Here's an interesting little nugget from the vaults courtesy of the folks over at World in Sound. The bizarrely named Mystic Siva were a psychedelic hard rock band from Detroit who formed in the late '60s, released two albums and split up by 1972. This 1971 self-titled release is their second and final album, and features the line-up of Marc Heckert ( Vocals,organ), Art Thienel (Vocals, Bass), Dave Mascarin (Vocals, Drums), and Al Tozzi (Guitar). Though the music here sounds fairly dated, if you like swirling organ, fuzzed out guitar riffs, and haunting psychedelic vocals, then you really should investigate this one. Yes, fans of Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, The Doors, and Mach I era Deep Purple need apply!
There's a certain charm to songs like "Keeper of the Keys", "Eyes Have Seen Me", and the super charged wah-wah laced hard rocker "Come On Closer". Something about the organ & guitar freakouts, while certainly not virtuoso, just really work here. And, the songs are memorable, which is the most important aspect. Even the more atmospheric numbers, such as "And When You Go" and "Sunshine Is Too Long", have a certain emotional flow to them that's not far removed from The Doors, The Animals, and Vanilla Fudge. Tozzi has some serious fuzz tones going on here; just check him out on the lethal "Supernatural Mind" and the raucous heavy blues rocker "Magic Luv" for some blistering playing. His searing solos just soar to the heavens alongside Heckert's noisy organ on the rocking "Touch the Sky", while their complex lines drive the psychedelic/early prog closer "In a Room".
It's tasty little gems like this that just make you wonder how much fantastic underground prog/psych/hard rock from the early '70s is still locked away in vaults around the world. Kudos to World in Sound for reissuing this quality recording from 1971, now sounding better than ever, and including a booklet packed with info, notes, and photos.
Track Listing
1. Keeper of the Keys 04:27
2. And When You Go 04:53
3. Eyes Have Seen Me 03:28
4. Come on Closer 03:26
5. Sunshine Is Too Long 03:17
6. Spinning a Spell 03:25
7. Supernatural Mind 04:18
8. Find Out Why 05:45
9. Magic Luv 03:28
10. Touch the Sky 03:54
11. In a Room 05:29
Total playing time 45:42
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