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The band would record material while they were rehearsing and also during some live performances if the right circumstances prevailed. They could then listen back at leisure and make any necessary adjustments and improvements. This was invaluable when working on new material and also to look retrospectively at the existing songs.
It was also an ideal opportunity, when Phil was available, to record tracks to be later assembled in album form. In theory this was ideal but in practice had one major flaw, but I will return to that episode later.
On reflection, if someone with the foresight to professionally advance these recordings at the time the Pagan Altar story could have been so different.
Vol. 1 can be attributed to this period both as a demo and the basis for an album.
It is now common knowledge that the effect achieved by one demo, both at the time and up to the present has been phenomenal. This was not the case in 1982-3. The band was under the impression that it had been taken as far as it could go in the U.S. and that was it. They couldn’t have been more wrong!!!!!