Between punk-rock urgency and electronic psychedelica, Evil Heat is, in the continuity of Xtrmntr, a federal album embracing to the extreme the influences of a band that embodies the aspirations of modernized rock.
Rock, punk, blues, psychedelic, electro and techno form the body of Primal Scream's sound which, beyond the genres, defines today's rock as a musical melting-pot of the 50 last years. The participation of Kevin Shields, ex-guitarist of My Bloody Valentine, ensures the presence of abrasive guitars that soil synthetic textures, infusing the essence of a wild rock in machine-made music. Jim Reid, the former frontman of mythical noisy band The Jesus & Mary Chain (in which Primal Scream's singer, Boby Gillepsie, debuted as a drummer) sings here, making Primal Scream a "super band" that also includes the Stone Roses' ex-bass player.
Primal Scream was sometimes joined onstage by Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols)—a validation to some extent—and positions itself as the heir of early punk as the furious "City" (a muscular version of "Sick City" from David Holmes' Bow Down to the Exit Sign), "Scanner Darkly" and "Rise" testify. The band resurrects the aggressiveness and dirty sound of the Stooges, kicking the anthill of young clones currently emerging. The infernal single "Miss Lucifer"—pretty close to Xtrmntr's "Swastika Eyes "—channels the energy of punk that it recycles in electronic music.
"Detroit" (featuring Jim Reid) and "Lord Is My Shotgun" are poisonous electronic blues. Psychedelism in its darkest form (Velvet Underground) or in flower-power style is also present through "Deep Hit of Morning Sun", "Some Velvet Morning" (with Kate Moss in a nod to Nico) and "Space Blues No 2". These are three songs where Primal Scream also reminds you that they are indeed the author of Screamadelica , one of the most influential albums of the 90's.
Evil Heat is artistically less striking than Xtrmntr (the album that marked the return of Primal Scream after a couple of disappointing releases) but allows the band to assert its origins and to return to its electronically fueled rock roots. Somewhere between a return to the various musical phases of its career and an homage to its elders, Evil Heat is on the right path to ensure Primal Scream's well-deserved immortality.
Primal Scream Evil Heat
