Imrama by Primordial

Imrama is the debut album of the Irish black metal band Primordial. It was originally released in 1995. In 2001, it was re-issued by Hammerheart Records with two bonus tracks. It was reissued again, this time by Metal Blade Records in 2009 as CD/DVD digipack in slipcase. It is a part of collector series of the first 4 albums reissues. Immrama, meaning 'voyages' or literally 'rowings about' refers to a category of medieval Irish Christian literature in which a protagonist sets about voyaging in penance for sins committed. Medieval catelogues of literature see this genre as contrasting with Eachtra, 'expeditions' or 'adventures' in which the protagonist visits the Otherworld of Irish traditional lore. In Ireland, an overwhelmingly English speaking country, usage of the Irish language is an outward expression of Irish identity, which is a central theme of Primordial's aesthetic and appeal. Imrama, correctly pronounced with a stressed first syllable and voiced labiodental fricative second 'm', is pronounced by the band themselves (as native speakers of English, ignorant of the Irish language and its orthography reading the word would) with a stressed second syllable and bilabial nasal second 'm'.