Album review: PRIMITIVE INSTINCT – One Man’s Refuge

Self Release – November 2012

Any band that starts their recording career on Cyclops Records is always worth keeping an eye on as they progress and Primitive Instinct, signed to the label in 1994, are no exception.

Following on from great Cyclops bands such as The Pineapple Thief, Twelfth Night, Landmarq and Mostly Autumn, P.I. are a Maidstone-based progressive-lite band who have been around for something like twenty five years although ‘One Man’s Refuge’ is only their fourth album – so, hardly prolific then.

However, what they lack in output they more than make up for in quality as this is a rather fine effort.

Sounding like a cross between Hogarth-era Marillion and Barclay James Harvest with a soupcon of Genesis thrown in, the band ply their own brand of progressive rock with a definite undercurrent of pop sensitivity, to great effect.

You won’t find grinding guitars, hectoring vocals and double kick-drum buffoonery here. What you will find is timeless musicality hand in glove with cultured, thoughtful lyrics aligned to, goddammit, exceptional songwriting and a few to-die-for choruses.

Eleven tracks to enjoy and hardly a weak link to be seen. Highlights include the wonderfully atmospheric title track, the largely acoustic ‘Still Finding My Way’, the killer chorus of ‘Falling Down’ and the majestic eclecticism of ‘Solitary Man’.

If you like your progressive rock with a hard, metallic edge, chances are you’d best look elsewhere.

If you like intelligent, well played, classic progressive rock with a sensitive heart, look no further.

****

Review by Alan Jones

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

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Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)