IMPRESSIONS

While I really like this and the previous two Lunatic Soul albums, I can see why some dismiss them as not really being prog. Me, I love this kind of ambient world music--soundscapes with emotion--which makes Impressions, IMO, better than its two predecessors (though I don't really like the space filler of two previously released songs present here as "remixes"--especially in that the original "Gravestone Hill," from Lunatic Soul II, was one of my favorite songs from 2010). The atmospheric "Impression I" and the roiling acoustic guitar strumming "Impression IV" are my favorites. I am glad and grateful for Mariuz Duda's personal medium for outlet and exploration. I hope there are many more Lunatic Soul efforts in the future as I like them better and will buy them over any Riverside output. 3.5 stars rated down for the two remixes.

Despite being a member of one of the biggest progressive metal acts on the scene today, the music you'll find from Mariusz Duda's Lunatic Soul is just about as far away as you can get from anything related to metal. Lunatic Soul clearly is a project with different intentions than that of Riverside, with its reflective and emotionally compelling style of new age often leaning more towards dark ambient than anything rock-oriented. Though the wordless, atmospheric, and experimental nature of Impressions may not be a guaranteed success for all fans of Riverside, it's clear to me that Mariusz Duda struck gold with this spectacular effort. Those who enjoyed the first two Lunatic Soul albums should find no difficulty falling in love with Impressions.

Mariusz Duda is best known for his spectacular vocal pipes as the frontman for Riverside, but his singing is used rather sparingly throughout Impressions. His vocals don't pop up too frequently, and when they do, his singing is used only to provide an additional melody rather than any lyrical concept. The almost entirely wordless nature of the album leaves every listener with the opportunity to create their own story to match the introverted style of the music - I actually think this aspect of the album allows the listener to connect with what Mariusz Duda is creating on a more personal level than one would ever imagine. The music is rather dark and repetitive, with the vast majority of the focus aimed towards creating hypnotic atmospheres and beautiful subtleties. While Lunatic Soul never prides itself on creating overtly technical music, the talent of these three musicians is clear right from the beginning. Everything from the lush acoustic guitars, transcendental synthesizers, and subtle use of digital effects is executed perfectly, and the crystal clear production makes this listening experience even more authentic.

While the highly atmospheric and emotionally demanding style of Impressions guarantees that it should never be used as background music, it's surprisingly quite accessible. I found myself entranced by the album even during my first listen, and every future spin has only deepened my affection for the music found on Impressions. While it may not be for everybody, the music that Lunatic Soul creates is highly original, transcendentally mystifying, and extremely professional - take it or leave it, this is one of the best progressive albums of 2011. 4 stars and a warm recommendation are very well-deserved.

This is the latest release from the RIVERSIDE frontman's side project called LUNATIC SOUL. It's album number three and according to Mariusz "This third one is totally cinematic...I decided to return to the music I was listening to when I was younger such as Vangelis and Mike Oldfield". He describes this third one as a supplement to the first two albums and not part of a trilogy. There are no lyrics on this one but we do get vocal melodies. Also we get two bonus tracks that have been re-mixed. One is from the debut and it's called "Summerland" and the other is from the second release and it's called "Gravestone Hill". Each track on here is called "Impression" and it goes from I-VIII.

"Impression I" is led by vocal melodies and atmosphere early on then we get a beat after a minute that will come and go along with the vocals. Guitar around 3 1/2 minutes as the beat continues. "Impression II" features gentle guitar as the piano joins in. A beautiful track. "Impression III" has these intricate sounds that ping as the rain comes down. It picks up with percussion and guitar before 2 minutes. It then kicks in with surprising heaviness before 5 minutes. Cool song. "Impression IV" has strummed guitar and percussion early then the bass and vocal melodies follow. It settles after 2 1/2 minutes to the end. Nice bass late as it blends into "Impression V".The bass is joined by guitar then atmosphere before 2 minutes. It kicks in hard before 4 minutes.

"Impression VI" has this drum beat that comes and goes slowly as the guitar and vocal melodies join in. Piano around 4 minutes. It turns haunting 5 1/2 minutes in and we get strings too. "Impression VII" has percussion sounds as the guitar echoes. Great sound after 1 1/2 minutes with deep bass and more. "Impression VIII" is mostly piano and atmosphere.

Once again Travis Smith did the art work. It's interesting that the first album has that black cover depicting this soul who has left it's body and starts to wander. The second disc has the white cover revealing this soul has drawn closer to the light. This supplement album is a mix of both of course since it's a reflection of both. An excellent album that I really enjoy listening to in solitude with headphones.