PARAGON is one of those bands that somehow never have made on my radar. Might it be because I was too much interested in what came from is west of my country (the Netherlands) rather than accepting music from the east? Was Thrash and Speed too much of a thing in comparison to other musical genres? I really don’t know, but I do know that in the 34 years of their existence PARAGON never got through my defences. Until now, that is, and only because I was asked to review their latest offering “Metalation”. There is no doubt what kind of music PARAGON plays. It is Teutonic Heavy Metal through and through. This is just as German as the Oktoberfest, Currywurst and Bratwurst. “Metalation” is the fourteenth studio album the band has made since 1994, and I have to say that it is a belter.

During the first two songs on “Metalation” I can’t help but feel sorry for the drummer, as “Fighting The Fire” and “Slenderman” are just about dominated by double bass drums. But, as I listen further there is one thing that becomes very clear is that I truly have been missing out, as the latter of the two songs sound just like ACCEPT did on their first three albums. But that reference only comes by once in a while. But the way PARAGON uses their Teutonic roots is overwhelming in a positive way, to say the least. Not only that, I am failing to find fault with any of the songs on “Metalation”. What I do know is that when the band slows down, like they do on “My Asylum”, the music as well as the voice become just that little bit less impressive. Not bad, no way, but just a bit too predictable. Not that the rest is treading on new territory, but because those songs harbour so much quality you don’t mind the clichés that are passing you by left right and centre.

I am surprising myself with the level of admiration I have for PARAGON on “Metalation”. It is a very nice feeling to have to conclude that I might have been wrong to discard this band as not interesting. This is bloody good. To me this is how Teutonic Metal should sound; hard, rough, but with those very clear ingredients that makes it sound so different in comparison to Metal from other areas. Before I stop, I need another listen. Hail PARAGON!