Parisian Doomy Grunge Rockers Fatima Release "Primal", the Final Chapter in "The Monsters Trilogy"
This is one that I'm especially excited about.
I've been a huge fan of Parisian trio Fátima since I heard their single Miracle of the Sun (a title that alludes to the story behind the band's moniker) when it was released in June of 2024. Since then, I giddily wrote about the development of Fátima's album Eerie, ultimately penning an enthusiastic review of the release. As a matter of fact, Eerie went on to become by Album of the Year in 2024. That album, as well as the rest of Fátima's discography, has remained on regular rotation around here. Naturally, when I heard that the band was gearing up for yet another new album, I was 100% on board.
There are some bands that a music fan will encounter in their lifetime that stand out as exceptional, checking all the required boxes in addition to a few unexpected ones that the listener didn't even know they had. Fátima is one of those bands for me. Of course, their baseline tone of doomy rock with a grungy vocal delivery and psychedelic undertones was an instant hit for me, and I also love the incorporation of a substantial amount of eastern influence in Fátima's sound, adding layers of delicate intricacies and beautiful nuance. Furthermore, the band are exceptional storytellers, heavily inspired by their fascination with monster movies, sci fi, dinosaurs, "gross cartoons from the 90s", and generally all things delightfully weird (a taste that I will always vibe with).
These pop culture elements can also be seen in Fátima's impressive DIY skills, particularly when it comes to their fashioning of the "monsters" for the covers of Eerie and their latest release, Primal.
The "Sasquatch/Kong" monster that graces the cover of Fátima's new album "Primal", a brilliant example of the band's DIY skills.
Along with Fatima's previous two albums, Eerie (2024) and Fossil (2022), Primal makes up the band's "Trilogy of Monsters", where each release is represented by a particular creature and conceptual theme. Primal in particular boasts a Sasquatch/King Kong creature as a mascot as well as a corresponding "Ice Age" and "Prehistoric" theme. According to the band, these motifs show up "in the cover art, song titles, [and] lyrics" and "are half ridiculous" and "half gloomy". On Primal, however, Fátima assures us that the aesthetic is "more despairing and apocalyptic than ever before".
Fátima - Primal
1.) Sassquatch
Sassquatch brilliantly sets the beastly mood for the album by immediately pummeling the listener with driving stoner rock riffs. This frenetic energy, combined with the powerful delivery of the vocals, give the song the feel of both a thematic anthem and a warning cry, foreshadowing monstrous things to come. The track's rollicking pace slows down for a doomy interlude just past the halfway point and, even though this portion is adorned with misty psychedelia, the herculean stomps produced by the instrumentals emulate the gait of Sasquatch himself.
2.) Mammoth Graveyard
Mammoth Graveyard quells the frantic temper established by Sassquatch to a large extent by introducing Fatima's hypnotic trademark sound: psych-laden riffs that contain as many intricate delicacies as they do steadfast weight, heavily influenced by eastern desert tones. Similarly, the vocals take on a more melodic, soothing timbre that matches the enchantment delivered by the instrumentals. That's not to say that Mammoth Graveyard is a somnolent tune by any means; an ever-present foreboding aura and a gradual building into bursts of doomy intensity and heightened passion from the vocals maintains the energy initiated by Sassquatch.
3.) Killer Wart Hog
Killer Wart Hog brings the pace back up with an immersive, spiraling stoner/desert groove and a noticeable grunge influence in the choruses. This momentum taps the brakes only slightly for a psych-heavy interlude that feeds into a turbulent ending.
4.) Dog Ham
Dog Ham brings about a distinct shift in tone, surprising the listener with a lilting, almost poppy tune with dark post punk undertones. According to Fátima, this is "a tentative attempt to create a fucked-up, suspicious-looking, doomy pop anthem". Well, the band can rest-assured that they did exactly that, and I absolutely love it. The poppiness, while noticeable, is not overt. In fact, it reads as cleverly ironic. An unwavering dark and misty, eerie and apprehensive feeling not only reminds the listener that this is Fátima they're hearing, but it also helps relay the song's unsettling "tale of a man who soaked his Pomeranian dog in cyan dye and now wishes for a "Dog Ham". This is exactly the type of pop anthem I can get behind.
5.) Chilled Monkey Brains
Chilled Monkey Brains makes a sharp U-turn back into barreling stoner/doom riffs, accompanied by Fátima's trademark eastern influences in the song's cadence. Much like Sassquatch, this song maintains impressive, driving momentum, easing up only for a trippy psychedelic break near the end, which is often Fatima's signature blueprint (and one of many things I love about the band).
6.) Gazelle Horns
Gazelle Horns makes more pronounced use of the post punk influence explored on Dog Ham with soothing but spooky verses and memorable choruses that abruptly take off and soar. This is a particularly immersive track that pulls the listener in and out of hypnosis in the best way.
7.) Primal
Post punk makes its strongest appearance on the album's title track, particularly in the bass lines and choruses. The standout drumming maintains a fevered pace that seems representative of the song's theme, ultimately driving Primal to a cyclonic breakdown at the end.
8.) Waters of Babylon
Primal ends in an unexpectedly tranquil manner with Waters of Babylon. This old three-round song was originally penned by Philip Hayes in 1782 and was made popular when Don McLean recorded a version for his renowned album American Pie in the 70s. Here, Fátima puts their own unique spin on the tune, significantly dampening their doomy reverberations and focusing on their psychedelic and eastern influences while respecting the cadence of the original song. The result is a dulcet but haunting rendition that Fátima puts their stamp on in clever, creative ways. And of course, it's a very moving way to wrap up the album.
Final Thoughts
Primal brilliantly concludes the "Trilogy of Monsters", executing its concept with the sonic cinema, hypnotic hooks, and bursts of intensity Fátima is known for. While their album Fossil appropriately took on a gritty and grungy sound kissed by desert sands and their subsequent album Eerie held true to its namesake by being a mysterious, haunting epic, the soul of Primal enthusiastically animates its beastly frame, displaying both carnal base instincts and chilling reminders of the darkness that inhabits us all.
Fátima illustrates this contrast by delivering driving, tireless, turbulent stoner/doom and desert riffs on tracks like Sassquatch, Killer Wart Hog, and Chilled Monkey Brains, while relying on their captivatingly eerie, eastern-inspired psychedelia on songs such as Mammoth Graveyard and Gazelle Horns. The introduction of a post punk influence in Fatima's sound makes an appearance on the songs Dog Ham, Gazelle Horns, and Primal, infusing the album with an appropriately icy, disquieting air. Finally, the album ends on a haunting but mentally grounding note with Fátima's rendition of Waters of Babylon, which really feels like a reverent ceremony with which to close out "The Monsters Trilogy", formally and respectfully laying the creatures to rest.
If you've listened to the other albums in "The Monsters Trilogy", you'll notice that Fátima's sound continues to expand in both dimension and sophistication with each release. The bones of the band's signature sound were laid down on Fossil, fleshed out on Eerie, and refined on Primal, all while adding new elements along the way.
And, while nothing beats seeing your favorite bands continuing to grow, surprising you when you thought there's no way their new album could top their last, my favorite thing about Fátima will always be their unparalleled creativity. This trio has an uncanny ability to transform a variety of visions and influences dancing around in their heads into art and sound, creating beautiful and eclectic representations of the things that make them tick and the stories they inspire.
More About Fátima
Fátima is:
Antoine - Vocals, Guitar
Max - Bass, Sitar
JC - Drums
You can follow Fátima and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to the band for the promo! Check out Screaming from the Heavy Underground on YouTube!
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