Itus Premiere “Primordial” Lyric Video
Posted in Bootleg Theater on May 5th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Though the aftermath of the recording finds vocalist Reinier Vandenbosch and bassist/guitarist Brandon Lucking without a drummer, Primordial is nonetheless cohesive as the debut EP from Toronto-based sludge aggressors Itus. The offering is made up of five tracks total and wastes little time on that which isn’t furious, setting an atmosphere of violence and dwelling therein even as Vandenbosch‘s vocals shift between clean melodic singing and guttural growls on opener “Cloud Reader.”
Itus are not without some ambience, either in that cut or “Question Everything” which follows, but that atmosphere is unmistakably bent toward the brutal in tone and general vibe, and Lucking, Vandenbosch and then-drummer Jackson Ward revel in it, both as “Question Everything” chug-plods to its rumbling finish, and as the subsequent title-track distills Primordial‘s punishing aspects to arguably their purest form.
Some clean vocals at the outset remind a bit of Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory in their
use of effects, but the growls and screams that come shortly in layers are the stuff of rawer and deathlier fare. With the drums backing the verse, volume recedes and surges again, and the air gives way to solo-topped, screaming chaos later, coming to a stop ahead of the comparatively mellow beginning of “This Can’t Be.” Well shit, “Primordial” did the same thing — I’m not falling for that trap again. False sense of security denied.
Except in this case it’s not false. Itus put “This Can’t Be” on a linear path, daring toward melody in the lead guitar payoff, and that leads smoothly into the closer, “The Chaplain.” A growling resurgence isn’t unexpected, but is welcome just the same over the lumbering progression that it accompanies, and the roll that ensues is a fitting end to Primordial in concept, execution and mindset. By that I mean it’s heavy as shit.
There’s another video out there for “Primordial” if you’re up for a bit of YouTubing, and the whole EP is streaming below if you’re up for something more conveniently located, but if Itus want to highlight the EP’s title-track further with a lyric video maybe to catch a few eyes — like mine — that missed the EP when it first came through because, oh, I don’t know, a global fucking pandemic, I’m hardly one to begrudge them that chance.
Accordingly, here’s this. Enjoy it:
Itus, “Primordial” lyric video premiere
Atmospheric and energetic, this EP is a step in a new musically direction for the duo of Brandon Lucking and Reinier Vandenbosch, and they are encouraged that the reception for their latest endeavour will be well received as they explain:
“We think that Itus could have a much wider appeal than previous efforts of ours. Songs on the EP like ‘Cloud Reader’ and ‘This Can’t Be” are much more accessible, especially with Vandenbosch’s newly developed clean singing. We think the heavier tracks will strike a nice balance with the mellower tracks on the EP as a whole.”
Two very different singles will be released from the EP, the first being the title track ‘Primordial’. Painting the mood like a classic horror creature reveal, it’s both abrasive and calm, and the accompanying music video is shot like a horror film to accentuate the brutality and dark riffage in the track. ITUS details the track:
“We chose to make this the first song we release because to us, it embodies the aspect of human savagery. Primordial uses the idea of coming out of a euphoric bliss into a hellish existence. Its lyrics comment on what forces within people work to pull society back down to chaos. This is the most aggressive song on the EP with its crisp, and aggressive guitar tones that really make it stand out from the other songs.”
Produced, mixed and mastered by Luc Chiasson
Drums performed and engineered by Jackson Ward (Strata Recordings)
Itus EP lineup:
Reinier Vandenbosch – Vocals
Brandon Lucking – Guitar and Bass
Jackson Ward – Drums (on EP)
