Ελληνικά
Genre: Heavy Metal / Doom Metal / N.W.O.B.H.M
Country: U.K.
Label: Temple Of Mystery Records
Year: 2017
Their love for music: nonnegotiable, their honesty: superb, their contribution to the metal world: priceless. Since 1976, under the name Hydra the first notes of their first songs were born, until today the English men have been the epitome of independent (within the notion of commercialization of metal) musical expression. Writing always based on feeling and good will, from the demo cassette of 1982, the stories of their occultist live shows that period, the official 1998 release and the reformation, they always stood for “quality over quantity”.The character of their music (and their personalities)turned its back to the catchy successes and the pointless movements for impression. The recognition was a few decades late, but the universal approval from the whole of extreme sound even late, was really meant to be.
“The Room Of Shadows”. Their latest masterpiece in a career that consists only of masterpieces. A collection of countless metal edges, it caresses the soul and cleanses the dark corners of our subconscious. N.W.O.B.H.M. and doom, important terms to them but useless and limiting at the same time compared to their artistic displacement. One of the bands loved as a few only, offering their heart under the shadow of the patriarchic figure of the deceased Terry Jones.
Everything we adore about Pagan Altar is present here. The obnoxious vocal lines of Terry and the mesmerizing playing of Alan’s son at the guitars, the lively lyrics and the catchy turns of melodies. The misty atmosphere that described their compositions clear up with the use of a cleaner production from what we are used by them.
Getting deep into the abyss right away with the opening of “Rising of the Dead”. The realization that this album hasn’t just come to walk with this winter, but all of the ones we are going to live for the rest of our years on this earth, is immediate. The English distort their figure by intensely looking at the mirror. Through soul degradation the damned melodies of “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” are born. “Danse Macabre” or else classic rock (listen to the Kansas feel) under the prism of paganists. “The Dance of Vampires” was introduced to us a few years back, we now hear it in a bit different execution. Songs like these give the tone, they leave their scar and channel the flammable energy that boosts the inspiration, skyrocketing the creativity to the highest levels. You are just a listener, stunned and scarred forever by it. The doctoral by the name “The Room of Shadows” shows us how a perfect track is written. I always thought that the English here composed such epic tracks without any difficulty. It came out of them naturally. Before the end comes the longest track of the album. The ten minute “The Ripper” (based of course on the notorious serial killer), which was also the initial album title. Here the bands paint with a rich variety of musical colors a canvas of many highlights and a guitar orgy that devours any well made or excellently played piece by any guitar virtuoso. Obviously it is one of the peaks of their career. “Now I’m on death’s door, we’ll be together… And I’ll be with you then and after forever”. Chilling performance by Terry and a foresight ending for “The Room of Shadows” with “After Forever”, whose lyrics were written in 2004.
Since Pagan Altar were always a family issue, their journey reaches an end. “The Room of Shadows” is the sealing of a glorious path that granted us magical musical moments.
Creations from bands like this make the otherwise relentless time to run and hide. Time knows his decay doesn’t work here. The sound of “The Room of Shadoes” (like the rest of their albums) is the sweet and loud sound of crushing the ability of time to take with it whatever gets old.
6/6
