Much better this time around on album #5. I wasn’t too happy with the last one "God’s Equation", too many effects on the vocals and industrial sounds, and the music really lacked the creative prog/power metal formula that made "Celestial Entrance" unstoppable. But with "Heavenly Ecstasy" Pagan’s Mind have gone back closer to "Enigmatic: Calling", mixing the aggressive riffing with the planetary keyboards and progressive changes.

After the useless 48 second opening intro ‘Contact’ (really, why?), ‘Eyes Of Fire’ (as does ‘Intermission’) recaptures the composition ideas begun on "Enigmatic: Calling"; driving riffs and drums, classy keys, clean vocals and melody lines delivered with seamless tempo and rhythm changes. This recalls all those elements that made me like Pagan’s in the first place when I heard "Celestial Entrance". Interplanetary keyboards direct ‘Follow Your Way’ and riffs provides the crunch and punch to ‘Into The Aftermath’ (I also really like the moody 80’s style sounding horror movie keyboard piece after the guitar solo). ‘Walk Away In Silence’ is more straightforward and reminds me of something Edguy or Firewind would write (which is cool), ‘Revelation To The End’ has a nice opening buildup, interesting riff changes, and Niles Rue incorporates a few splashes of a harsher voice, and ‘When Angels Unite’ is a short two minute piano ballad. ‘The Master’s Voice’ closes the album on a hard and heavy note.

A much welcomed return but still it lacks the creativity found on "Celestial Entrance" because here Pagan’s really did effortlessly combine the power and prog metal styles into one.

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Reviewed By: Mark Gromen

Rating: 7.5/ 10

Newly minted contract and the Norwegian progsters’ album will be on shelves within two months! By far the greatest sonic stretch of their career, there’s a pair of bonus cuts on the limited digi and double gatefold orange vinyl (‘Create Your Destiny’/ ‘Power Of Mindscape’). Following the ‘Contact’ intro, ‘Eyes Of Fire’ is a surprising, decidedly more straight ahead, rock/metal take on ‘Through Osiris’ Eyes’. Only on the second full track, ‘Intermission’ do we hear the trademark Pagan’s Mind, buoyed by the soaring crystalline voice of Nils K. Rue. A temporary modulation of Rue’s amazing voice (why?) and modern, staccato riffing invade ‘Into The Aftermath’. As if that weren’t sacrilegious enough, forceful, black metal screech accents are part of ‘Revelation To The End’ and the modu-voice is also employed (sparingly) on ‘Follow Your Way’. Thankfully, none detract from the overall presentation! Elsewhere, in a move to placate the faithful, ‘Walk Away In Silence’ opens with an over paean to classic Queensryche. Fret not, there’s plenty of Jorn Viggo Lofstad’s six-string handiwork throughout, including tasteful breaks/short solos. ‘Live Your Life Like A Dream’ is a piano laden ballad. ‘The Master’s Voice’ takes off like some demented electronica-speed metal mix, complete with Rue again offering screeches, but eventually settles down. Certainly not the same old Pagan’s Mind, it’s an album that will take several spins to fully digest, but ultimately worth sampling.