Back to the Magic of Childhood: Conception, Pt. 1 [Instrumental]
Back to the Magic of Childhood: Exploring Life, Pt. 2 [Instrumental]
In Brilliant White Light
Aegean Shores
The Prophecy of Pleiades
2002 album from Norway's greatest Prog/Power Metal hope. Produced and mixed by successful producer Fredrik Nordstrom (Hammerfall, Synergy). Pagan's Mind are the legitimate heirs to the TNT and conception throne. LMP.
2002 album from Norway's greatest Prog/Power Metal hope. Produced and mixed by successful producer Fredrik Nordstrom (Hammerfall, Synergy). Pagan's Mind are the legitimate heirs to the TNT and conception throne. LMP.
CD Reviews
Definitely Worth a Purchase
S. Morales | Levittown, NY United States | 09/01/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While other power metal bands are out there usually rehashing the same idea over and over again (dungeons and dragons/ Lord of the rings power metal), PM have taken it a step further. Yes, they are at the core technically a power metal band, but have put strong progressive elements (dramatic keyboards, dialogue, unstandard song structures) to their sound unlike other bands. Not that these other bands are all bad, but a lot of the music is hard to differentiate.
A lot of people say the music has lots of elements of Dream Theater and Queensryche, sort of a fusion of modern prog metal and classic power rock. Now i myself have never heard Queensryche before, but I have heard Dream Theater, and this to me sounds similar to what they would sound like if they went went power metal (which means, yes! Melody!!!)
Guitars on this one are pretty thick, and w/ mid-tempo melodic riffs which lay on chorus amp sound effects, there's a very "icey" feeling in the guitars that at times is so soothing you'll feel like you're listening to a soundscape record (during the slower parts of course). The solo's have a very classic power rock influence on them (and at times so do the riffs); they're melidious although not always catchy, but it's mostly the actual sound effect of the guitar that pulls you in, they sort of sound like something you'd hear Van Halen or Def Leppard playing but not as corny. Vocals are very high pitched at times and definitely test lots of range; fans of James Labrie, Russell Allen and Daniel Heiman will definitely appreciate the pipes on this guy. Lots of melody is also added w/ atmospheric keyboard arrangements, which at times are also very Dream Theateresque, but at others are very dramatic and cold sounding. Bass and Drums are well audible due to amazing production where everything comes out crystal clear. Songs are pretty long, generally averageing around 7 minutes, so you do get your money's worth.
Most tracks on this one are great, like the stellar opener "Osiris' Eyes," w/ its soaring vocal chorus and catchy verses, it's a great way to kick off a record. The second track didn't really do much for me, there are too many power chord riffs, and though the verses do use some nice sounding clean guitar, it's not enough to catch my ears so this is really just a track I tend to skip sometimes (although not a BADLY written song). The third track, "Of Epic Questions," which seems to be about questioning God, I dig, it's got a cool keyboard opening and a catchy chorus that can get stuck in your head easily. Track 5 "Dimensions of Fire" I love and always make sure to play it when I pop in this disc. The riff is pretty old school sounding but still has a modern melodic razor edge and the vocals on this do an amazing job of layering upon the guitar chords. The dramatic keyboards help a lot also, although the middle of the song has some wierd dialogue as do a couple of other tracks. Tracks 6 and 7 are pretty good but just don't have that dramatic catchy edge i look for and realy only play those songs sometimes. I do like them for the guitar work though.
The highlight of the CD is tracks 8 and 9, the "Childhood" instrumentals. The first is only a few minutes long but it's basically a very groovy sounding acoustic which builds slowly into electric power chord epicness and puts me in a vast trance during each listen. The music is very soundscape,like I had mentioned before, and images of icey caves, snowy mountains, cloudy clear skies, and vast beautiful landscapes easily falls into mind when being whisked away by this and the next track. The second 9'15 sec instrumental is almost brilliant. The hard hitting track is sort of split into different segments but is still quick and has got LOTS of catchy power chord arrangements and beautiful keyboard work intertwined w/in. Definitely the type of track to soothe you after a long hard 8 hour work shift. The song ends w/ some of the most graceful and melodic guitar flaming finger soloing I've ever experienced. Things slow down as the piano ballad on track 10 follows. It's short but sweet and relaxing, almost romantic - more images of icey caves come to mind. "Aegean Shores" (track 11) I would say is ok but nothing incredible,and the 10 minute finale on this one could've definitely been better but does include some really nice keyboard and vocal work. Guitars solos on this one are very well done too.
Though I could've lived w/o a few tracks (hence the 4/5 star review), another small hindrence to me would have to lie w/in the melodies. While they are all very nice sounding, a lot of them feel recycled, like I've heard them used before. This might be because instead of complex vocal and keyboard hooks (where about 85% of the melody on this CD comes from), they opt for tone switching somewhat to the style of Fear Factory. Sort of like if you only hit 4 keys on a keyboard to create a melody, hold each of them individually for about 2 or 3 seconds then switch to the next note, and repeat.
Overall though, I'm definitely happy I got this, the cold chilly feelings of good hooks and progressive elements will definitely intrest those fans of bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Rhapsody, Lost Horizon, Spock's Beard, and other prog bands. I heard their first album was better so I'm excited about picking up that one soon also."
Good prog metal band from Norway!
Giorgio M. Delli | Frederick, MD USA | 01/09/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hm, let's see....
The 1st thing that comes to mind here, after listening to the whole album is not Dream Theater, as some other reviewer said.
Instead, this singer seems to scream Geoff Tate.
I love it though, he is an excellent singer, as good as those of bands like Secret Sphere (my fave), Labyrinth, Kamelot, Rhapsody.
I hear a bit of Queensryche and their own style mixed to proggy epic metal (or call it power/speed metal or what have you), which makes for a flowing listening, very enjoyable, although this type of band tends to be a bit repetitive....
In my opinion, as far as I've been able to notice, only Secret Sphere was able to grow a bit more versatility than those other bands I've mentioned (Pagan's Mind included), with their 3rd cd Scent Of Human Desire.
I don't think I have a favorite on this Celestial Entrance, but I didn't notice any minor numbers either, everything is played well, professionally. Great production!
But, another point they share with all of the above mentioned bands, maybe the guitar solos at times could be a little less predictable, especially as far as choice of notes.
Personally, when I'm playing a solo, I don't like to hit the root note of every chord that's playing (especially the 4th of the key), and all these bands seem to be doing that a lot.
All of you who play guitar, like me, will probably understand what I mean.
I like fast scales too, and on this CD it's been done pretty well, like for example on the solo on Through Osiris Eyes.
Pretty good songwriting, for the most part, and arrangements; for example, I like the chord progression of the opening verse of Entrance Stargate....very tasteful vocal melody, the style was Geoff Tate, but that made it more interesting to me.
Fair balance, also, of heavier, prog and more melodic moments.
I particularly like the keyboard parts on this cd.
Overall, very good CD to listen to when you need something uplifting to bang your head to. It will grow on you every time you'll listen to it too!
At least it did me.
I also like this one better than the new Dream Theater, which, for me, is a lot to admit, since DT is my fave band."
Transcendence Pt. 2
Giorgio M. Delli | 08/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To start, I must say I was a huge fan of Crimson Glory (CG) when they broke with Transcendence. In the 80's, Transcendence and Rage for Order were groundbreaking. Crimson glory imploded and Queensryche went alternative. Enter DT with Image and Words...the disk that saved prog until....Pagan's Mind.The singer reminds me of Midnight from CG and the production is excellent. The guitars are clean and very crunchy, the drums are tight yet powerful while the bass gives it weight (the keys are dominate in some places but, its ok).There are 2 guitars in this band but they are not the yngwie-type speed freaks. Their solos seem to have some thought behind them which, as you may know, can be lacking in some prog bands {ahem.....Magnitude 9}.For old and new fans of prog, you'll like this disk. Not bad at all. I cant wait for their new stuff."
Destined for greatness
Brian Cassidy | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | 06/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well, one day I just happened to come across this band and I am very glad that I did. The first thing that came to mind as I was listening to this album was, "wow, I can't believe how mature this is for only the second album." The next was, "this is for sure going to take a couple listens to fully appreciate." I think that the label describes it well as being power progressive metal. In this respect, it is similar to the type of music that Evergrey is. To avoid missunderstandings, they do not sound like Evergrey, but you know how Evergrey can be classified as both progressive and power metal? Well the same is true here. This is not dark music, it is actually very upbeat sounding. Its technicallity can be compared to the likes of Dream Theater. It is sort-of a concept album that deals with spiritual realms and life's big questions, very interesting. Keyboards are used throughout, but seem to focus more on synths than your typical strings and such. This creates a ton of atmosphere, which I can't really explain well; you would just have to hear it. The musicians are VERY talented. As a matter of fact, the music actually sounds like it was not humans that played it, but machines, it is SO precise. I have to mention the guitar solos; amazing! They do involve very fast runs but also very melodic parts that are beautiful. The singer...Well I read many times that he sounds a lot like Geoff Tate, yes, I can see the resemblence. To me though, I think that he sounds more like Tobias Sammet, only his voice is much more powerful. This may sound odd, but I also hear some Ozzy Osbourne in his voice. You may not agree, but hey, I hear it; not much, just a bit. The production is very good, very clear. I do think that it sounds a little thin though. I think that this is merely caused because the guitars don't seem to have quite as much distortion in them as most rock music you hear. Very minor thing. All in all, VERY strong release. On a last note, this is music for the mind. It takes you into the realms that the lyrics are describing. What this means is that in order to fully appreciate it, you have to be able to dedicate your entire attention to it. I have found it to not be very meaningful if I am listening to it while I am driving or concentrating on something else. It is very...deep. So get it, but don't be hesitant to look deeply for something that is beyond just notes and words."
Excellent CD
liongirl2000 | Worcester, MA | 04/07/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I picked up this CD on a whim, which I rarely ever do, and to my surprise and pleasure, I was hooked from the first track. Produced by promiscuous producter Frederik Nordstrom, the album's overall sound is progressive power metal, drawing elements from both euopean power metal acts and from bands like Dream Theater, though the first few songs on the CD definately have a more power metal feel to them.The album starts off with the instumental introduction "Approaching," with a nice organ melody line, before breaking into a catchy guitar and drum riff. Then the keyboards come in to flesh out the driving introduction. This track is full of energy and really sets the mood for the first half of the CD.The intro leads nicely into the first vocal track "Through Osiris' Eyes." Yes, there is a bit of a concept album going on here, or at least a recurring theme through several songs. The songs starts with a fairly crunchy guitar riff, before the keys take over the melody line. The vocalist (Nils Rue) comes in, sounding like a cross between Geoff Tate from Queensryche and a slightly lower pitched James LaBrie...and like them he seems to have some pitch problems sometimes. It could be intentional, and one you get used to it, I find the unique inflections add to the music. His voice isn't extremely high, but remains firmly in the tenor range. The crunch comes back here in the bridge, where the vocals get raspy nearly to the point of a growl, before leading into the catchy, melodic chorus. Which is another thing the band does very well, catchy as hell choruses. The guitar solo does it's job, but it's nothing you havn't heard before.The next track, "Entrance: Stargate" seems to borrow lyrically from the movie, but it also contains similar references as the previous track. Anyhow, the song starts off with a nifty riff, and is a bit more drum driven, with a very percussive sound. It slows before the entrance of the vocals and a soft melody line comes in. The first verse is almost lilting, but when the bridge rolls around, they kick it up a notch. The vocal range goes a bit higher on this track, especially on the chorus."Of Epic Questions" is one of my favorite songs on this album. Again they have a small organ intro, before going into a drum and guitar groove. You can tell this song is a bit different than it's predecessors from the vocal entrance; they are quite deep, before transitioning back into the previous range. I'd say that overall, the vocals are much more aggressive on this song. This is especially seen in the second verse, where they again approach nearly death metal growls, before returning to melodic power metal vocals on the chorus."Dimensions of Fire" has some interesting vocal parts ("construction madneeEahesss"). The music is midpaced through the verses, and comes in strong for the chorus. Solid track, nice chorus. Around 4:30, there is a nifty raspy vocal line, and then the songs repeats the chorus again. Which is one of my only complaints about the CD, and it is a minor one. They repeat the choruses a lot. I don't mind so much, because they sound good, but it can get to be a bit much in repeated listenings (ie, having your CD player on repeat).In "Dreamscape Lucidity" we have what I'd call the first 'epic' song on the CD. Though not as long as "Dimensions of Fire," which clocks in at a respectable 7:30, there is a certian variance in the music and a sense of a quest to the lyrics. It is a little bit cheesy at points ("We protect these dimensions with our eternal souls..."/"I was sent by Aurora"/"Enter the gate and move on"), but overall pulls off the concept nicely.For me, things started to slow down around "The Seven Sacred Promises." Which isn't to say the song is slow...merely that it didn't hold my attention as much as the other songs did. Verse, bridge, chorus, verse, rinse, repeat.And now the instumentals "Back to the Magic of Childhood." I'm not one for long instumentals, so I don't trust myself to give an unbiased opinion here. Let's just say that my intrest wanes at this point, and doesn't completely recover until the last track."In Brilliant White Light," "Aegean Shores," and "The Prophecy of Pleiades" rounds out the rest of the CD. The final track (at least from 1:30 to 2:30, including the first two verses) is complete and utter Dream Theater worship. In fact it borrows/steals heavily from "Learning to Live" from Images and Words. The song totals nearly 10 minutes, yet is interesting enough so that you don't notice how long the song actually is.So, if you didn't want to read through all of that writing, and want to skip to the overall recap here it is: Good, solid proggish power metal with catchy choruses and a singer you'll either love or hate. I give Celestial Entrance an 8.5...out of 10."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1