Denver’s apocalyptic sludge/doom band Primitive Man return with their most harrowing work to date. Their new album, Observance, arrives October 31, 2025 through Relapse Records.
The first single, Social Contract, is streaming now with an official music video:
The track seethes with dread and fury, confronting authoritarianism, erasure of history, and the looming collapse of a sustainable future. Vocalist/guitarist Ethan Lee McCarthy describes it as both a reflection on global crises and a deeply personal exorcism of fear, anger, and despair.
Recorded at Bricktop Recording Studio in Chicago with producer Andy Nelson and mastered by Arthur Rizk, Observance expands Primitive Man’s suffocating soundworld with psychedelic passages, acoustic interludes, and electronic textures, while still remaining utterly devastating. Thematically, McCarthy channels influences from poet Tongo Eisen-Martin, dissecting a broken social contract, the decay of working-class life, and the specter of technofeudalism.
Observance will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. Pre-order now via Relapse Records.
Stream Observance here.
Primitive Man will also embark on a North American tour this November and December, including a performance at Decibel Metal & Beer Fest in Denver. Select dates feature Otay:Onii, Guiltless, Today is the Day, God is War, Buffalo Nichols, and Great Falls as support.
Tickets: www.primitivemandoom.com/tickets
Primitive Man online
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