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| MYSTIC-FORCE - A Step Beyond LP | |
HRR 979LP, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert 1st pressing: ltd 500, 250 x black + 250 x oxblood vinyl 2nd pressing: ltd 500, 150 x black + 350 x multi-splatter vinyl | |
| Bobby Hicks - vocals Rich Davis - guitar Keith Menser (R.I.P. 2022) - bass/keyboards Chris Lembach - drums | |
| 01 The Conquest 02 Closer to the Truth 03 Second Chance 04 A Step Beyond 05 Far Away 06 Feature Film 07 Among Infinity 08 Love Hates Loves Desire 09 The Innerchild 10 Deadly Hunger 11 Nothing is Forever | |
| 1st pressing: last copies! 2nd pressing: April 24th | |
Audio restoration and mastering by by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in September 2024.
Mystic Force were a progressive power metal band from Baltimore in Maryland. After recording a few demo tapes they went on to sign with German label Rising Sun Productions releasing two full-length albums: »The Eternal Quest« (1993) and »A Step Beyond« (1995). This was followed by »Man Vs. Machine« on the band’s own Siegen Records in 2001. After the demise of Mystic Force, drummer Chris Lembach and guitarist Rich Davis formed the band Shift and recorded two albums with them. After that Rich started his own solo project (playing all the instruments himself and even singing), before he once again got a band together and released the »Inside The Upside Down« CD (2024).
Mystic Force were originally formed in 1984 by guitarists Rich Davis and Marc Rouchard together with bass player Keith Menser. The band went through several line-up changes early on before finding Chris Lembach (drums) and Bobby Hicks (vocals).
In 1987, the band issued their first (self-titled) demo tape, which was followed by another tape release, »Blind Vision«, a year later. Next were two vinyl releases (both in 1990), the first, »Take Command«, realized by C.M.F.T. Records in England, and the second, the “Shipwrecked With The Wicked”/”Eternal Quest” 12” single, issued on the band’s own Pro-duction label.
With the help of C.M.F.T. Records over in the UK and Oliver Jung’s “Demolition” distribution network here in Germany, Mystic Force had been getting more and more popular in European underground metal circles, and it was just a question of time for label offers to start coming in. “We had several offers,” states Rich Davis, “but I can’t remember the names of the other labels that made offers to the band anymore. I do remember though as we were talking to Rising Sun Records, we would look at all the cool bands on their roster and just knew that’s where we fit the best.”
As a result Mystic Force signed a deal with German label Rising Sun Productions and »The Eternal Quest« was the name of their full-length debut album. With songs such as “Shipwrecked With The Wicked”, “Another World” or “Answers Of The Mystery” it’s an overlooked gem of progressive power metal sitting somewhere between Fates Warning and Hades.
“The recording for that album was a lot of fun,” smirks Davis. “We recorded that at a studio called Oz Recording Studio in Baltimore. Beautiful studio. At that point we had already recorded the »Shipwrecked With The Wicked« EP and the »Another World« EP both with engineer Drew Mazurek. Drew was also an engineer at Oz, so the process was very comfortable and easy. He already knew our sound and what we were looking for.”
Not unexpectedly, »The Eternal Quest« was well-received in the German press: “We were always fortunate to get the highest praises overseas. It seemed so strange to us that anyone would really love what we were doing and actually comparing us to bigger bands.” The relationship between the band and the label was also really good at the time: “The interactions with Clemens Väth, owner of Rising Sun Records, was always great, mostly between Keith and Clemens. Clemens heard something in the band’s music that made him take interest in us. Honestly, Clemens was a huge part of the making of the Mystic Force legacy.”
The period between the first and the second album was probably the busiest time for Mystic Force as an active unit: “We were playing live on a consistent basis and at the same time we got right on the writing too,” explains Rich Davis. “During this time, things started to get a bit strained with the internal communication in the band though. As any relationship goes through. But we kept it together and knew our goal was keeping the momentum going ... always working forward. We kept the same line-up for probably 15 years or so, and we were like brothers. As you can imagine, we had our fights, especially Keith and myself. We were both the driving force of the band. Always thinking of the next step. Sometimes we would bump heads and cuss each other out and put the phone down. And always usually within an hour or so call each other up and apologize and move on with business.”
“It was hands down my personal favorite recording experience,” says Rich Davis about the second album »A Step Beyond«. “Clemens put us in Kajem Recording studio. »Operation Mindcrime« and I think Crimson Glory’s »Transcendence« as well as some Metal Church albums (can’t remember which) were done there. So much history. We had the opportunity to work with Joe Alexander, and what a treat that was. He was so cool. We just had the best time. During the recording process we were put into the Kajem house to stay for the entire recording and mixing time. It was like we had made the big time. It was just amazing. The coolest studio I have ever seen.”
“I would say »The Eternal Quest« had so much more fire and tempo and drive to it,” compares Rich the first and the second Mystic Force albums, “»A Step Beyond« was or ended up being very dark and mid-paced. Personally to me, it’s my least favorite album from the band and the worst sounding. All the lyrics were written by either Bobby or Keith. Chris and I were the main music writers of the band and between Bobby and Keith they put all of the lyrics on top of that.”
Some of the songs on »A Step Beyond«, like “The Conquest” and also “A Step Beyond”, were pretty longish, with complex arrangements and various time changes. So would it be fair to say that the style of Mystic Force was getting more and more progressive with time moving on…? “Our songwriting was always changing and growing for sure,” finds the guitarist. “As for us getting more progressive on »A Step Beyond«, I guess that could be true. Not by intention though, just the natural growth of the band.”
MATTHIAS MADER