It is said that you can't look towards the future without taking something from the past along with you. Future decisions are also based on past experience and thought patterns. In addition, the past serves as a reminder of who you are and your true origins and identity. There will be those who will challenge this line of thought but it is hard to argue with this notion. In the case of the old veterans of PAGAN ALTAR from the grey of the UK area, it was necessary to remind their fans and the world from where they came from and what has been truly guiding them musically all those years. With the re-release of their late 70s material on "The Time Lord", through Cruz Del Sur Music, the origins of Doom Metal and the continuance of BLACK SABBATH's occult approach, along with PENTAGRAM that began to receive attention, took its tall as the 70s powerful weapon that energized the upcoming Metal machine. This fine collection of tunes, five in number, signifies a great memorabilia that presents true grit and astounding creativity.

Trying to provide material from several worlds of Rock, of course in the manner of darkness, PAGAN ALTAR charged with an up bear Hard Rocker, "Highway Cavalier", which was ok but felt as if it lacked continuance. Weird but true. The opening solo thundered with might as the generic riffing of the era began blazing. On the other hand, as much as it has been great upon the energetic stuff, I couldn't let go of the fine Epic stories that loomed over right from the second track "The Time Lord" that even with its sluggishness seemed richer. Its following "Judgment Of The Dead" was even more inspiring with cool melodies and top notch riffing that reminded me of how amazingly soothing can pretty Metal be. The soloing sounded crafty and emotive and it seemed that PAGAN ALTAR picked up their niche with that gem. "The Black Mass" and the stunning "Reincarnation" are more or less Metal songs with a tad old Rock direction heavily entrusted by a BLACK SABBATH influence in the rhythm sections. As for the sound, nothing can escape the magic of those years, which also served as the grounds for the root sound of NWOBHM. The age of the 666 has come to pass.

"The Time Lord" is a highly recommended release. There is nothing more than tuning in to old classics that never were recognized as such. PAGAN ALTAR might be underway to release something new in the coming months, but boosting the expectance is also imperative. Sit back and switch your head back to almost forty years ago, let's see you handle that.