Press release –
“Mysterium” is the ninth studio album by German thrash metal institution Paradox and marks a special milestone in the band’s 44-year history, as founder and mastermind Charly Steinhauer not only played all the instruments and sang, but also handled the production entirely on his own.
“I worked on it day and night until everything was perfect.” Only the mastering was left to Patrick W. Engels competent hands. The songs on “Mysterium” are thematically linked, without it being a classic concept work. The lyrics – which, as on ‘Tales of the Weird’ (2012) and ‘Pangea’ (2016), were written by Achim “Daxx” Hömerlein (ex-Vendetta) – revolve around mystical stories and world events that have personally moved Steinhauer. Songs like ‘Abyss of Pain and Fear’ (inspired by the movie “Midnight Express”), the instrumental ‘Grief’ (a tribute to co-founder Axel Blaha, who died in 2023) or the title track (about dream interpretation) thus form a common thread.
The cover art, created by Travis Smith (Opeth Death, et al.), picks up on the theme of the title track and shows a sleepwalking woman. “I didn’t want any skulls or other clichéd things,” says Steinhauer. “It’s more reminiscent of a horror film.” In his own estimation, “Mysterium” is the strongest Paradox album to date: “It became my favourite alongside ‘Heresy’ from 1989. The songs all have their own identity, are catchy, and when the album is over, I want to listen to it again straight away.”
The bandleader strongly keeps his focus on studio productions. In fact, he is already thinking about a follow-up album. “I’m a fan of music myself, and CDs or LPs are what I remember, of course in connection with some of the concerts I’ve attended. That is why I need new music, also from myself. And eventually, I want to not have released one single album that has been poorly rated.”
The chances of that happening are good, Charly! “Mysterium” is available digitally as well as on CD (with bonus track), music cassette and vinyl.
TRACKLIST:
01 Kholat
02 Abyss of Pain and Fear
03 Grief
04 Those Who Resist
05 One Way Ticket to Die
06 Pile of Shame
07 Tunguska
08 Fragrance of Violence
09 Mysterium
10 The Demon God
11 Within the Realms of Gray
CREDITS:
Music composed & all Instruments recorded by Charly Steinhauer
