Primitive Man - Caustic: A Review

by Kenneth Fury

Caustic by Primitive Man is an album yanked out of the underworld. This album feels like being encased in concrete. Through the hour and seventeen minute runtime, Primitive Man push sludge metal to its extreme. The masterful production really allows for the brutal atmosphere to take hold and keep its grip. Each instrument contributes to the crushing, looming overall sound. The drums and vocals are perhaps my favourite. The cover art sets the tone perfectly, like the artifacts of a forgotten grave. Lyrically, this album reveals inner thoughts that perhaps we dismiss as too dark or honest, ones that hit too close to home. Through Caustic, the ideas of loss of time and life, misanthropy incited by ones problems and the general feeling of indignation that leads to hate are forced onto you. Caustic is a scream into the void, one of the most anguished I've heard. Primitive Man don't employ regret into sparse acoustic guitars, opting instead to convey their ideas through demanding instrumentals. While the album employs different paces, the sludgey walk becomes familiar but never, even for a second, comfortable.

If you're looking for a challenging listen that gives no quarter, this is it. Listen at your own risk.

Favourite track: Sugar Hole

Favourite lyric: "I pissed my youth away, And the adult world has swept me into the gutter"