Although Old Pagan have been around a very long time (twenty years this year to be precise). I have not been that familiar with the art the band produce. However saying that I now wish that I had heard of them sooner, especially with their latest album Ogdrun Jarhar.
The album that has a very raw traditional black metal sound with heavy thunderous and quick drums, and a range of equally as quick melodies from the guitars. They all mix with screeching, Hellish sounding vocals. This can be particularly heard within the first track of the album entitled “Ogdrun Jarhar” where that black metal sound has given the track more power and heaviness making the song a rather exhilarating.
The band themselves have added their own creative mix to break up the traditional rawness with more melodic breakdowns and changes in tempos. Within these melodies themselves keyboards are introduced to really allow the album to flourish as a whole. The third track on the album, “Dark Chaos”, is one such example where the basic black metal sound has had a door opened up to allow for more diversity to demonstrate a more open theme, again showing how creative this band really is.
However with the fourth track on the album, “Malditz”, the pattern has been mostly obliterated as a much faster track, with faster drums and melodies that still keeps its heaviness. As for the vocals, they are more screeching than what has been in the album thus far. This gives the whole album an added boost of power and really adds to the differences that the band have created for the album.
Old Pagan have really shined through with this black metal-filled album complete with a range of pure musical genius down to the last details. This includes production and the lyrics and themes, which run through the album, based on stories of the seven Gods of Chaos (such as Samael and Nergal) living in parallel universe that is Ogdrun Jarhar.
Old Pagan: myspace
