Pagan’s Mind – Heavenly Ecstacy

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Between last album God’s Equation and Pagan’s Mind’s latest, guitarist/producer Jorn Viggo Lofstad left several interesting projects to focus more on his main band. This includes no longer working with Jorn Lande’s solo band Jorn, of which Lofstad wrote most of the music (and Jorn Lande’s post-Lofstad material wasn’t nearly as good as what came before), and canceling a hard rock project with ex-After Forever singer Floor Jansen. Given the losses from these two projects, hopes that Heavenly Ecstacy would be good enough to compensate have been high. The outcome though is an album that is rather good, but not anywhere near as great an album as it should have been. Sharing more than a few similarities with their previous album, Heavenly Ecstacy is a prog-tinged power metal record with the distinct sound that Pagan’s Mind are famous for. Like everything Lofstad has worked on, the guitar sound is both delicious and utterly impeccable, as close to perfect as a melodic metal guitar can sound. Singer Nils K. Rue’s raspy but melodic tone also gives the band an undeniably individual style. As a collection of songs, Heavenly Ecstacy is mostly decent, with near perfect, hook-ridden anthems like Intermission and Into The Aftermath, lengthy and inspiring epics like Never Walk Alone and heavier moments like The Master’s Voice. There are some questionable moments like the insipid, cloy and quite frankly dreadful When Angels Unite – guys, what were you thinking? Mostly Heavenly Ecstacy is a solid album, though doesn’t quite reach the heights that the band (both collectively and individually) have reached in the past. The band’s distinct sound is still very strong however, as well as enjoying a superb production, leaving Heavenly Ecstacy to still make for a good jumping-on point for new fans.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Pagan's Mind