As the popularity of extreme metal continues to wax and wane in different forms in the United States, there are some international bands you just don’t expect to see here – especially after the loss of Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus Bar, which seems to have slowed down these types of shows in the city. Now it seems we wait for a big band to play a festival date, and we hope they decide to play some intimate shows on their way in or out of the country. So when Primordial announced a very short run of shows on the East Coast, including a stop at Ridgewood’s TV Eye on March 20, 2025, the New York metal scene didn’t miss a beat. Joined by local legends Sonja and up-and-coming trad-metallers The Watcher, Primordial put on an incredibly special set for the fans lucky enough to squeeze into the room.
The Watcher kicked off the night in style. Looking like they stepped right out of a time machine with Screaming of Vengeance playing in the background, The Watcher played plenty of cuts from their 2024 full length, Out of the Dark. The classic metal vibe at work here is moving the room. Though they don’t have a huge following yet, they definitely turned more than a few heads. Ripping solos, classic riffs, and denim vibes defined their set, starting the night strong.
The Watcher
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
With a different approach to a classic sound, Sonja took the stage and frontwoman Melissa Moore immediately had the audience eating out of her hand. Their full-length debut, 2022’s Loud Arriver, topped many year-end lists (including my own), so it was incredibly exciting to catch them live again. As a trio, they manage to occupy the same sonic space as the five-piece before them, anchored by G’s unhinged drumming, Ben’s locked-in bass, and of course Melissa’s monstrous guitar tone and haunting vocals. Throw in a surprise Iron Maiden cover (Deja-Vu, which worked surprisingly well in a single-guitar live setting) dedicated to Nicko McBrain, and the set was completely unbeatable. For many in the room, it’s clear that this isn’t their first time seeing Sonja – and absolutely not their last.
Sonja
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
Despite the strength of the lineup, we’re all ultimately here to see the legendary Primordial, in a room way too small to contain the energy of their audience. Since their humble beginnings in the 90’s, their sound has morphed, evolving from traditional black metal elements with Irish folk mixed in to very heavy and more melodic riffing, the band largely delivered the latter, which many consider to be their definitive sound. Modern classics like “No Grave Deep Enough” meshed perfectly with newer material from their latest full length, 2023’s How It Ends. Their longer cuts would’ve made song selection critical – at least until I understood they were playing a nearly two hour long set. This was the definitive Primordial show. Their set pushed and pulled the audience through a full range of melancholy and doom to black and folk metal. Vocalist A.A. Nemtheanga’s iconic presence dominated the stage, while the band’s precision and years of experience shine the light on their incredible catalog. No phone video can truly capture the intimacy of the evening with a band of this status on a stage like this one – for those of us there, it’ll rank highly among the hundreds of shows we’ll see in a lifetime. And for those who missed it… don’t miss the next one.
Primordial
Photo Credit: Tom. Mis
