LUNATIC SOUL - Lunatic Soul (180g) (2LP)

The Lunatic Soul is a solo studio project from RIVERSIDE's bass guitarist and vocalist Mariusz DUDA featuring RIVERSIDE's keyboard player Michael APAJ on the Hammond organ with Maciej SZELENBAUM playing keyboards, piano, flutes, harmonica and qujang, Wawrzyniec DRAMOWICZ from INDUKTI on drums and QUIDAM's Maciej MELLER utilizing the e-bow on an unspecified stringed instrument. While far removed from RIVERSIDE's Progressive Metal it is not difficult to see comparisons and similarities to the parent band in the music contained on the eponymous debut album - not least of all because of DUDA's distinctive clean vocals, the occasional guttural growl and, despite the lack of electric guitars, the pounding acoustic guitar riffs that appear on some of the tracks. However, this is not the lighter, unplugged side of DUDA, it is a dark brooding mix of eclectic sounds with ethnic instruments and influences evoking eastern/oriental themes, psychedelic-era PINK FLOYD-like rhythms, swirling and ethereal keyboards reminiscent of early PORCUPINE TREE tied together by songs that are surprisingly accessible and melodic.