Pagan’s Mind – Heavenly Ecstasy (2011)

While the quality behind today’s Pagan’s Mind is far from the times when they released their opus “Celestial Entrance” and “Enigmatic: Calling”, with “Heavenly Ecstasy” they still manage to produce 11 tracks of very solid Power/Progressive Metal that will surely entertain most fans of the genre.

After a big WTF with “God’s Equation”, with this release they set a lot of wrongs straight and deliver a quality album that is both enjoyable and very well crafted. Singer Nils Rue takes the lead as the most recognizable feature of the band and soars in most songs making them very memorable.

After the traditional build-up intro song “Contact”, the album really starts with “Eyes of Fire”. The futuristic keyboards of Ronny Tegner open up this track and Nils quickly takes the lead, the music itself is very well crafted and we have tight drums and powerful guitars. The mixture of Progressive and Power Metal elements in this song is very well done and allows this track to immediately stand out from the rest.

The more progressive songs “Intermission” and “Into the Aftermath” follow, keeping the momentum flowing very nicely. “Walk Away In Silence” has a very catchy ring to it, and all the elements of am excellent track. The catchy choruses and creative guitar work makes this song one of our favorites of the album. The harsh vocals in “Revelation to the End” are a bit weird and sound a bit off, but this song is still good enough to withstand these weak elements.

The combination of Nils vocals and Ronny’s keyboards, is probably the most outstanding thing in this album and on songs like “Follow Your Way”, they brilliantly shine. The short ballad-like track “When Angels Unite” provides a nice change of pace, just before the final blow with “Never Walk Alone”. In this final track, the band puts all elements together and even the bass guitar makes a very strong finish in this very diverse and entertaining album.

In general, this is a very big step up for Pagan’s Mind from the lackluster “God’s Equation”. While the band is not as pretentious as before, they manage to consolidate their sound very nicely and with this release they are guaranteed to win back some of their older fans. If you want a catchy and effective Progressive/Power Metal release, be sure to get “Heavenly Ecstasy”.

Release: May 31st, 2011

Country: Norway