KILL FEED 072: Joe Linden of PRIMITIVE MAN May Be Slower But Not Lower

It’s been two years since Primitive Man drummer Joe Linden was featured in gaming’s most extremely extreme column. Considering his position as the timekeeper for what can be described as one of doom metal’s eminently suffocating bands (compliment), your dependable co-nerds were surprised to learn that not only is Linden a gamer, but a pretty damn good one at that. What began as a passing interest in speedrunning during the pandemic very quickly—no pun intended—became a deeply-rooted passion. He even holds a world record or two. To attempt something so difficult requires remarkable dexterity, unflinching focus and a ton of repetition. Honestly, what can really change in the matter of just a couple of years? In the case of our following conversation, it sure seems like a lot.

On our side, what started out as an excuse for the staff nerds to screw around on company time evolved into a monthly print column in the magazine and now a fully realized video series on the Decibel YouTube channel. Hell, we aren’t even called the same thing anymore (more on that here). As for Linden, while speedrunning is still a part of his life, he’s learned to downshift a bit and allow himself to step outside of his fifth generation comfort zone. With their upcoming LP Observance due to be released on October 31 and their return to the Metal & Beer Fest stage in Denver impending, a check in felt very much in order. For Kill Feed’s first adventure under our new banner, we were happy to reconnect with Linden on camera to talk survival horror, couch co-op, what it takes to be a speedrunner and what had to change to appreciate gaming—and music—all over again.

Observance is available October 31 on Relapse Records and can be pre-ordered here.
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The post KILL FEED 072: Joe Linden of PRIMITIVE MAN May Be Slower But Not Lower appeared first on Decibel Magazine.