Rap Metal with that groovy, downtuned bass is not dead yet. And you know what? When it comes to bands like Primer 55, I’m glad. Korn and Limp Bizkit (yes, there ya go again!) have created a monster that will not die, no matter how many times and how many ways you try to kill it.
The type of music that Primer 55 is offering is from that familiar cookie cutter, but the product is just slightly different in shape and taste. “Introduction to Mayhem” (Island/Def Jam) rocks hard and knows how to get down. Don’t expect something you’ve never heard before and you’ll be all right, however, what you can expect, is a band that’s good at what they’re doing and they do it with all sincerity.
You see, this band is from Tennessee. The members of Primer 55 have experienced down-home, Southern racism in a way that many of us have only seen on television. Try coming up in an environment like that and breaking through. The content of the songs on “Introduction to Mayhem” speaks about that and many other topics instead of the usual “I did this chick last night” frivolity. I can respect that. If hip-hop and metal must be fused together, again, let it be done. But do it with integrity, and you’ve made a fan out of me. My favorite track? “Stain“.
There are musical preferences and tastes, just like in any band, that differ between members – which inevitably add to what is created on a CD. The 17-track debut release is an obvious chronology of what the 4 members of Primer 55 haveseen, lived through, and been influenced by. And guess what? It’s all good.
Lesa Pence
Special thanks to Karen Wiessen at Island/DefJam for turning me on.
