THE NATURAL MYSTIC

The Natural Mystic are a band from Milan who bring you a crisp, dynamic blend of old school influences and modern sensibility. Eclectic as hell and brimming with their own personality, they are certainly not typical RPI nor typical anything else. The Mystic sport a very punchy sound, forceful and exhilarating, whether they are doing something mellow or rocking. And they do both. The songs vary in style and they are broken up into four suites, one for each season of the year. Short occasional interludes break up the longer pieces giving the album some epic flow. A love of folk music comes through in songs like "No More War" and "Pilgrim in the Sun." Longer instrumental sections are explored and occasionally some heavier prog is felt, as well as clear nods to psychedelia. "Flute Odissey" is an example, quite beautiful but very sparse and spacey. One of the comments from our team's evaluation of the band might give you some insight into what a ride this band is:

"Heavy-symph turning psych turning into American rock turning into folk turning into pseudo-metal turning into...Eclectic"

The band sports superb musicianship and adventurous songwriting in their attributes, finding a sound that is muscular without being distorted, aggressive and yet agile. The vocals sound a bit like Demetrio Stratos but without the maniacal delivery, and the vocals are in English which might appeal to those put off by Italian. There's lots of flute and acoustic guitars, but also a big bass/drum sound and wailing electric leads. There are faces to the music which should appeal to fans of Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Gourishankar, and Lazuli. This is a band with much potential and I've heard a track from a future album which sounds very cool. The video for "El Pecador" can be viewed on their website and it is bloody outrageous stuff! I think fans of Eclectic prog would find The Natural Mystic well worth checking out. 3 ½ stars, but just shy of 4.