Primal Scream - XTRMNTR at 25

Released at the dawn of the 21st century, Primal Scream’s XTRMNTR was less an album than a sonic uprising, a visceral, noisy declaration of war presumed to be designed against political apathy, corporate greed, and cultural complacency. 

Yet curiously, Bobby Gillespie claims it’s not a political work but a reflection of where the band were at in the late ‘90s – namely, embroiled in the UK drug culture. However, it’s a hard idea to countenance, even if it was released at the peak of neoliberalism (Blair and Clinton were at their height), an idea that now seems blissfully naïve.

Despite Gillespie’s view, XTRMNTR can be viewed as little else than a howl against systems of control and the cultural numbness that allows them to thrive. It was prophetic too, arriving just over 18 months before 9/11 and the subsequent wave of global paranoia.

The band’s evolution during the turn of the millennium (Vanishing Point to Evil Heat), was arguably Primal Scream’s most experimental yet, with XTRMNTR marking the zenith. And what a cast list; Kevin Shields, Mani, Bernard Sumner, and The Chemical Brothers all added depth and unpredictability, helping shape an abrasive but immersive sound.

https://www.clashmusic.com/features/primal-screams-xtrmntr-remains-a-howl-of-caustic-sonic-rage/