Pagan, ruined city, Mandalay div., central Myanmar, on the Ayeyarwady River. Covering an area c.40 sq mi (100 sq km), it is one of the great archaeological treasures of Southeast Asia and a holy place of pilgrimage. Founded c.849, it became in the 11th cent. the seat of King Anawratha, who, under the influence of the Mon civilization in the south, introduced Theravada Buddhism into upper Myanmar, previously dominated by a Mahayana Buddhist sect. Under his rule and that of his descendants, Pagan was adorned with thousands of Buddhist shrines and temples, principally in stone and brick. Occupied by the Mongols in 1287, Pagan was sacked and burned by the Shans in 1299. The thousands of surviving temples, pagodas, and monasteries are massive and imposing structures, built with a knowledge of the true arch and showing strong Indian influence. In 1975 an earthquake damaged much of the architecture. A large restoration project was begun in the mid-1990s.

Village, central Myanmar (Burma). Extending along the left bank of the Irrawaddy River, southwest of Mandalay, it was founded circa AD 849 and was the capital of a powerful dynasty from the 11th to the 13th century. It was conquered by the Mongols in 1287. As a centre of Buddhist learning, it is a pilgrimage destination and contains Buddhist shrines that have been restored and redecorated and are in current use. Ruins of other shrines and pagodas cover a wide area. An earthquake in 1975 severely damaged more than half of the important structures and irreparably destroyed many of them. The village also has a school for lacquerware, for which the region is noted.

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Pagan's Mind is a power metal/progressive metal band from Skien, Norway.

It is not so heavily influenced by the Stargate series. In an interview with Nils K. Rue he said: "I wouldn't say I like the TV series Stargate, because I never saw an entire episode of that. But I really like the film Stargate. Of course, I took some inspiration from that..." Taken from the interview of ProgPower USA VIII.

Biography

Founded in 2000 from the band Silverspoon, Pagan's Mind released their first album, Infinity Divine, that same year. The following album, Celestial Entrance, was released in 2002 and was a relatively big success even outside of Norway. A re-recorded version of Infinity Divine was released in 2004. Their third album, Enigmatic : Calling, was released in 2005 and debuted at number 15 in the Norwegian album charts. Their current album, God's Equation, was released on November 9 2007.

In February 2008 power metal band Power Quest announced that Pagan's Mind guitarist Jorn Viggo Lofstad will be providing guest instrumentation for the upcoming album Master of Illusion.

In 2008, Pagan's Mind toured with Sonata Arctica on their Unia tour.

Band line-up

Current members

• Nils K. Rue − vocals
• Jørn Viggo Lofstad − guitar
• Steinar Krokmo − bass
• Stian Kristoffersen − drums
• Ronny Tegner − keyboards

Former members

• Thorstein Aaby − guitar (2000-August, 2003) (R.I.P. April 3, 1971 - July 24, 2007)

Discography

Studio albums

• Infinity Divine (2000)
• Celestial Entrance (2002)
• Infinity Divine (2004 re-recording)
• Enigmatic : Calling (2005)
• God's Equation (2007)

Videography

DVD and video

• Enigmatic Videos 2005 (Promo/Concert Sale DVD)
• New World Order Live and Supremacy Our Kind Live (ProgPower USA VIII Concert DVD)

Music videos

• "Through Osiris' Eyes" (Celestial Entrance)
• "Aegean Shores" (Celestial Entrance)
• "Enigmatic Mission" (Enigmatic: Calling)
• "Atomic Firelight" (God's Equation)

References

External links

• Official Pagan's Mind homepage
• Record Label
• Pagan's Mind at MySpace

See also

Related genres:

• Heavy metal
• Power metal
• Progressive metal