Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy [2011]

Pagan's Mind has been one of my personal favorites for some time now. Their albums Celestial Entrance and Enigmatic: Calling still stand the test of time, two classics of progressive power metal that any fan of the genre should partake in if they've made the mistake of not doing so already. The following release God's Equation was a dissapointment, however, seeing the band grazing in groovier pastures. It wasn't really too bad in retrospect, to be honest, but I still hoped that Pagan's Mind would return to a realm more akin to their past. Well, they have and they haven't. Heavenly Ecstasy (notably the band's first album not to be clad in a blue cover) sounds and feels vastly different from their masterpieces of yesteryear. This is more of a verse-chorus romp of 80's influenced power metal, wrapped in the flawless atmospheric sound of modern times. Some progressive flourishes from their past still surface in varying quantities, but that side of their music seems to have been vastly extinguished in favor of uber-melodic leanings; and it works. It works so well, in fact, that the album is damn near flawless.

First on the agenda is the man behind most of this band's success: Nils K. Rue. Apart from Jacob Hansen and (the formerly brilliant) Roy Khan, no active vocalist in this expansive sector of music is even close to touching his pristine voice, which creates this sort of sinergized flow when complemented by the band's clean-cut leads. His high notes belt out pure power, but he also has the ability to subtly let himself take flight over the ethereal music below. He seems to have a natural ear for melody, smoothly and effortlessly singing his cheesy space lyrics. I mean that in an endearing way. Some of the effects-ridden screaming and growling from God's Equation still invade the otherwise shiny soundscapes, but when used in moderation as they are here, they're much more acceptable. Rue's overall performance is mesmerizing; absolutely top-shelf.

The music built around his voice ain't too shabby, either, which means to say that it's awesome. The sound has clearly been retooled to make it more accessible, which sounds like a bad move until you actually hear it. It seems that Pagan's Mind have taken an even greater amount of inspiration from their Norweigan neighbors, the almighty TNT, than ever before. The traditional structures and occasionally classic rockin' feel certainly contribute to this vibe, as does the very familiar opening riff to "Intermission." This is not to say that this is an entirely heaviness-free affair. "Into the Aftermath," "The Master's Voice," and the epic "Revelation to an End" all provide unmistakable power in great measure. Personally, though, I take the most solace in the wonderful dreamier tracks. "Never Walk Alone" is the most similar to Pagan's Mind's past on here, and a further testament to the band's ability to create elegant sound waves that resonate endlessly in our minds. These songs portray happiness itself, and not in the derogatory way often used to describe power metal, but in a pure emotional form. "Follow Your Way" is the absolute highlight for me, a keyboard-drenched wonder that never loses sight of the human element, with interesting twists and turns and a chorus for the ages only adding to its dreamwoven perfection.

If I have anything negative to say about Heavenly Ecstasy, it's that it may be too melodic, too accessible; but that really isn't that much of a problem in the grand scheme of things. This is a release that has met and exceeded my expectations. If you're a fan of this band that was lost due to God's Equation, then I highly recommend that you at least give this one a try. I still can't guaruntee that it will suit everyone's taste, given its simplified nature. As far as I'm concerned, it's among the best releases of the year, a release that truly lives up to its title. Now that they're on a fairly mainstream label, maybe they can gain a bigger following while keeping up their outstanding quality. Heres hoping.

  Overall: 8.5/10 (Great)