To call Pagan Altar trailblazers would be an understatement. They were cult (or rather “kvlt”) before the aesthetic was even a thing, and playing full blown doom metal as far back as the ’70s. While fellow English doom and gloom-mongers Witchfinder General were able to rear their Sabbath worshipping heads into the burgeoning NWOBHM, Pagan Altar existed outside the periphery. They released their now legendary 1982 demo to virtually zero fanfare, and only sporadically came out of the woodwork to play the occasional “ritual”, only to retreat back to whatever realm of the netherworld they came from. In this regard, they were less a band proper and more an entity, one enshrouded in mystery and obscurity.
Of course, as the years went on, Pagan Altar would return in a much more straightforward, transparent manner, while still maintaining the esoteric nature of those early recordings. The brainchild of father-son duo Terry (vocals) and Alan Jones (guitars), Pagan Altar released a string of utterly brilliant ’70s metal-esque albums throughout the 21st century, and played festivals all over the globe up until the untimely passing of the elder Jones in 2015. While Pagan Altar soldiered on as a live act in the decade since, many wondered, “Could Pagan Altar function as a creative vehicle without their guiding visionary?” Well folks, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, and is perfectly summed up by the title of the band’s latest album, Never Quite Dead.
Now to be fair, these songs aren’t brand spanking new. All of the songs were worked on with the elder Jones prior to his passing, and from what I can gather, were supposed to serve as the follow up to 2017’s posthumous The Room of Shadows, which ironically was originally titled, Never Quite Dead. You follow? As for THIS here Never Quite Dead, the vocals are handled by one of my favorite metal singers of modern day, Brendan Radigan, who you’re likely already familiar with via his work with Magic Circle (RIP) and Sumerlands. Much like when I saw him perform with Pagan Altar live about 7 or 8 years ago now, Radigan lays down his best Terry Jones imitation, and holy hell is it convincing. So much so that either 1. This guy spent years studying Jones’ tone, phrasing, and inflection, or 2. Radigan is merely being used as a vessel for Jones himself to sing these songs from wherever otherworldly dimension he currently resides. I like to believe the latter.
As for the album itself, Never Quite Dead really captures both sides of the Pagan Altar sound in equal measure. The front half boasts little to no doom, instead highlighting the band’s knack for pure old school metal with an occult twist. The opening “Saints and Sinners” is, without question, the best David Byron era Uriah Heep hit single that never was, while “Liston Church” conjures visions of the Mythical & Magical daze, Jethro Tull-esque folksiness and all. Speaking of prog, folk, and all those other witchy sounds of the ’70s, the “Madame M’Rachel” saga really taps into this vein, the first part serving as an airy lite prog prelude for “Madame M’Rachel’s Grave”: A devilish English metal cracker with the same bombast as fellow wicked brits Angel Witch and Witchfynde.
Those who prefer their metal on the doom side of the equation will appreciate Never Quite Dead‘s back half, in which Pagan Altar throw things back to the slow and heavy stylings of their original iteration, starting with the epic doom of “Well of Despair”. Those trudging, lumbering riffs prevail on “The Dead’s Last March” as well, albeit with strong melodies scattered about and Radigan reaching the tippy top of his vocal range. Closing it all out is “Kismet”: A song that had origins with Alan Jones’ post-Pagan Altar outfit, Malac’s Cross. Resurrected here some 30+ years later, this intense closer fuses everything we love about Pagan Altar into one colossal epic: The doom, the folk, and above all, the power.
While Never Quite Dead doesn’t immediately strike me upon first listen the way their past output has, there’s no doubt in my mind that it will grow on me in time. Mind you, when I say this, I mean that I don’t consider it to be an immediate masterpiece. In the same breath, I can safely say it eclipses the vast majority of doom metal released this decade, not to mention the traditional metal for that matter. Sometimes us youngsters oughta leave it to the old timers to show us how it’s done, and my goodness, do Pagan Altar get it done and then some on Never Quite Dead. The Altar lives!
8 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Doom Metal
For fans of: Candlemass, Angel Witch, Jethro Tull
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