Review 17

Obscure NWOBHM doomsters return on a full-time basis!

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.