Denver’s monolithic purveyors of despair PRIMITIVE MAN have unleashed the second single from their upcoming full-length Observance, arriving October 31st via Relapse Records. The new track, Natural Law, comes paired with a hypnotic, unnerving video directed by Diana Lungu.
Watch: “Natural Law” (Official Video):
Frontman/guitarist Ethan McCarthy comments:
“‘Natural Law’ is one of the more trance-like songs in terms of how it was written and leans in on the dark psychedelic vibe we’ve tried to harness for this. Lyrically it deals with isolation, former friends turned bitter enemies, and the ever-present choice of whether to embrace or reject violence. There’s strength and a spark within hatred that you can either use to move forward—or let it destroy you.”
Marking twelve years of sonic punishment, Observance finds Primitive Man reflecting on a world that’s seemingly beyond repair—while turning their gaze inward. McCarthy’s lyrics spiral through disillusionment, alienation, and the corrosion of purpose, painting a bleak vision of modern decay.
Written collaboratively by McCarthy, bassist Jon Campos, and drummer Joe Linden, the six songs of Observance embody a crushing mix of death, doom, drone, and blackened noise—interlaced with haunting acoustic passages and psychedelic undercurrents.
Recorded and mixed by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Recording Studio (Chicago), and mastered by Arthur Rizk, the album pushes PRIMITIVE MAN’s balancing their trademark sonic violence with an unsettling atmosphere of trance-like sadness.
Despite its weight, McCarthy describes Observance as “the most positive Primitive Man record yet,” finding a flicker of light amid all the ruin.
Observance Tracklist
- Seer
- Devotion
- Transactional
- Iron Sights
- Natural Law
- Social Contract
- Water
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