On April 25th, Dying Victims Productions will release Pagan Altar’s highly anticipated fifth album, Never Quite Dead, worldwide on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette formats. As a special preview, you can now hear the new track “The Dead’s Last March” in full below!

Pagan Altar is the quintessential cult band. Formed in 1978 during the early days of the NWOBHM movement, they crafted a unique, eerie stage presence that set them apart from their peers. Their music, though rooted in heavy metal, veered more towards doom metal—a subgenre that had not yet fully taken shape—while also incorporating elements of English folk and hard rock. For years, the band’s sound remained largely unknown outside the UK until 1998, when their long-lost 1982 debut album, Volume 1, was released. This marked the beginning of their growing cult following, as a new generation of fans discovered their timeless sound.

From there, Pagan Altar began to unveil more of their musical treasures. In 2004, the Time Lord EP showcased their early work, followed by Lords of Hypocrisy—originally recorded between 1982 and 1984, but re-recorded in 2004. Later that year, Judgement of the Dead was released, featuring remastered material from the late 1970s and early 1980s, along with a bonus track from 2004. But it was 2006’s Mythical & Magical that solidified the band’s legacy, blending songs from 1977-1983 into a modern recording that captured their legendary mystique.

After a few years of silence, tragedy struck when founding vocalist Terry Jones passed away in 2015. However, before his passing, he and his son, Alan Jones, were already working on a new album, which was completed and released in 2017 as The Room of Shadows. This album ensured that Pagan Altar’s legacy would continue to resonate with fans old and new.

Now, against all odds, Pagan Altar is back with Never Quite Dead—a new album that, while technically “new,” carries the unmistakable imprint of their past. Featuring Brendan Radigan (known for his work with Magic Circle, Sumerlands, and Savage Oath) on vocals, the album pays tribute to the band’s roots while adding Radigan’s distinctive touch. As Alan Jones reveals in the album’s liner notes, nearly every track—except for the closer “Kismet,” which dates back to Alan’s early ‘90s band Malac’s Cross—was written while Terry was still alive, making Never Quite Dead a true continuation of the Pagan Altar legacy.

From the Rainbow-inspired opener “Saints and Sinners” to powerful doom tracks like “Liston Church” and “The Dead’s Last March”, the album encapsulates everything fans love about Pagan Altar. Even the folk instrumental “Westbury Express” continues the band’s mythic tradition. Never Quite Dead is a statement that, even after all these years, Pagan Altar is far from finished.

Tracklisting for Pagan Altar’s Never Quite Dead
1. Saints And Sinners
2. Liston Church
3. Madame M’Rachel
4. Madame M’Rachel’s Grave
5. Well Of Despair
6. The Dead’s Last March
7. Westbury Express
8. Kismet

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Dying Victims Productions: http://www.dying-victims.de