A trip to Poland many years ago threw up a band called Riverside and after I’d exhausted their catalogue I discovered that Mariusz Duda, the talented creator, singer and multi-instrumentalist had a side project called Lunatic Soul. Lunatic Soul was created in 2008 as an opportunity for Duda to explore musical territories outside the rock domain.
`Transition II` features newly remixed and remastered bonus compositions from the seventh Lunatic Soul album, `Through Shaded Woods`. The release includes such tracks as `Transition II`, `Vyraj`, `Hylophobia`, as well as the previously unreleased recording `Realm of The Weeping Willows`, whose first sketch was created during the 2020 recording sessions. `Transition II` turned out to be one of Lunatic Soul’s favourite instrumental compositions.
The album opens with a previously unreleased recording `Realm of The Weeping Willows` which begins with organ hues and whispered chants. Mariusz Duda found his inspiration from his childhood home, an area of Poland known for its forests and lakes and having visited Ostróda in the Masurian Lake District I can appreciate why that kind of environment could stimulate the artist. There`s an enticing hypnotic percussive element as the track evolves with a kind of tender chant or intonation and shook tambourine. Flute like echoes create a kind of shaded journey or voyage which feels alluringly spiritual. We enjoy a reflective segment midway through with intricate chords before the sound grows and the previous path is returned to. There`s an uplifting nigh on pulse like divine rhythm which guides us along the rest of this odyssey. An intense, irrational fear of forests, wooded areas, or trees is the literal meaning of Hylophobia and `Hylophobia – 2026 Remix` does mirror that feeling of fight or flight from this dread. A number filled with a sense of anxiety and anguish.
The title of Vyraj (also spelled Vyriy, Iriy, or Vyrai) is a mythical paradise in Slavic mythology, often described as an eternal, warm garden or a lush realm located across the sea at the end of the Milky Way. `Vyraj – 2026 Remix` exudes a rolling driving tempo as it develops and advances. Keys, percussion , guitar tones, and some whispered vocal mantras allow the composition a cosmic otherworldly quality. The final piece `Transition II -Condensed Version 2026` is an edited version of the original. It opens with flute and is joined by synths and vocals that talk about meeting the Ferryman. The Ferryman is universally symbolic of transition, liminality, and the boundary between two states of being. Primarily recognized as a guide between the realms of the living and the dead, the archetype represents the passage of time, acceptance of mortality, and the journey toward spiritual enlightenment. This captivating track does seem to reflect this crossroads and meeting of possibly paradise or nirvana and earth.
When asked as to why `Transition ll` was initiated, Mariusz replied that “Because Lunatic Soul is changing. After completing the eight albums that make up the dark cycle ‘The Circle of Life and Death,’ Lunatic Soul is transforming into a project where more musical light and hope will begin to emerge. And ‘Transition II,’ as a release, already contains these brighter elements and exists precisely between the old and the new.”
The album does feel like a crossroads of sorts a metamorphosis maybe. It`ll certainly be interesting to discover what is to follow
Rating 8.5/10
