Primer 55 are another act in the up and coming style of infusing of rap elements with a snarling heavy industrial grind. The CD brings to mind Ultraspank, Fear Factory or Professional Murder Music or perhaps even Prong but with a much more organic edge and a wider hip hop drum sound influence. The bands approach includes violently heavy guitar riffs, layered over precise roomy hip hop sounding beats syncopated with solid basslines that are smothered with a dripping, corrosive vocal track. J-Sin the vocalist brings a very virulent tone, he sounds pissed off singing and he lets you know it, usually bringing a dynamically soft tone backed with reinforcing overdubs throughout the almost rap styled lyrical pattern that usually accentuates the verses, but as outros, breakdowns and choruses hit he kicks into high gear with growling screams that bring an overall dark vibe to the music. Guitars courtesy of Bobby follow an almost rigid guideline of progression, alot of scales and stops shine through in his playing. It's interesting how he uses the instrument to an almost mechanical style with alot of open chord striking and a constant crush of distortion that makes the riffs sound as if they almost stack upon each other. Surprisingly there's even some small attempts made at incorporating funk elements with a little wah usage and a few more alternative chord elements thrown in, but it's in short supply and is more or less not a distinct element of the band. Bass in the bands music is more of a collective gel keeping everything sticking together, rather than standing out on it's own. Drum work by Josh however is impressive, It is very sampled sounding to an almost drum machine precision, at times reversed hits and abrupt stopping snares really pay tribute to the fact that he uses electronic pads in his drumkit, that or he uses triggers. If one instrument showcases the bands hip hop influence the most, it would definitely be through the drums, a very urban approach is taken with little effort put to fills, although they do occasionally surface in the music. Instead its more concentrated to driving the sound ahead, with a constant progressive beat and an electronic sounding pitch it is almost reminiscent of the type of static noises that would be heard in an industrial factory. It is quite pleasing to hear a drummer that strictly sticks to a set pattern for a healthy period of time, because in comparison most other bands sacrifice tight drum beats only giving them seconds of play, this is not the case with Primer 55 and is one of their more shining abilities. One of the standout tracks would have be the opening cut "Loose" which shows the band in top gear, bringing an all out assault of heavy scraping guitars, booming metallic sounding drum beats and caustic screams coupled with constrained raps. Another stand out song would be "The Big Fuck You", besides the fact it is opened by a hilarious skit involving an upscale articulated sounding male explaining the benefits of using the word fuck, the song on the other hand brings out the true aggression and fire that is the core of the bands chemistry, It's just an intense grinding number that almost force-feeds anger down the listeners throat. Still though, the band is not without its downfalls. Some things to be noted that could be viewed as negative are that it feels the band still needs to grow a bit, they have the blueprints for what they want to do but haven't yet fully constructed things as strong as they could be. The music is good, the influences are varied and incorporated but not to an extent that makes the CD really feel like there is a distinct progression between songs. They stay true to a formula, and that is one skill that makes a good band, but the ability to experiment with different structures and vary the songs more is always appreciated. Primer 55 are up and comers in the scene with a major label deal on their plate, the band has the talent and skills necessary to reach a wide fanbase and with a little more variation, will be sure to gain instant notoriety.
(4 / 5)