LUNATIC SOUL EXPLORES THE DARKNESS OF SLAVIC AND SCANDINAVIAN FOLK WITH NEW SEVENTH ALBUM

Lunatic Soul is the solo studio music project of the multi-talented creator, vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Mariusz Duda.

As the lead singer of the hugely popular prog-rock band Riverside, Lunatic Soul was created in 2008 as an opportunity for Duda to explore musical territories outside the rock domain.

‘Through Shaded Woods’ is a new opening for Lunatic Soul, with it not only being considered the most refined and richest sounding album, but also the brightest and most positive in their discography to date.

On album number seven, Duda extends his musical explorations to include dark Scandinavian and Slavic folk, referencing bands like Heilung or Wardruna. Following the heavily electronic soundscapes of previous albums ‘Fractured’ and ‘Under the Fragmented Sky’, ‘Through Shaded Woods’ is completely devoid of electronics and is the first album in Duda’s back catalogue on which he plays all instruments.

Mariusz found his inspiration for the album from his childhood home, an area of Poland known for its forests and lakes, “I think I have always wanted to create an album steeped in nature and woodlands. These bring to my mind freedom, breathing and a dance ritual of coming back to nature, so I wanted the album to include such ritualistic primal dances, shamanic, Slavic and Viking moods. I wanted to mix it all up and put it all together, making “Through Shaded Woods” the most intense, dynamic and the most danceable album in my career.”

Mariusz Duda appears to have put the personal darkness that inspired his previous albums behind him, as more optimistic elements shine through in his new music. The album almost moving ‘through shaded woods’ and emerging into a more illuminated place musically as it progresses – from the atmospheric introduction of “Navvie” through to the title track, which leads the listener to a melodious, trance like “Oblivion”, echoing the style of Dead Can Dance.