High Roller Records, black vinyl, ltd 250, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, 4 page 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

01 Take Command

02 Awakened by the Dawn

03 Immortal Souls

04 Silent but Deadly

05 Shipwrecked with the Wicked (1990 Demo)

06 Eternal Quest (1990 Demo)

07 Blind Vision (1988 Demo)

08 Dethroned (1988 Demo)

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«, in 1988. Having sold huge quantities of their self-financed demos (the first four-track cassette was said to have shifted no less than 5,000 copies) it was time for Mystic Force to come up with their first vinyl release. This was realized in 1990 through C.M.F.T. Records in England. The original »Take Command« album featured the 1987 4-track demo on Side B and four brand new compositions on the A-Side: “Take Command”, “Awakened By The Dawn”, “Immortal Souls” and “Silent But Deadly” (all four to be found on this compilation). Later the same year, Mystic Force issued the 12” single “Shipwrecked With The Wicked”/”Eternal Quest” on their own Pro-duction label, a limited edition numbered vinyl. “We were always printing something,” smirks Rich Davis. “It went from tape to vinyl to CD. Whatever the technology was at the time, then that was what we were putting our music on. Constantly promoting. We were a promoting machine.” “Shipwrecked With The Wicked” surely was the best song Mystic Force had written up to that point in their career. It had “single” written all over it, a very energetic and extremely catchy piece of music. “’Shipwrecked With The Wicked’ was definitely one of our biggest songs,” agrees the guitarist. “I hold that song very dear to my heart because that was one song that I can so clearly remember playing on stage standing right beside Keith through the middle section of the song. It was the highlight of out set for sure. It makes me think of Keith [who died in 2022] and Bobby [who left this world in 2013] and of course William [who passed away in 2020].”

MATTHIAS MADER

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 demo tape featuring the songs “Stage Struck”, “Dethroned”, “With Rank Comes Rule” and “Burn The Sky”. This was followed by another tape release, »Blind Vision« in 1988, including the song “Blind Vision” and once again “Dethroned” (recorded with Drew Mazurek at High View Studio).

Having sold huge quantities of their self-financed demo tapes (the first four-track cassette was said to have shifted no less than 5,000 copies) it was time for Mystic Force to come up with their first vinyl release. This was realized in 1990 through C.M.F.T. Records in England. The original »Take Command« album featured the 1987 4-track demo on Side B and four brand new compositions on the A-Side: “Take Command”, “Awakened By The Dawn”, “Immortal Souls” and “Silent But Deadly”.

“To tell you the truth I’m not sure how we found our way to C.M.F.T.,” reflects guitarist Rich Davis. “I know it was Keith who made that connection happen. As for how many copies were printed, I have no clue. The recordings for this were all done with engineer Drew Mazurek at his home studio. We soon found out that we would continue using Drew for »The Eternal Quest« album as well as the »Man Vs. Machine« album.”

With the help of Oliver Jung with his “Demolition” distribution network, Mystic Force were already pretty well-known in European underground metal circles. With a vinyl release in the bag and C.M.F.T. now handling their affairs in the UK, the band was going from strength to strength. Rich Davis explains: “We did so many interviews and all of that. Over the phone interviews were a lot of them. I remember staying up late with Keith because of the time differences and doing the interviews. The language differences made it very difficult to understand each other, but they were so exciting for us.”

Later the same year Mystic Force issued the 12” single “Shipwrecked With The Wicked”/”Eternal Quest” on their own Pro-duction label, a limited edition numbered vinyl. “We were always printing something,” smirks Rich Davis. “It went from tape to vinyl to CD. Whatever the technology was at the time, then that was what we were putting our music on. Constantly promoting. We were a promoting machine.” Certainly true. And very well put!

“Shipwrecked With The Wicked” surely was the best song Mystic Force had written up to that point in their career. It had “single” written all over it, a very energetic and extremely catchy piece of music. “’Shipwrecked With The Wicked’ was definitely one of our biggest songs,” agrees the guitarist. “I hold that song very dear to my heart because that was one song that I can so clearly remember playing on stage standing right beside Keith through the middle section of the song. It was the highlight of out set for sure. It makes me think of Keith [who died in 2022"> and Bobby [who left this world in 2013"> and of course William [who passed away in 2020">. Chris and I are so devastated having lost so many Mystic brothers.”

A year later, in 1991, an “official bootleg” cassette called »Stagestruck … Live« was issued. Rich Davis has the details: “The »Stagestruck … Live« tape was something put together by Demolition Records, Germany, after owner Oliver came to visit us and we were playing a show at the local club ‘Hammerjacks’ and then another show at ‘Zaxx’ in Virginia.”

Rich’s memory is very livid when he thinks back to the two shows in Baltimore and Springfield: “I do remember them. It was always a real treat to play ‘Hammerjacks’. When we were headlining there we would bring in our own castle stage set. We had such a cool set up. The drums were 8’ in the air, we had ramps, fire, explosions and a monk that would come out and light the torches. So much fun. We got so good at setting it all up. We could set it all up in under 30 minutes.”

And how was the atmosphere within the band during the 1989-1991 period? Was it the band’s big goal to sign a professional deal with a record company, possibly with a major label in the USA? “That was always a goal for us,” confirms the guitarist. “So many bands start out with that goal in mind, and when they don’t make it to that level give up and quit. We were always hopeful but realistic too. We were happy for whatever success we had. For years we just wanted to play. That was it. No expectations. Just play. Build a fan base and have fun. Maybe that’s why we stayed together for as long as we did. We always set goals and pushed ourselves to meet them as close as we could. Keith Menser was such a huge part of our success. He was the one in the band who knew from the very beginning that we needed to be bigger then just a Baltimore band. To reach out as far as we can with our music. That was Keith. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be doing this interview. You would have never heard of Mystic Force. It was Keith’s dream to have the record deal happen. And now it has, but sadly after he has passed. Nothing is sadder to me then that. This is all dedicated to him.”

MATTHIAS MADER

MYSTIC-FORCE: Artist Overview

MYSTIC-FORCE was a prominent fixture in the American progressive power metal and thrash metal scene, originating in Baltimore, Maryland, USA in 1983. Initially, the band began as a cover band playing material from the heaviest acts of the day before transitioning to original material to distinguish themselves in the bustling local club scene. Key early figures included bassist and keyboardist Keith Menser (who later had a brief stint with Iced Earth and ran Siegen Records) and guitarist Rich Davis. The band quickly developed a sound that melded the melody and epic scope of US power metal with the intensity and aggression of thrash, carving out a niche alongside contemporaries of the late 80s and early 90s.

The band built momentum through several demos and the 1989 EP Take Command before releasing their official debut album, Shipwrecked with the Wicked, in 1990. This era saw a relatively constant line-up featuring Menser, Davis, vocalist Bobby Hicks, and drummer Chris Lembach. Subsequent albums, Eternal Quest (1993) and A Step Beyond (1995), released through the German label Rising Sun Records, further solidified their reputation in the international metal underground. Their style drew favorable comparisons to progressive metal pioneers like Queensr che, Fates Warning, and Heir Apparent, as well as the epic heavy metal of early Iron Maiden.

Despite line-up shifts, including the replacement of Hicks by William Wren after A Step Beyond, the band continued to pursue their brand of technical and thematic metal. Their lyrical concepts often explored themes of technology, science fiction, and fantasy, notably on the 2001 album Man vs. Machine. The band gained considerable experience touring and sharing the stage with major acts like Pantera, Savatage, Crimson Glory, and Fates Warning, showcasing their dynamic live show which, in their early days, featured elaborate stage props and effects.

MYSTIC-FORCE went on hiatus before reuniting in the 2010s, with a later iteration featuring notable veterans like former Agent Steel vocalist Rick Mythiasin. The band's legacy is rooted in the classic US power metal sound, defined by complex arrangements, soaring vocals, shredding guitar work, and high-quality musicianship. Although often overlooked in mainstream metal history, MYSTIC-FORCE remains an important, respected act within the power/progressive metal and power/thrash subgenres, particularly for fans of the cult USPM scene. The band officially concluded operations with the passing of founding member Keith Menser in 2022.

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