In an earlier review I said that Mariusz Duda did not need any introduction in the progressive rock scene. In the meantime we are a few years further in time and what I said earlier looks like an understatement nowadays. The World Under Unsun is the last record in the series of 'The Circle Of Life And Death', a cohesive story in which a solitary artist-traveller journeys between life and death. This is the eight album that tells this story, and this will be the last one, unfortunately. And where all the previous albums were single albums, this time Mariusz found it necessary to make it a double album. As far as I can find out, Mariusz played almost all instruments by himself, except drums and saxophone, that are played by Wawrzyniec Dramowicz and Marcin Odyniec. Because there are fourteen songs on the entire album, this time I decided not to review them all. The reasons are that the review may become too long, and overall, I want to tell you about the gems on the album. Are all the songs not gems than? Well, the short answer is that is true. Not every song touches me as on previous albums. The World Under Unsun is the first track on the first disc. Before you read further, make sure that you have headphones on, not to read the review, but to listen to the music of course. Music in this way needs to be heard by headphones, so you are closed from all other incentives. You are directly pulled into the music that you heard before from Duda, in his typical style. And as you can hear during the album, there are multiple references to earlier albums. This makes it a festival of recognition. The song is structured by electronic music, combined with the mighty voice of Mariusz, which gains more depth over the years. A good start! Loop Of Fate has that vibe of ominous music, it grabs you by the throat. It has a few guitar riffs that sound great. It ends with a saxophone solo in the vein of older Queensr˙che songs in the Promised Land period, what makes this music an emotional ride. Good Memories Don't Want To Die has a vibe of emotional memories and sounds a bit like a ballad. The singing of Mariusz makes you cry a little bit. A lot of feeling. Monster refers a bit to the last Riverside album to me, a good song, but on the wrong album in my opinion. In The Prophecy Mariusz sounds as if he is singing in heaven. It is a song that touches me, emotions all over the place. This song works best with your eyes closed. I think that this is Lunatic Soul at its best. Mind Obscured, Heart Eclipsed is the longest track on the whole album with its almost twelve minutes. I have a bit of a love and hate relationship with it. On the one hand it is mighty because in this song Mariusz puts in about a hundred ideas and I have to say that it fits well. On the other hand, you need an open mind to follow all the directions in this twelve-minute monster. You will hear a calm intro, Mariusz bass parts, a Pink Floyd section from the late sixties, electric guitar riffing, beautiful saxophone and a more aggressive section. Brilliantly composed, but sometimes a bit too much. I am not sure yet what I finally judge. Maybe time will tell. Torn In Two is the latest one on the first disc, and also the shortest one. It is another ballad and again Mariusz voice completely captivates you. All in all, I can say that all seven songs on the first disc are good songs, only Monster has a direction to Riverside, in my opinion. The next disc than. Hands Made Of Lead. Not a bad song, but it will not stick in your head. Ardour has a vibe that is a bit different than its predecessor. An exciting rhythm, as if you are riding a horse, and the vocals are a bit more in tune. This is a song that belongs on a Lunatic Soul album. Game Called Life. One of the longer tracks. A bit sad. Dark mood. This is what Mariusz is good at, creating special atmospheres. But after a few minutes the song turns into a more positive vibe. Electronic music leads the dance in the third part of the song; the rhythm hypnotizes you. All the returning moments make this song cohesive. I never thought that I could dance to a Lunatic Soul song, but here it is, well done. The last part is an addition to the earlier parts. Confession. The song radiates its title, a confession, as well lyrically as musically. It is a nice song, but not a great one. Parallels. More ominous music is coming your way, mixed with some Pink Floyd moods. The music tells the story, give it your own interpretation. Self In Distorted Glass. The longest track of the second disc. Pounding drums open the song, with a Mariusz that is interested in singing the song. Anyway, Mariusz sings loud, so you can not miss him. Halfway the pounding drums are still the same, for me it is a bit too long which makes me find the song less attractive, however nice the other creative things sound. The almost screaming Mariusz is the thing in the song that sticks with you. The New End. Another ballad. The album could not be ended better than in this way, a ballad with another Mariusz in top form vocally. The circle is round again. I have to admit that I had a smile on my face at the end of the song. It has been a ride this time, almost one and a half hours of music that ended the story between life and death. So, as you can read, not every song a big hit, I think the album is a bit too long for that. But overall, it is a good album. And I cannot imagine that Mariusz now ends the making of Lunatic Soul albums, so I am curious what he will create next, so fingers crossed for what he will pull out of the hat. **** Michel Stolk (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
