MYSTIC-FORCE - Mystic-Force (E.P.) MLP WHITE (Pre-Order)

Audio restoration and mastering by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in September 2024.

Bobby Hicks - vocals

Rich Davis - guitar

Keith Menser (R.I.P. 2022) - bass/keyboards

Chris Lembach - drums

Mystic Force were a progressive power metal band from Baltimore in Maryland. After recording a few demo tapes they went on to sign with German label Rising Sun Productions releasing two full-length albums: »The Eternal Quest« (1993) and »A Step Beyond« (1995). This was followed by »Man Vs. Machine« on the band’s own Siegen Records in 2001. After the demise of Mystic Force, drummer Chris Lembach and guitarist Rich Davis formed the band Shift and recorded two albums with them. After that Rich started his own solo project (playing all the instruments himself and even singing), before he once again got a band together and released the »Inside The Upside Down« CD (2024).Mystic Force were originally formed in 1984 by guitarists Rich Davis and Marc Rouchard together with bass player Keith Menser. The band went through several line-up changes early on before finding Chris Lembach (drums) and Bobby Hicks (vocals).“There were so many cool clubs to play in Baltimore back then”, reminisces the guitarist. “The local Baltimore music scene was amazing back in the 80s and 90s. Not only did we have one of the biggest rock clubs on the East Cost, with ‘Hammerjacks’, but also so many other super cool clubs. As for bands in Baltimore around the same time as us, there were bands like Wrathchild, Childsplay, Apollo Ra and Kixx.”Mystic Force went on to support national acts such as Pantera, Savatage, Fates Warning, Crimson Glory many other big bands.In 1987, the band issued their first demo tape: “It was recorded mainly because of an interview for a radio station was set up for us and we needed something to play on air,” explains Rich Davis. “So right to the studio we went. I believe the station was 103.7 in Havre de Grace, Maryland.”This demo tape from 1987 featured the songs “Stage Struck”, “Dethroned”, “With Rank Comes Rule” and “Burn The Sky”. “At the time we loved how they turned out,” says Rich Davis today. “We only had four hours to record the songs, so I think we only got a chance to play the songs twice but that was all the time we needed. We recorded at Secret Sound with engineer John Grant at that session.”The »Mystic Force E.P.« demo was followed by another tape release, »Blind Vision«, featuring the song “Blind Vision” and once again “Dethroned” (recorded with Drew Mazurek at High View Studio), which is also part of this compilation (along with rare rehearsal recordings).

MATTHIAS MADER

TRACK LISTING:

1 Stagestruck

2 Burn the Sky

3 With Rank Comes Rule

4 Dethroned