Anybody awaiting objective criticism here or perhaps thinks that there are two or three aspects that I don’t find that good about “Mythical & Magical” can stop reading this review now. Those who remain must –before going on reading- order this album and the rest of the bands’ output IMMEDIATELY! Dear Metal heads, it is indeed true! PAGAN ALTAR proves once and for all (though it has already been cast in stone with “Judgment of the Dead” /”Vol. 1” and “Lords of Hypocrisy”) that they are by far the best band on this godforsaken planet and with “Mythical & Magical” Terry Jones and Alan Jones have even managed to outclass those earlier efforts.
It is extremely hard to categorize PAGAN ALTAR’S Music but I shall endeavour to try! It is something akin to a gloomy mixture of dusty NWoBHM, doomy sounds and some decent folk-influences that are especially evident in some of the melody lines that in my opinion cannot be compared to any other band. The nasal vocals of Terry and the exciting leads of Alan, which help you to recognize this band after just a few seconds are a trademark of PAGAN ALTAR. This added to the warm bass lines and solid drums are far above the average metal-band.  Occasionally they drop in wistful background keyboard sections or female voices that tend to make the atmosphere of certain parts of the songs even more impressing.
Which brings me to the most important part, every composition is so thoroughly well planned that each song is an adventure of its own which you very seldom find in other bands’ whole albums. The diversity of these songs is breathtaking. Take the opener “Samhein” for example, a merciless pumping rocker with oriental leads and a second section which allows Alan to show everything within his repertoire! ‘Daemoni na HOiche’ (‘Demons of the Night’) is pure Heavy Metal played in the ancient way and has a chorus every other band would kill for. “The Erl King” dares to take Goethe as an influence and easily lives up to the high expectations (as I had expected). Musically PAGAN ALTAR initially treads a smoother path here that culminates in a completely unexpected dramatic ending. Even on the best album of all times there has to be one song that will even outclass the other top songs. This ultimate track is called “The Sorcerer” and just thinking of it brings tears to my eyes. An Epic that goes up and up and culminates in an emotional outcry, that send shivers down your throat that hurt as if you were eating razorblades. In combination with the outstanding lyrics (I won’t betray the content here, listen and read for yourself) you have a piece of music that makes you feel as if you are in a cinema…although you’ll never find a movie as good as PAGAN ALTAR.
I could go on like this and write a whole book about every single song, but let these tracks stand as benchmarks for the diversity of PAGAN ALTAR and as a proof of what kind of a band you will get to know, buying their albums. Of course the big “Metal”-press will always ignore this band and by so doing consolidates its own ridiculousness once more.
It’s obvious that with such well-written songs they demand intelligent lyrics as well. I have to tell you that PAGAN ALTAR has these in abundance! At first glace they often seem occult or fantastic but looking behind these shrouds you tend to recognise many current or personal issues very quickly and so the songs appear to work on two or even more levels but this is precisely what you would expect to find from good literature. I have to also mention how the lyrics always seem to fit the composition as a whole and every break and change is musically reflected lyrically?
As I already said I could go on for ages here, talking about the band, the albums, their fanatic fans…but I can not waste any more time in front of the computer…got to listen to “Mythical & Magical” again!

15 out of 10 points
ALL HAIL THE GODS OF HARDROCK AND HEAVY METAL!!!