PAGAN’S MIND – Heavenly Ecstasy

After four years, it’s finally time for a new Pagan’s Mind studio album. Heavenly Ecstasy is the Norwegian Progressive/Power Metal band’s fifth studio effort, and it may be their best album to date. It’s also their first album to be released through Steamhammer Records after their split from Limb Music.

Heavenly Ecstasy is one of the most varied Pagan’s Mind albums to date. You’ve got songs like “Eyes Of Fire” that sound a bit like good old Pagan’s Mind from Celestial Entrance (2002), but with a more mature sound, while “Into The Aftermath” and “The Master’s Voice” sound a bit more like their previous and more aggressive album God’s Equation (2007). “Walk Away In Silence” and “Live Your Life Like A Dream” are good examples of the new direction the band is taking. These are more straightforward songs with tasty riffs and catchy choruses. These songs are more in the style of Melodic Hard Rock than Progressive Power Metal.

Even though they’ve kept some of the aggression from God’s Equation and are revisiting the style from their oldest records, it’s quite noticeable that Pagan’s Mind have toned down their technical instrumental parts and challenging odd time signatures, and are instead focusing more on melodic and catchy material. This direction could be seen as a proposal to fans of more mainstream Metal, but it suits the band and helps expand their repertoire.

Though Pagan’s Mind is a band where the band members showcase impressive individual skills on their respective instruments, vocalist Nils K. Rue is the one that really stands out on this record. His vocal skills have improved with each release and now he really shows he’s on top of his game. His vibrato that used to have a crazy pitch variation has now been perfected and it’s simply a thrill to listen to him sing.

Pagan’s Mind once again prove themselves to be kings of the Progressive/Power Metal genre, and it’s a healthy sign for them to dare to deviate from their usual style to experiment with more melodic material. Heavenly Ecstasy is a candidate for Rock/Metal album of the year and is an impressive piece of work.

Tracklist

1. Contact (intro)
2. Eyes Of Fire
3. Intermission
4. Into The Aftermath
5. Walk Away In Silence
6. Revelation To The End
7. Follow Your Way
8. Live Your Life Like A Dream
9. The Master’s Voice
10. When Angels Unite
11. Never Walk Alone