. Since their 2012 debut, the band has helped shape the underground sound of the Denver, Colo. sludge metal scene. Primitive Man’s style unites agonising, slow-grinding doom with their signature, deep-throated vocals, resulting in a sinister atmosphere.

When discussing the members of the band, Primitive Man is a trio with each member contributing significantly to the songwriting and arrangements for the album, Observance. Aside from providing Primitive Man’s distinctive vocal style, Ethan McCarthy is considered the leader and speaker for the band. The remainder of their lineup is composed of Jonathan Campos on bass and Joe Linden on drums. In addition, Primitive Man’s influences include Godflesh, Neurosis and Corrupted, influencing their sludge metal sound, which is noticeable on the album’s subsequent tracks.

Regarding the third, lengthy track on the album, “Transactional” is full of despair. The track features guitars that are slightly less distorted than in previous, more chaotic works, a choice that paradoxically allows the grinding, low-end drone to blend more clearly with the melodic chord progressions and tortured vocals. In addition, the slow tempo itself adds to the agony already provided by the band’s blend of shrieking vocals. The guitars and drums barely speed up throughout the track, creating a gloomy and subjugated feel.

Furthermore, the fifth track, “Natural Law,” opens with a low-frequency hum intro, along with the monolithic riffs maintaining a lumbering, slow pace during the musical piece. The drums play in rapid bursts, and they add a distinct presence, allowing the guitars to impart a crushing weight throughout most of the composition. Also, Primitive Man’s deep, suffocating vocals give the song a macabre quality as he sings about violence and hatred throughout the composition.

With this release, Observance is a masterful display of the doom aesthetic, rooted deeply in the band’s foundational, primal methodology. Primitive Man successfully blends moments of raw, anguishing metal with some rhythmic volatility, resulting in a cohesive work that amplifies their core despair. While the dark tone of the album is solid, it’s too often swallowed by the drawn-out drone, leaving the listener to wonder if the band is capable of delivering the same message without adhering so strictly to sludgy monotony.