MYSTIC-FORCE - The Eternal Quest LP BLACK (Pre-Order)

High Roller Records, black vinyl, ltd 250, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert

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).

In 1987, the band issued their first (self-titled) demo tape, which was followed by another tape release, »Blind Vision«, a year later. Next were two vinyl releases (both in 1990), the first, »Take Command«, realized by C.M.F.T. Records in England, and the second, the “Shipwrecked With The Wicked”/”Eternal Quest” 12” single, issued on the band’s own Pro-duction label.

With the help of C.M.F.T. Records over in the UK and Oliver Jung’s “Demolition” distribution network here in Germany, Mystic Force had been getting more and more popular in European underground metal circles, and it was just a question of time for label offers to start coming in. “We had several offers,” states Rich Davis, “but I can’t remember the names of the other labels that made offers to the band anymore. I do remember though as we were talking to Rising Sun Records, we would look at all the cool bands on their roster and just knew that’s where we fit the best.”

As a result Mystic Force signed a deal with German label Rising Sun Productions and »The Eternal Quest« was the name of their full-length debut album. With songs such as “Shipwrecked With The Wicked”, “Another World” or “Answers Of The Mystery” it’s an overlooked gem of progressive power metal sitting somewhere between Fates Warning and Hades.

“The recording for that album was a lot of fun,” smirks Davis. “We recorded that at a studio called Oz Recording Studio in Baltimore. Beautiful studio. At that point we had already recorded the »Shipwrecked With The Wicked« EP and the »Another World« EP both with engineer Drew Mazurek. Drew was also an engineer at Oz, so the process was very comfortable and easy. He already knew our sound and what we were looking for.”

MATTHIAS MADER