LÉDA ET LE CYGNE

Keyboard-player Katsuhiko Hayashi (ex-Pazzo Fanfano Di Musica, later he joined Ieraishan) is the mastermind behind Mugen. He often sounds like a muscial deadringer of Tony Banks (Hackett-era). This album has very strong classical overtones but showcases more explosive moments, due to the contribution of Takashi Kawaguchi (Outer Limits) on violin, Kazuhiro Miyatake on flute and acoustic guitar and Ikkou Nakujima (both from Pageant) on guitar). They lift this CD to a very pleasant level: elaborate compositions featuring classical guitar/violin, flute/Mellotron, electric guitar/church organ and classical orchestrations liek The Enid. The highlight on this CD is the long track "Edmond's Old Mirror" delivering bombastic keyboards in a dramatic atmosphere like Le Orme's finale on "Fellona E Sorona": awesome Mellotron flights, moving violin and some distorted electric guitar. The up-tempo song "Carmilla" (with synthesizer-runs like Rick Wakeman) shows the variety of this band. AN ALBUM TO DISCOVER!