DISTORTED SOUND MAGAZINE
DISTORTED SOUND MAGAZINE
MEET THE
The past several years has seen an explosion of
talent emerge from the land from down under.
Australia's booming heavy music scene now has the
global spotlight as more bands are breaking out and
establishing names for themselves. Intending to join
their countrymen is PAGAN who arrive hot on the
scene with their debut full length record Black Wash.
The product of three years hard work since their
inception back in 2015, Black Wash's blend of black
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metal, punk and vintage rock 'n' roll is something
fresh and should catapult PAGAN up the ranks in
today's heavy music climate. For bassist Dan Bonnici
he exp lains that Black Wash encapsulates everything
PAGAN have been striving to sound like. “Black
Wash is the most fully realised PAGAN work to date.
It’s the full picture of everything we’ve been hinting
at for so long, and we’ve taken everything that our
band has celebrated musically in the past but made
Written by JAMES WEAVER
it bigger, louder, prettier, uglier and much more
dynamic. When you hear it you will hear four people
who love and care about each other very much,
exorcising their devils together.”
Indeed Black Wash represents a band who know
their strengths and boy do they play up to them.
Their debut offering is a record that offers a truly
dynamic soundscape, flowing effortlessly from sheer
visceral black metal riffing to delicate melodies or
sheer explosive rock and roll. It's an ambitious effort
from a young band that are aiming for the stars.
Dan explains that whilst the quartet have clearly
pulled from a range of influences from the world
of black metal and hardcore punk, PAGAN strives
to stand firm on their collective feet. “I think when
the band first began we did have a few bands in
mind that we kind of cited as individual influences.
Overtime though, rather than trying to steal ideas
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