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The Primordial Blues
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The Primordial Blues, the fourth album from Aarhus, Denmark avant-hardcore technicians OXX, is a monument to misery and a harbinger of perpetual sadness.
Citing influences that range from the literary devices of Jorge Luis Borges and Vladimir Nabokov to the works of avant-garde composer Marc Ducret and Brownsville rappers Ka and Sean Price, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Alex Bossen explores the ramifications of severe mental illness and the way it permeates our perception of every phenomena around us, elaborating “as your tools of perception become irrevocably twisted, your surroundings twist with them. Your home and your hometown become reflections and reminders of your own insanity.”
Alongside the video for the record's explosive lead single, Bossen writes "every track on The Primordial Blues attempts to translate different literary concepts or devices to music, and ‘The Coast’ is no different. For this one, I was trying to approximate a sort of aphoristic structure; a song made up of shorter, declarative sentences, as opposed to a longer and more immediately coherent paragraph. More plainly: it is a long string of unrepeating riffs, each of them sort of circling the same themes and motifs, but not quite a direct continuation of each other. It's a song about what happens when the narratives you have constructed to make sense of your personal miseries collapse, and you realize that you might not be the victim of some cosmic injustice, or the center of some romantic tragedy. Maybe you're just an asshole."
The Primordial Blues was recorded by the band, mixed by Klaus Q Hedegaard Nielsen, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Full Of Hell, Eyes), and completed with artwork by Aske A Hvidtfeldt and layout by Greg Meisenberg. The record also features guest contributions of violin/viola from Kristine Kier, cello from Emalia Slusarczyk, double bass from Adrian Christensen, and piano from Esben Tjalve.
“...a crosscut between sludgy lumberings and manic riffing that feels both mathy and chaotic. It’s a helluva ride, punctuated by enraged vocals and a rhythm section that feels like it’s been given the unenviable task of making sense of complete madness… what should sound like a sonic train wreck has a sort of unexpected cohesiveness to it.” - Decibel Magazine
“Combining elements of technical death metal, metallic hardcore, progressive metal, and many other stylistic points in between… an arrangement that reveals odd twists and turns when you least expect them." - No Echo
"This record is proggy as fuck, loud and unforgiving, but it can also be a delight for listeners whose necks don’t snap trying to keep up with time-signature changes. […] While some proggy bands feel self-indulgent, everything clicks into place on The Primordial Blues. Like Pynchon’s work, this record isn’t an easy listen, but it’s rewarding for those who can keep up with the sheer pace of OXX’s ideas." - Toilet Ov Hell
"Chaos has never been so inviting. Hot and abstract hues of molten color greet the eyes and the ears, and you’d be remiss to step aside. The Primordial Blues is nearly unrelenting, constantly unpredictable, and always bludgeoning, dwelling in labyrinthine hostile twists and turns. While names like The Chariot, Coalesce, and Every Time I Die will certainly come to mind, what sets the Danish OXX apart is its fullness and warmth. While undeniably heavy, it tones down the scathing sting of mathcore’s less forgiving hearts, and instead dwells in punishment by dull blade. Rather than the sum of its disjointed pieces with the grace of an explosion, OXX feels like a full-blooded beast and functional organism." - Angry Metal Guy
“What this Danish group brings to the table, in addition to belligerent, headbangingly heavy and sludgy riffs, is an amalgamation of off kilter, time signature stomping, tempo shifting chaos that is still somehow easy to digest... Tracks are almost cacophonous in nature, as the unrelenting pace and the stop/start transitions run circles around the listener's head.” - Metal Epidemic
“…the technical level of the musicians is immense... stepping on post metal ideas that fit very well without exaggerating and give an interesting pause to what they have been doing, so, their personality is huge, and they can go where they want without spoiling the initial riffs or those that come after a main rhythm… 9/10 (translated)” - Metallerium
"With a history that includes time spent in a music conservatory, OXX isn't your typical chaotic hardcore/metal group. Comparisons to the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah don't do justice to the Danish trio's meticulous songwriting process." - Dreams of Consciousness