Give us a quick rundown of the PRIMITIVE story so far? 

The primitive story starts in high school where Tim, Frank, and I played under the banners of Crazzy Train (yes that’s a double Z) and eventually Forsaken, with various bass players from school. The Forsaken project spilled out of high school into adult life for a few years, but the wheels eventually fell off and we called it quits for many reasons. The principle reason probably being that we were discovering ourselves and the world and creating new versions of ourselves. Fast forward a few years and we all decided to catch up for old times sake. This is where we discovered that we were all feeling the itch and just like the Blues Brothers, we agreed that we were ‘getting the band back together.’ From there, we spent a long time writing music, scrapping music, then writing more music. Until we had a solid body of work that would ultimately constitute our very first self titled EP under the new banner ‘Primitive.’ We released the extended play in 2016 with the help of bass player Flynn, which catapulted us onto the scene and climaxed in international supports such as Archspyre, Cavalera Conspiracy, Omnium Gatherum, Unearth, Fleshgod Apocalypse. As well as sharing the stage with many fantastic Aussie bands such as Psycroptic, and even Cosmic Psychos! As well as a host of other talented home grown outfits. In 2018 we were able to take the international stage for the first time in a short run around Japan supporting Death Metal legends The Crown, and Origin…what an experience!! In 2019 we recruited Daniel Quinn for bass duties and got to work right away in playing around the country as well as writing the new record. Then there was a pandemic. Then we recorded (finally!) our new Ep which is out August 12th. 

 

Labels & webzines often like to write at the end of a bio or review with the term ‘for fans of’ such & such bands. But we really think the band itself should be telling us this. So enlighten us if you would. PRIMITIVEis for fans of? 

Our influences stem from everything to brutal extreme metal to hip-hop and everything in between. I would say however though, that fans of Trivium, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Millie Vanillie, Gojira, Pantera, Ronan Keating, Metallica, Machine Head, Abba, Psycroptic, and just good straight up heavy music in general will find this a good listen. 

 

Your second EP, ‘With The Rats And Snakes’, is out on August 12thindependently. What would you say to a metal punter now to convince them to part with their bitcoin or credit card & grab themselves a copy? 

I would say that if you don’t like this Ep, it’s because you like shit music!! 

 

Speaking of bitcoin, if you were going to start your own cryptocurrency, what would you call it & why? 

I would call it Shitcoin, because everyone I know who has tried to convince me to invest in crypto has been full of it! 

 

In your promo photo we received, Tim is the only one not crossing his arms. Is this because he forgot or maybe he isn’t tough enough? Do you think it is important that everyone looks tough in a metal band promo photo? 

If you look at Tim’s Insta bio, it reads something along the lines of ‘go against the grain until the end.’ So I’m guessing it's just the rebel streak in him, if we were all standing with our hands by our sides, he’d have crossed his arms! I don’t know whether it’s about looking tough per se, but rather exhibiting confidence in the statement that you are making. 

 

Would you prefer to be a rat or a snake & why? 

I’d be a rat, they are smart problem solving animals who have lots of sex. There’s also a chance that you will be eaten by a snake. What a bad ass heavy metal way to go! 

 

Do you like Soulfly’s album Primitive? 

Is the pope Catholic?! Yes, I love that groovy shit! 

 

Mainstream metal vs the underground – what’s your preference & hit us with 3 bands that have been tickling your fancy lately & we should check out. 

It doesn’t have to be one or the other for me. Good music is good music. At the moment I’m listening to Psycroptic, Fit For An Autopsy and Portishead. 

 

Favourite musical format? Tape, vinyl, CD or digital & why? 

While I enjoy the convenience of digital, my absolute favourite would be vinyl. It’s the event of opening up the album and putting the record on the turntable. Dropping the needle, hearing the scratches and pops and listening to the album in the sequence that the artist intended is what makes it for me. Voila! 

 

What formats will your EP be available on? 

With The Rats And Snakes will be available on all major streaming services. And there will be hard-copy CDs for anyone who prefers that. 

 

A lot of bands in the current climate are adapting & coming up with some interesting & out there ideas for merch. Anything you plan on doing differently? Or if not, what do you have on offer at the moment? 

We’re a meat and potatoes band, it’s just us and the music. Financial constraints is another factor, but for now we have CDs and shirts, which you can find through our Facebook and Instagram pages. Perhaps in the future we will get creative, but for now, meat and potatoes. 

 

Hypothetically, your next album is out, you’ve booked a massive national tour. What would be your ultimate Australian heavy music line-up that you would take with you to support you on it? 

That’s a tough one! Psycroptic would have to be in there, Earth Rot as well. Orpheus Omega would be a nice touch. Ideally every state and town would get a 3 day 40 band festival! 

 

And lastly, finish off this sentence if you would. Manowar would have to be…. 

The most scantily clad macho metal band in the universe!