Here it is again, wintertime on the US east coast; a time of early darkness, and bitter cold. Your skin gets dry, your fingers and toes numb; generally a miserable time. I say generally, because there can be bright spots. For instance, a decent Christmas present can put some sun in your shine, maybe your wife is out for the evening, and you can have some peace and quiet for a change. Well, mine came about a week ago when the new PAGAN ALTAR came into my consciousness. With their third full length coming only about 29 years since the band’s inception, by the time the next one arrives I may have already lost my hearing, so I listened to this one about seventy times so far. What a sonic adventure this disc is! You want NWOBHM, its here. You want metal, its here. You want doom, its here. You want the Hokey-pokey...not here. What we do have is one of the most perfect records in history. The swirl of influences here are incredible, especially since PA is the originator of those influences. They were there first folks, and the other bands that came after with these types of sounds got it from PAGAN ALTAR. Enough history, lets talk music.

The disc opens up with an eerie bell toll, followed by “Samhien” with its abundant solos and chugging rhythm. Mood is the order of the day here, with the unmatched voice of Terry Jones creating an alternate reality. There are so many solos and exhausting lead work here, that Alan Jones should have Ben Gay as a sponsor. Maybe he could put a sticker right on his guitar. Next comes one on my favorite songs on the record, “Cry of the Banshee”. One of the speediest PA songs, the guitar here is something to use when trying to recruit young children to play guitar, cuz if this shit don’t motivate you, and inspire awe, you must be dead….or a rap music fan (same difference). “The Crow Man” is next, and hearing this tune brings back memories of all those classic TULL albums, I can almost hear the dust on those records crackling and popping now. The acoustic guitar along with Terry Jones’ IAN ANDERSON sing along make for a hell of a musical wonder. There’s more of them damn solos again….then we eventually get to “Daemoni na Hoiche” (Demons of the Night), a song that can only be experienced by being heard. Simple and effective, to hear it live would be an awesome experience. PA knows how to write songs! Also included on this record are two old favorites, “Flight if the Witch Queen” and “The Witches Pathway” coming from the ‘Lords of Hypocrisy’ album. There's never a dull moment. This album is downright infectious. Definitely a top ten pick for 2006, and a modern classic.

- Murtaugh

For someone like yours truly in their mid 20s or younger, PAGAN ALTAR has been a name thrown around amongst metal snobs and not much else. Fortunately, that's changing mighty quickly. In 2004, after more than two decades after the cult classic "Volume 1", these guys finally released a follow up in the form of "Lords of Hypocrisy", which received the highest of recommendations from our own Manic Mechanic when it came out. Now, two years later, they're back with "Mythical & Magical", proving that they're ready and willing to hack it with anyone else in the current generation.

For starters, it's important to emphasize that this is a reunion done right. Not only are three of the original four members back, but the production hasn't been modernized or compromised one inch. Everything is analog here-it literally sounds like they've been frozen in time. Vocalist Terry Jones, who sounds sort of like a cross between Udo and the late David Wayne, really makes their sound unique. Stylistically, this album largely justifies why these guys get lumped into the doom genre, with heavily SABBATH influenced songs like "Samhein" and "Daemoni Na Noiche". Still, there are plenty of rockers like "Cry of the Banshee" and "The Witches' Pathway" that sooner bring contemporaries like DEMON to mind and show that they've never been totally lost in the field of NWOBHM either. Things then take a lighter turn with the bluesy track "The Crowman" and folk-fueled ballads like "The Erl King". The only real distraction from the classic sound is the incorporation of synth pads on some of the ballads, but considering the otherwise outstanding effort to keep things old school, this is only mild nitpicking.

Hearing an album like "Mythical & Magical" conjures up all sorts of "What if?" scenarios for other bands-what if (insert band name here) would have made more music in (insert time period here) when they were in their prime? Fortunately for PAGAN ALTAR, this isn't necessary. It warms the heart to know that the music industry can still pleasantly surprise, and that sometimes it's not too late for that long-awaited reunion. What's even more refreshing is that there's most likely plenty more to come. Bottom line: for anyone even remotely familiar with doom metal or the NWOBHM, this is a must buy.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.paganaltar.co.uk

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: : The Cry of the Banshee

RELATED ITEMS: No related articles at this time.