Review 15

To some bands, the concepts of integrity, musical evolution, and heaviness are as alien as the notion of surrendering to mass produced contrived crap is to you and me. And it’s these bands of course that are always universally hailed by the so called “critics”, exploited by their puppet masters at the “Big labels” and of course, you nearly always find them on EVERY showcase festival across the metal globe….so, how lucky we are in these times that a real set of living legends can still exist and lead our fight back against all that stinks of corruption in the festering sore of the modern metal scene. My dear friends (And hated enemies) yet again PAGAN ALTAR are the spear of Longinus to pierce the side of these self proclaimed messiahs!!

Their third full length “MYTHICAL & MAGICAL” is destined to become as its name suggests, rarely do we find a band so readily able to seemingly turn back the clock, to a time when the embryonic sounds of what we call DOOM METAL was in its greatest and most magical period, back to a time when alongside behemoths like WAR CRY, WITCHFINDER GENERAL or APOCALYPSE, PAGAN ALTAR struggled to convey real heaviness without becoming a pure pastiche of bands before them. It’s with little hesitation that I can easily say that 30 years after the band formed that they have made their best album yet, I cannot imagine claiming anything other than this for numerous reasons. First, the album combines everything that made their first two so unique and works even harder adding something extra special. “What is you fucking idiot?” I can hear you all cry, OK, I can now tell, and please, bear in mind this is my opinion after some 15 plays of the full album. I have to say, it’s the power evident on works of outstanding TRUE EPIC METAL like MANOWAR’s “Into Glory Ride” or the first DARK QUATERER LP, the feeling of utter conviction, of real majesty and passion that empowers the listener so much that we can TRUELY fight anyone and win, that PAGAN ALTAR have tempered their sound with. That sound not only opens up a whole new vista of grandness – but will no doubt send the timid mice scurrying back under the pantry door to feast upon the rank cheese thrown from up high in the form of MDB or SHAPES OF DESPAIR albums…..

Everything is perfect, nothing is amiss, the pounding battlecry’s of “SAMHEIN” and “CRY OF THE BANSHEE” set the pace for the opening salvos, headbanging anthems that of course demand you raise your fist in salute to the band and the metal gods. “SAMHEIN” with its Arabic melody lines is something I cannot distinctly remember hearing in PA’s material before, as they normally have the most English of sounds, and this to me is quite alien. As a reference point only, it reminds me a little of Occult NWOBHM obscuro’s WIDOW, with its mid tempo rhythms and soaring vocals, it chorus however it monstrously heavy, grim, and dark as you can imagine, and as great as WIDOW were, this is 10, 11, probably 12 times heavier……Astounding! “THE CRY OF THE BANSHEE” is the fastest and most aggressive you’ve ever heard PAGAN ALTAR, moving things off at a gallop, the song proves yet again that PAGAN ALTAR are not the “BS” clones they are claimed to be, a tag fondly given to them by the idiots of Nu-Doom.com. and such internet charlatans as Malcum “Queerman” Fuller, I hear no Sabbath in here, nor any of this album, nor in the previous album, nor the first. It’s simply the work of a band knowing EXACTLY what they are and what they stand for musically.

Moving on throughout the album we are confronted by “THE CROWMAN”, a dark tale of tradition of cast from the PA forge of heaviest metal, with a semi acoustic first half and quieter, complete with throbbing basslines, interludes the song picks up tempo with yet another of Mr A.Jones’ exhilarating never ending lead breaks towards the end. “DEMONS OF THE NIGHT” follows, and, yet again it’s an up-tempo rabble rousing epic, perfect for the live setting, slowing down only to deliver another skullcrushing mid section with guitar melodies and lead breaks resplendent in their musical jingoism. Hail to England indeed……..

I now consider it tradition that Terry moves me close to tears every album, and with the grandiose “THE SORCERER” I can consider that done. With the backing vocals of Val and Rosanne opening the proceedings and continuing throughout and the subsequent role in the song played by Louise’s keyboards and again Al’s incredible guitar work, Terry is given the perfect canvass to weave his tale. His voice, one which is simply unmatched, nor has a better, gives a performance that I swear will be the soundtrack to my funeral. I always felt that I wanted BATHORY’s “Shores in flames” played, but I swear, this is it. Titanic in proportion, “THE SORCERER” has left me speechless…..Moving beyond words, this is the benchmark now that Epic metal must be judged.

“FLIGHT OF THE WITCHQUEEN” should need no introduction to all Die hard PAGAN ALTAR Templars and fans, already issued in a limited form and different recording on the vinyl version of “THE LORDS OF HYPOCRISY” this is in my top five PA songs of all time, another song forged from the seemingly bottomless well of bone crunching riffs the band has. “DANCE OF DRUIDS” follows, how does one better perfection? You don’t, you simply make it even more titanic in stature than its predecessor, no mean feat when all things are considered. However, let it not be said that PAGAN ALTAR are not men equal to this task, for they are. “DANCE OF DRUIDS” is one of those epics, starting with the atypical PA style doom attack, it gradually breaks down into a slower midsection before raging into a gallop with blazing twin guitars – leaving the listeners senses reeling from the sheer epicness of it all, possibly an album high for me because the closing galloping riff and melodies are simply to die for.

“THE ERL KING” and “THE WITCHES PATHWAY” again are known to the most Die hard PA maniacs, “THE ERL KING” a quieter interlude interjected into the proceedings, complete with all new instrumentation and keys than previously heard in its rough demo form, it benefits also from Val’s incredible voice juxtaposed with Terry’s adding extra pathos to its ability to touch us all. “THE WITCHES PATHWAY” seems slightly out of place upon first listen with the rest of the material herein with its stomping rock vibe, not so after the initial shock. It fits perfectly within the greater context of the albums full musical approach, think of it as a piece of a highly complex jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is related, carved from the same block yet having a different configuration. Finally with “SHARNIE” and “THE RISING OF THE DARK LORD” the band plays its final gambit. “SHARNIE” being a wonderful short acoustic guitar pace with a folk feel, not dissimilar to Blackmores Night material, but much, much better and less, lets say, pretentious. As great as Blackmore may think he is, he ponces around the world with some daft American bint pretending to be a magical pixie minstrel. In the hands of Al Jones, this kind of material is simply breathtaking. “THE RISING OF THE DARK LORD” is finally an incredible high to end upon, ultra heavy riffing, impassioned vocals, scorching guitar work and quite frankly the most epic of all melodies to end the song. I was literally bought to my knees upon hearing the grand finale – A melody that conjours up everything I love about England, about English metal and English people as a whole. The twin vocals, the guitar lines – perfection…again!

I have no doubt that blood, sweat and tears were shed in buckets over this masterpiece, and I’d happily shed them myself to see this bands legacy live on forever in the hearts of metal heads worldwide. To conclude, the future is doomed, and the future is pagan. 11 out of 10.