Frontman Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill from Irish black metallers PRIMORDIAL has issued the following update:

"Forgive me it has been too long since my last confession

I'm sitting here listening to Stillbirth Machine and thinking of the first time I heard that album. Exciting times back in the pre-internet days when everyday could reveal a new gem in the post or a new trading compatriot. Things can of course never be the same as they were back in the late '80s or early '90s but who could say that right now the underground scene isn't in rude health.

Everyday something new and interesting appears in the mailbox...whether it's GRIFTEGARD, DRUDKH, LORD VICAR, GRAVEYARD, WEAPON or VOMITOR. The gulf between what the underground is coming up with that is true to the original genesis and feeling of Metal and what the overground is throwing out has never been starker and clearer. The lines have been well and truly drawn.

And you know what? There is a groundswell of people moving away from the mainstream. Tired of vacuous, air brushed pop metal who want something with teeth made by real people with integrity and honesty. When did metal become so full of fucking shit? Didn't the big bands in the '80s and '90s belong to us? Huge bands but making some of the most important albums of the time. SLAYER, MAIDEN, PRIEST, DEATH, POSSESSED, SODOM, KREATOR, MEGADETH the list goes on and on from the '80s. From the '90s we had the second wave of black metal and death metal at the head of the '90s to seminal doom and doom/death albums...MORBID ANGEL to DARKTHRONE to PARADISE LOST.

What does the 00's give the mainstream? The horror of corseted Eurovision female fronted pop stinking like an open sewer from every new rock alchemy dance floor nightmare you ever had, myspace sports casual death metal for hairdressers and beer bong frat boy jock thrash.

Where's the anger and the fucking danger? I'll tell you where. In the underground that's where. Right under your nose and you've no excuse...it's so damn easy these days.

Oh eh where was I? Ranting as usual. Anyway the DVD is very near completion. The final audio mix has arrived from Chris at Foel and it sounds immense. The interviews and bonus discs are all more or less finalized. It's taken a little longer then we imagined but as many of you know time moves slower in Primordial country.

The next re-release is Spirit The Earth Aflame so we are going to start working on the artwork for that very soon. The reaction to the first two re-releases has been positive, like I say in the liner notes we don't ask you to buy them again if you do have them but they have to be out there for someone to find first time around and if only for our own piece of mind.

2010 is going to be an interesting time for the industry as I discussed in the last blog but we will continue as ever the way we did in 1991. Rehearsing together, standing around in a dingy room arguing as always. Right now things sound promising, we are working on several new pieces of music. Too early to really give an indication of how they will sound but we want something more organic and rougher again than on TTND. Let's see how things pan out.

I and we've been receiving a lot of comments about the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and what it might mean for democracy. I haven't the heart to get into it completely now as it's all I've been hearing for the last 2 months but needless to say the goal posts have shifted even in the time between the last referendum and the new one.

The Political State and main ruling party (Fianna Fail) has been exposed as nothing but a cancer living off Irish society since the inception of the State. The recession has bitten people very hard and proved to everyone that the interests of bankers and property developers stand above them. The church has been finally revealed as a haven for abuse and pedophilia.

In short Irish society is unravelling...and maybe feel giving some power to a centralized Europe can do no more harm then these institutions have done over the last century. That said, having Lizard Blair presiding over a European think tank with lawmaking powers might be...well lizardish.

Our show in Romania is cancelled. Apologies to all our Romanian fans who have waited 6 years for us to return. This was the second cancelled festival this particular promoter has had cancelled. I think that speaks for itself. We are trying to find something as a replacement but time is short. Hopefully we might be able to announce something soon.

On a personal note it seems my contribution to VOID OF SILENCE has ended. I can only apologize to Riccardo and Ivan on one level but thank them on another. We created one incredible album in Human Antithesis. When I think back now it seems almost foolish to try an re-create that particular atmosphere and I must admit I simply was not feeling like I could relate to the new music like I did before. So should I simply lay down the vocals for the sake of it or move on and keep the memory as it was. I think you know the answer although I apologize for the length of time it took to reveal itself to me.

More plans for 2010 will slowly be revealed but right now the priority is the DVD, which looks absolutely incredible by the way. Expect a teaser out soon via Metal Blade."