Their gigs were characterised by moody, epic and heavy music interpreted with highly visual stage aspect which accented their interest for occult themes. Pagan Altar's only release from that era was independent, self-released, self-titled cassette which was in later years bootlegged. It was finally officially re-released on Oracle Records in 1998 and titled Volume 1. Despite no label interest in the late 70's and early 80's, the timelessness of their music ultimately prevailed as doom-obsessed metalheads kept Pagan Altar's music alive over two and a half decades.
Mid-first decade of the 21st century, the group had reformed to re-record an album of material written, but never released during their original tenure as a band. That album, Lords of Hypocrisy, has been met with an incredible reception from fans of doom both old and new, this was followed by a third full length, named Mythical and Magical.
Pagan Altar took back to the road after five years of silence, to record the new album Never Quite Dead, and played gigs worldwide to the band's loyal and ever increasing fanbase with new members behind Alan and Terry to form the backbone of the bonecrunching Pagan Altar live sound. Joining them on bass is William Gallagher, Vince Hempstead on guitars, and Dean Alexander on drums.
Behind the Cloak, an exceedingly more detailed and painstaking account of Pagan Altar history than this may be read at the band's website
The Rising of the Dark Lord
Pagan Altar Lyrics
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All creatures from forgotten lands
Long lost worlds with spires of gold
Where the land was cleft and auroras rolled
Purple skies all streaked with green
A landscape fit for a thousand dreams
Seas of fire with sulphur spray
From long dead Charne or ancient Mu'
His army comes in search of you
Dead or undead cant eternal lie
With passing eons even death may die
Crushing what he caused in play
The chaos would blow earths dust away
Mutants would roam the desolate sphere
Haunters of the dark all men would fear
And so the Dark Lord legend goes
But what form he will take no one knows
It may be in mans image who can say
This master of the Machiavellian ways
Look to your heart to what you hold dear
The last ring is trust so keep it near
Don't let him have the last ring
Let Mordor keep its shadowy king
Don't let him have the last ring
Let Mordor keep its shadowy king
Don't let him have the last ring
Let Mordor keep its shadowy king
The Rising of the Dark Lord is a song that describes the rise of a powerful and malevolent ruler who commands an army made of creatures from long forgotten worlds. The lyrics of the song suggest that the Dark Lord is a force to be reckoned with, as even the beasts of Hell attend to him and obey his commands. The song also paints a vivid picture of the Dark Lord's kingdom, described as a desolate wasteland filled with seas of fire, sulphur spray, and purple skies streaked with green. The Dark Lord's army comes in search of those who oppose him, and the lyrics suggest that even the dead may rise to join his ranks.
The later part of the song is a warning to listeners to hold fast to their values and to resist the temptation to follow the Dark Lord. The last few lines suggest that the Dark Lord's ultimate goal is to possess the last ring, a reference to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The song urges the listener to resist this temptation and let Mordor, the realm of the shadowy king, keep the last ring.
Line by Line Meaning
The beasts of Hell just lick his hand
The Dark Lord has powerful control over the creatures of Hell
All creatures from forgotten lands
The Dark Lord has an army of creatures from unknown and uncharted lands
Long lost worlds with spires of gold
The Dark Lord comes from other worlds that were once grand and majestic
Where the land was cleft and auroras rolled
In these lost worlds, the land was split and the sky was filled with auroras
Purple skies all streaked with green
The environment around the Dark Lord is mysterious and otherworldly
A landscape fit for a thousand dreams
The Dark Lord's realm is fantastical and beyond imagination
Seas of fire with sulphur spray
The Dark Lord's domain is filled with fiery oceans and noxious gases
The Dark Lords labyrinth hide away
The Dark Lord has a hidden fortress or stronghold that is difficult to locate
From long dead Charne or ancient Mu'
The Dark Lord's army comes from long-forgotten or mythical places such as Charne or Mu
His army comes in search of you
The Dark Lord is searching for someone specific and his army will stop at nothing to find them
Dead or undead cant eternal lie
Even those who are dead or undead cannot evade the Dark Lord's grasp forever
With passing eons even death may die
The Dark Lord's power is so great that even the concept of death may eventually be nullified
Crushing what he caused in play
The Dark Lord will destroy everything he previously created without a second thought
The chaos would blow earths dust away
The destruction that the Dark Lord would cause is so immense that it would cause the very world to crumble
Mutants would roam the desolate sphere
If the Dark Lord prevails, mutants would roam the ruined world
Haunters of the dark all men would fear
The minions of the Dark Lord would haunt and terrorize all who remain
And so the Dark Lord legend goes
The Dark Lord's power and legend are known far and wide
But what form he will take no one knows
The Dark Lord can take any form he chooses and is thus unpredictable
It may be in mans image who can say
The Dark Lord may even take the form of a human
This master of the Machiavellian ways
The Dark Lord is highly cunning and manipulative in his actions
Look to your heart to what you hold dear
One should value what they hold dear and protect it with all their might
The last ring is trust so keep it near
Trust is the last remaining defense against the Dark Lord, so hold it close
Don't let him have the last ring
Don't let the Dark Lord gain complete control
Let Mordor keep its shadowy king
Leave the Dark Lord's dark domain alone as it is already filled with enough darkness
Don't let him have the last ring
Never give up in the fight against the Dark Lord
Let Mordor keep its shadowy king
Allow the Dark Lord to remain in the shadowy depths of his own realm
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.