PRIMITIVE MAN return with their most crushing album to date, Observance. After twelve years at the forefront of underground music, PRIMITIVE MAN takes merciless aim at the plentiful ills that besiege the world around them, and in the process of doing so do not spare themselves from their flagellating tongue-lashings.

With motifs and symbols recurring throughout the lyrics and artwork (also created by McCarthy), and drawing influence from the work of Tongo Eisen-Martin - specifically Blood on the Fog - McCarthy doesn’t offer answers, he only seeks to share his experiences. Personal and professional pitfalls are explored against the backdrop of a broken social contract that is decimating the lives of working class citizens. While party politics dominate the media, a more insidious divide preoccupies McCarthy as he is haunted by techno feudalism and the future of human rights and social unrest.

Whilst McCarthy’s lyrics are a dominant presence throughout Observance, the six songs that make up the album are a truly collaborative effort written and arranged with absolute devotion. Drummer Joe Linden, bassist Jon Campos and McCarthy threw themselves into writing shortly after the release of 2022’s Insurmountable EP. Committing to the task at hand, the trio describe themselves as “obsessed” during the genesis of Observance; the intricacies of shaping their evolving, trance-inducing sound became all-consuming.

Despite leaning into their more experimental side, PRIMITIVE MAN maintain a tight grip on the heavy sound that has defined them for years. Observance is still a challenging record, demanding the listener’s attention at every turn. The sound of Observance is imbued with a new element for the band - sadness. Yet McCarthy describes this as the most positive PRIMITIVE MAN record to date; even as they pick over the carcass of disillusionment they still seek a way out, a path towards the light. Observance was recorded and mixed throughout February and March 2025, at Bricktop Recording Studio in Chicago with producer Andy Nelson, before being mastered by Arthur Rizk.

credits

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