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Pagan Altar to Reissue Judgement of the Dead and Lords of Hypocrisy; Preorders Available

pagan altar

We’re probably decades and a few book projects away from Pagan Altar‘s complete story being told and the band getting their long-overdue due when it comes to blazing the trail for doom in the NWOBHM era. All they can do in the meantime — and hey, if anyone needs a ghost writer, my rates are reasonable — is keep putting the stuff out there, and by “the stuff” I mean their records. Shadow Kingdom stood behind the last batch of Pagan Altar re/issues, and Temple of Mystery steps forward to do likewise even as the band continues to move forward after the 2015 passing of Terry Jones in their new incarnation fronted by Brendan Radigan of Magic Circle. One has to wonder if a new album with the current lineup could be in the offing, but it doesn’t seem like we’re there yet, if we’ll get there at all. You might recall Temple of Mystery released Pagan Altar‘s heretofore swansong, The Room of Shadows (review here), in 2017.

In the meantime, Judgement of the Dead and Lords of Hypocrisy (discussed here) will be out on Temple of Mystery April 17 and Time Lord (review here) and Mythical and Magical will follow later this year.

Preorder links and whatnot below, courtesy of the PR wire:

TEMPLE OF MYSTERY reissuing PAGAN ALTAR’s entire discography – release dates, preorder links, festival shows announced

In 1976, from the mysterious English countryside, emerged Pagan Altar – a band whose arcane doom rumblings have changed the face of the genre. Despite their infamous debut album, Judgement of the Dead, taking decades to be officially released, their short-yet-bright star finally took off in the mid 2000s when the band unleashed The Time Lord, Lords of Hypocrisy, and Mythical and Magical, ending decades of setbacks and unintentional silence. Today, each record in their discography is fanatically hoarded by fans and damn near impossible to find — unless you are willing to depart with a large chunk of your wallet.

Following the untimely passing of iconic frontman Terry Jones in 2015, it took several years for the band’s final album, The Room of Shadows, to be released. Acclaimed internationally as a befitting swan-song, the album was lovingly issued by Canadian label Temple of Mystery Records. The release catapulted the band back into the limelight, encouraging the label to undertake the task of reissuing their highly sought-after back catalog on vinyl, CD, and cassette tape formats. It also brought the band back to the stage in tribute to their fallen frontman, with Magic Circle’s Brendan Radigan taking up the vocal role with aplomb.

First in the series of reissues are Judgment of the Dead and Lords of Hypocrisy, set for international release on April 17th via Temple of Mystery. Judgment of the Dead features remastered audio, with the vinyl edition including an updated 32-page booklet detailing the early history of the band. A limited edition of 250 copies will be pressed on silver vinyl. Meanwhile, the Lords of Hypocrisy reissue features an original painting by fantasy surrealist Adam Burke, who also created the haunting cover to The Room of Shadows. A limited edition of 250 copies will be available on blue vinyl. The CD editions of both albums will feature exclusive liner notes.

To celebrate the legacy reissues, Pagan Altar will undertake select shows around Europe and North America this summer. These performances will include founding member Alan Jones on lead guitar, Diccon Harper on bass, Andres Arango on rhythm guitar, Andy Green on drums, and Brendan Radigan on vocals. Dates for those shows will be announced in April, to coincide with the official release of the first series of reissues. The vinyl, CD, and cassette versions of Time Lord and Mythical and Magical will be released in the fall of 2019.

The first confirmed festival appearances are after the jump. Respective covers, tracklistings, and preorder links for Judgement of the Dead and Lords of Hypocrisy are as follows:

racklisting for Pagan Altar’s Judgement of the Dead
1. Pagan Altar
2. In the Wake of Armadeus
3. Judgement of the Dead
4. The Black Mass
5. Night Rider
6. The Dance of the Banshee
7. Reincarnation

Originally recorded in 1982 during the NWOBHM movement, Pagan Altar’s debut album, Judgement of the Dead, is a timeless classic of macabre heavy/doom metal centered around magic, witchcraft, and the occult. This holy grail album is one of the purest, most magical records that were ever written, and had a tremendous influence on the heavy/doom metal scene. Gatefold LP version includes a 32-page booklet about the early history of the band, new layout, and remastered songs, and jewelcase CD version includes exclusive liner-notes and remastered songs.

Preorder
Limited silver vinyl: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-jotd-vinyl-silver
Regular black vinyl: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-jotd-vinyl
CD: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-jotd-cd
Cassette: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-jotd-mc

racklisting for Pagan Altar’s Lords of Hypocrisy
1. The Lords of Hypocrisy
2. Satan’s Henchmen
3. Sentinels of Hate
4. Armageddon
5. The Interlude
6. The Aftermath
7. The Masquerade
8. The Devil Came Down to Brockley
9. March of the Dead

Featuring songs written between 1976 and 1983, Pagan Altar’s second album, Lords of Hypocrisy, is a timeless classic of macabre heavy/doom metal centered around man’s inhumanity to man and its ultimate demise. The album’s unique atmosphere is shaped by its dark ’70s heavy rock riffs with a generous NWOBHM touch, haunted vocals, and majestic lead guitar parts. A gem of a record whose mysterious songs inspire total and complete devotion. Gatefold DLP version includes new layout with cover art from artist Adam Burke and remastered songs, and jewelcase CD version includes exclusive liner-notes and remastered songs.

Preorder
Limited blue vinyl: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-loh-lp-blue
Regular black vinyl: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-loh-lp
CD: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-loh-cd
Cassette: https://www.templeofmystery.ca/shop/paganaltar-loh-mc

upcoming European shows
Holy Festival, Neudegg Alm/Austria, 20.–22.06.2019
Muskelrock Festival, Tyrolen/Sweden, 30.05.–01.06.2019

www.paganaltar.co.uk
www.facebook.com/paganaltarofficial
www.paganaltarofficial.bandcamp.com
www.templeofmystery.ca
www.facebook.com/templeofmysteryrecs

Pagan Altar, Live at Old Grave Fest, Oct. 13, 2018

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