Temple of Mystery are extremely delighted of announcing that
we have sealed a pact with NWOBHM/Doom legends PAGAN ALTAR to release the LP/CD
and cassette version of their final album, “The Room of Shadows” on August
24th, 2017.
Pagan Altar are one of the originators of doomy NWOBHM,
mixing their 70’s influences into occult-tinged heavy metal. Alongside bands
like Witchfinder General and Legend, their very own unique breed of mystical
doom metal was unfortunately sunk into obscurity after no interest were shown
from labels. Despite that, the timelessness of their music ultimately prevailed as doom-obsessed fanatics
kept Pagan Altar’s music alive over two and a half decades by trading their self-titled
demo cassette and even bootlegging it. After receiving so much interest from
the underground scene, the original master tapes were re-released in 1998 and
re-christened Volume 1. The band then reformed in 2004 and released two albums of re-recorded
materials – namely “Lords of Hypocrisy” and “Mythical and Magical”. These two records
proved to be the best and most exciting releases of the genre, and brought the
band to international attention. They have since played numerous shows,
traveling ashore to Canada
and the United States, as
well as everywhere in Europe. The songs for
the long awaited “The Room of Shadows” were originally written back in 2004-2005,
and the album was set to be released as “Never Quite Dead” in 2014… until the
tragic passing of their beloved frontman Terry Jones, who had been bravely battling cancer for a year
prior. The album will thus be released in homage to this true gentleman, who
was well loved by his treasured family and fans.
Having being heavily postponed for various reasons, the recordings
of this album were completely re-done with Alan Jones on guitar, and former
Pagan Altar members Diccon Harper on bass and Andy Green on drums. “The Room of
Shadows” picks up where Mystical and Magical left, and admirers of their
previous works will be pleased to hear that this album is just as timeless,
with its epic riffs and enchanting, poetic macabre lyrics of olde, plunging the
album in an aura of somber allure.
The Room of Shadows will be their fourth and final album but
their legacy is sure to reverberate for eternity.
Release party at Wings of Metal Festival:
Alan Jones, Diccon Harper and Andy Green, under the moniker
“Time Lord” will be paired with session members Brandon Radigan (vocals – Magic
Circle) and Andres Arango (second guitar – Cauchemar, Metalian), to play a
special release party/tribute to Terry in Montreal at the Wings of Metal show
on September 9th, 2017.
A rare video of a 1984 live show was unearthed by Alan Jones
for the occasion:
Pre-orders for Pagan Altar – “Room of Shadows” (TEMPLE-005)
will be available in early July at www.templeofmystery.ca
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/paganaltarofficial/
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