LOST HUMANITY

Bulgarian prog rock collective Daniel Eliseev Project (or D.E.P.) return after some three years of time with their second studio album, named 'Lost Humanity', a painfully applicable title in this day and age. This musical project is the venture of Bulgarian multi-instrumentalist and produced Daniel Eliseev, and what he does is he collects some very talented musicians (and in the case of the previous album, vocalists) to help out and to enrich the sound and deepen the tonal palette.

This time it seems the start have aligned for the band, as they take an unexpected, I may call it, turn for the better, as this new album is entirely instrumental. The tone that was set with the previous one was of a crossover approach, maybe a bit heavier but very contemporary and enjoyable, to some classic prog influences; 'Lost Humanity', on the other side, expands the musical pallet of the band, with some jazz and fusion influences, ambient and electronic sounds, and with its overall tranquil mood.

This new album by D.E.P. is sincerely elegant in its presentation, and some might disregard this record, being entirely instrumental, as another outlet for a guitar player to showcase his mind-blowing skills and inhumane speed. Well, there is no such thing here (and thank god!). As I said, 'Lost Humanity' is a well-composed, unapologetically enjoyable instrumental ride, that corresponds well to the icy landscapes of the album art, which is really good, too. Daniel Eliseev is well in control of his intelligent approach to playing guitar, as he makes you feel like all the notes that come out of his instrument are exactly the notes that he feels are necessary for the moment; no noodling, no swagger, just some laid-back and mature music (and we must say that this applies for each musician appearing on the album).

Some highlights would include 'Curved Path', with its very pleasant saxophone surprise, probably the maddest track on the album and the most 'technical', if you would prefer; 'Autumn Mood' is this tranquil instrumental poem; 'Shambhala' is a very nicely-written piece with fantastic production; 'Mirror World' is a modern prog mini-epic for my ears, and 'Prayer for Life' is another soothing song on the album.

I would summarize this album simply like this: it is an improvement over D.E.P.'s debut, it is a shift in style with some surprisingly satisfying results; it is a daring move to make the album entirely instrumental, but it feels like it still needs that pinch of crispiness that, for example, a Joe Satriani album displays, or even the condensed lunacy that you will hear on an Änglagård record.