Germany has always had a long-standing tradition in the thrash metal genre. The country gave us the big four of Teutonic metal with Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard, but there have been many other bands following along in the genre. Paradox should easily be talked about in the same breath as the big four, when you consider the number of years performing live and making very distinctive music. After 44 years and nine albums, founding member Charly Steinhauer remains fresh and invigorated in Paradox as a thrash entity. Hell, this new album alone bears the musician’s creative stamp with him playing all the instruments, singing and handling production duties.

So the big question is, how does this new release fare with Charley being the only member of the band? It’s a good question when you consider 2024’s Rearrange The Past was recorded with three other guys in the room, so Mysterium is entirely a new chapter for the band. The central theme of the album revolves around stories that have moved Charly throughout his life. Although most of the songs are of a mystical nature, they remain progressive and thrashy. He’s been quoted as saying this new work is his favourite since 1989’s Hersey, so I was curious to dig right in.

The opening number, ‘Kholat’, begins hauntingly slow like a funeral dirge, then abruptly bursts into a flourish of speedy guitars and relentless pacing. There’s some slight hits of black metal, but the song mainly stays within the thrashy realm of speed and aggression. The next track, ‘Abyss of Pain and Fear’, starts out slow and melodic, but quickly erupts into a blistering pace. This is another banger of a track that compliments the first track really well. When we reach ‘Grief’, I was taken aback by the strength of its mournful tone, despite its duration of just over a minute. This piece is dedicated to the memory of band co-founder Axel Blaha (who passed away in 2023). I guess it’s appropriate to come back with a thrash masterpiece in the form of ‘Those Who Resist’, and yes, this is one monstrous tune. I love the relentless pace and riffs in abundance, plus the domineering chug, which really accentuates my love for this song overall. ‘One Way Ticket To Die’ bounds along with slight traces of black metal and doomy-laced lyrics, but yet again finds a comfortable range with the riffs. The solo is so good and it just makes this a satisfying listen as a whole. I love how ‘Pile Of Shame’ follows with a nice chug, including speedy guitars and a couple of well-timed tempo changes. The next track, ‘Tunguska’, is a short interlude with horror film vibes, then a burst of guitars.

The immediacy of ‘Fragrance Of Violence’ is layered with heavy riffing, but pulls back at the midway point with heaping amounts of melody, and a tasteful solo follows. The title track, ‘Mysterium’, begins with a roaring start and features wondrous guitar playing. I liked the strong chorus here, which matches the high energy of the song. ‘The Demon God’ is a seven-minute banger of heavy riffing and is filled with moshing fuel madness. Again, the chorus is wicked, and I know this will be the fan favourite on the album. There is a bonus track called ‘Within The Realms of Gray’ that I question why it was needed, especially after the kick-ass previous track. It’s not a bad song, but ‘The Demon God’ was such a great way to end the album on a high note. I’m wondering what led to the decision for the inclusion of the bonus track, but regardless, it doesn’t diminish the impact of Mysterium.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Pardox for many years now, and I must say Charly Steinhauer still has the creative spirit to make challenging music. Even though he has elected to go alone this time without the benefit of a backing band, Mysterium remains a strong piece in the Paradox discography. There’s plenty to like here, and as he stated in the press release, he worked tirelessly until everything was perfect. Now that’s what I call a musician committed to his craft, so I’m looking forward to the next release. Rumour has it that Charly is already thinking of a follow-up. God bless him for that.

Release Date: September 26th, 2025
High Roller Records
Reviewed By: Kenneth Gallant
Review Score: 8