Live By The Sword – The Pagan Pantheon (CD/LP, Rebellion Records/Cosmic Key Creations, 2025)

 

 Two years since its predecessor “Cernunnos” and even longer in the making it’s finally here, Live By The Sword’s much anticipated new album “The Pagan Pantheon”! The fact that it nearly took three years to record and release this record already give you a hint of how ambitious this project became during the recording process and that the band didn’t settle for anything less than perfection – and it shows!

Ever since Live By The Sword’s formation it was clear that the band would blend punk, metal and Oi! into a ferocious mix. But where the early days were still strongly rooted in Oi! and punk, the band’s heavier side became more and more prominent throughout the years and now explosively collides on “The Pagan Pantheon”!

Directly from opener “The Invocation Of Tyr” and second track “Dark Horizons Set Ablaze” it is clear that Live By The Sword aims for an even darker and harder sound than ever before. The self-proclaimed ‘blackened combat rock heresy’ sounds both remorseless and heroic, while being extremely atmospheric at the same time. The music in combination with the tales of myth, war and honor are a statement against our modern world without ever making a statement at all.

The fusion of battle-hardened vocals, colossal riffs and a thunderous rhythm section including the newly acquired drummer Frank (God Dethroned, The Monolith Deathcult, Heathen Peace) results into an epic, unaplogetically bold album that is forged in blood, sweat and blackened fuckin’ metal! With glorious battle hymns such as “The Annihilators”, title-track “The Pagan Pantheon”, “Gaia”, “The Wild Hunt” and “Ghosts Of War” the band’s sound is massive and more international than ever before with guest vocals from Karl (Bolt Thrower, In Memoriam) and Paul (Enchantment, Crypt Feeder) – brilliant!

Released on black or frost white vinyl (250 copies each), the album is housed in a beautiful glossy trifold sleeve that is filled with lyrics, photo’s, the stunning paintings of Johan Prenger and some ‘hidden’ artwork to top it off. The full package is true piece of art and undoubtedly one of my favorite releases of 2025 so far! Magnificent!