Jesus, this band is amazing. I have yet to get Mythical and Magical but the other 2 releases are essential doom/heavy. ANyone seen them?

Great band, Mythical and Magical is an excellent album, you'll enjoy it.

I hope to hell I can see Pagan Altar someday. I've written before about the continuity that seems to exist within the band and the meaning i interpret from the three albums...each represents a phase of evolution or a point in time, I think, and emphasises different feelings and qualities of darkness and light. As such, I don't really prefer any one album over the other two. The debut is certainly the darkest, though, and one of the most chilling pieces of music to come from the early 80s...and I might just say that "incarnations" is the best Pagan Altar song!

These guys are awesome, as everyone said. Right up there with Candlemass , Saint Vitus, and Witchfinder General.

Yep, amazing band. Mythical and Magical is one of my favorite albums of this decade. The mix isn't the best (vocals a bit too loud) but just amazing album. The older material is also great.

Edit: oh yeah, and all of the songs on that album were written between 1977 and 1983, cool eh?

Very. Also, I adore Alan Jones' lead tone on the two latest albums...it's one of the smoothest, most gorgeously pure sounds I've heard out of metal guitar in years..almost bell-like and crystalline.

I really dig Pagan Altar's debut, it was funny that I worked my way backwards with their stuff - I don't really like the production on Mythical & Magical or Lords of Hypocrisy (I do like the material, though, at least on M&M, it's been a long time since I've heard Lords... I should probably get round to hearing it again). Each time I heard them I was always thinking "I'm sure the debut's going to be awesome", and thankfully it was.

Still, their debut is a fantastic piece of work; the songs are fantastic and I just love Terry Jones's nasal, decrepit vocals. From what bits I've paid attention to the lyrics seem to be really interesting; I'll definitely read them through some day. Mythical & Magical is notable for having a lot of British folk/folk rock elements in their, I certainly hear bits of Fairport Convention in there. I just wish that Alan Jones hadn't used a guitar with a Floyd Rose so much on the solos as the kind of vibrato you get from one doesn't really fit their sound too well. Still, other than that his guitar playing is, er, magical!

M&M it's also my favourite album of this decade and in my top 5 of all time. I haven't seen them live, though I will as soon as there's a suitable date somewhere in the Midlands. I'll consider going down to London if I get desperate, which I am getting that way, after missing their gig in Lisbon for working reasons.

Pagan Altar are one of a kind, unmistakably Old English but genuine and with a steady growing number of dedicated fans all over the globe. Not as many as the band deserves, if we consider all the difficulties they constantly overcome since the late 70s. They are proud flag bearers for the underground, even if that status is something they never pursued (too busy writing/composing vintage and authentic tunes) and an inspiration for upcoming bands for their resilience. I'm running out of compliments... Long Live Pagan Altar!!

This is key with top notch bands like these. It is funny to see other bands release albums yearly but out of all those albums there is just a couple of decent songs that you can actually say "hey, they really used their brains on this one". I rather wait a couple of years and listen to an album with all tracks being musically and lyrically excellent, no need for "filler songs".

Does anyone hear that Jethro Tull and Uriah Heep influence in this band or is it just me?

Volume 1 is a classic for sure. In the Wake Of Armadeous has some of the best vocal melodies and guitar melodies I have ever heard. There's also more ballad like tracks with Reincarnation along with songs that roll riffs into your heads like Night Rider. M&M is nice too, much more tame but songs like Samhain, Rise of the Dark Lord and Cry of The banshee shows Jones' extremely catchy guitarwork. I wouldn't doubt if he is probably one of the most catchiest guitarists in the genre. I second Abom's request, come play Canada now!

Hah, I'm the other way around. Mystical & Magical is the first one I heard, and I'm absolutely blown away. I've listened to it quite a few times and I'm still absolutely blown away. One of the best albums I know of.

Haven't much gotten into their other stuff yet though. Listened to Lords of Hypocrisy and it just wasn't the same. I think the style is perfect for songs about witches and evil spirits and the like.