Review PARAGON “Metalation”

Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Paragon formed in 1990 and released their debut album “World Of Sin” in 1994. Since then, the band has released a number of longplayers, and their latest album, “Metalation”, brings new and powerful metal tracks to the table.

Five years after the release of “Controlled Demolition”, the quintet from the north of Germany have added nine new songs to the tracklist of their 13th studio album. The tenth title is a well-known one, as Paragon have re-recorded “Hellgore”, and compared to the original version on the “Screenslaves” album, the new version shows much more power.

The fact that the fans will be able to welcome “Metalation” wasn’t something that could be taken for granted, as the pandemic stopped almost all of Paragon’s activities. The first ideas for new songs had already been generated, but the unexpected break almost put everything on hold.

With willpower and driven by Jan Bünning and Martin Christian, the band continued the proceed under the given circumstances, with some first vocal demos happening in 2022.

Today we can hold the finished product in our hands and what reaches your ears is a delight for fans of traditional heavy metal. Produced by Piet Sielck (Iron Savior), the album has a very powerful and dense sound that has some edges but still sounds tight from start to finish.

“Fighting The Fire” is the blistering opener, a song that is fast and ferocious. Screaming guitars and a well-crafted chorus are key elements of this stunning start that leaves you wanting more.

“Battalions” is a song that shows more of the melodic Paragon, especially when it comes to the chorus. “Beyond the Horizon” deals with a very relevant subject, the painful and risky journey of refugees who pay for their hope with their lives. Musically, the song is a pounding metal track with some twists.

A long intro and dueling guitars are the characteristics of “The Haunted House”. Breathtaking leads are as much a part of this song as a hard-hitting rhythm section. Paragon have no intention of taking prisoners here.

The pounding “Burn the Whore” is a typical metal song and a challenge for your neck muscles, while “MarioNET” is almost at speed metal pace. Howling guitars and a berserk tempo, that’s “MarioNET”. It’s certainly one of the fastest tracks from the German metal outfit.

A ballad isn’t really something you miss until you get to “My Asylum”, but the moment the acoustic guitar introduces the song, you know that such a tune is needed for the versatility of the album. “My Asylum” is a power ballad with depth, dealing with depression caused by social isolation.

Paragon return with ‘Metalation’ and show why they’re a band that’s been around for over thirty years. It’s not that these guys are reinventing heavy metal. It’s dedication to their favourite music, good songwriting, creativity and a musical compass that guides them to new songs. Paragon stick to their trademarks and still have the ability to create something new that is exciting from start to finish. Horns up.