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“Happiness is not a myth, it is a state-of-mind Of the body and the soul” (from ‘Mind Power’)
Within any stretch of the imagination “The Power Of Mind” is far removed from Metal. So why such a high rating in a Metal publication? Well, for a start the music is so good that it should find its way into the heart of any Metalhead. That and the Uriah Heep connection.
Following his departure from the mighty Heep and several years living in Germany, vocalist John Lawton cultivated a bond with Bulgaria. “Power Of Mind” emerges from this relationship. Indeed the entire album was written, composed and produced by a young Bulgarian doctor. The album is described as a concept but rather than having a chronological sequence of events, it’s a ‘concept’ in the sense that all (segued) songs have the common theme of positive thinking running through them. It’s actually not as preachy or as cheesy as it appears to be. Not at all.
Vaguely reminiscent of 1970s Prog Rock bands, such as ELP and Supertramp, the album is a song-oriented affair but nevertheless the general level of musicianship is very high. Bulgarian band Diana Express and John Lawton seem to have a good chemistry between them. I have to say that John Lawton is one of the very few veteran Classic Rock singers to have the magic of his voice as resplendent as ever.
Some orchestrations give the album an extra special feel - the great thing about them is that they’re never used gratuitously as so many bands do nowadays but here they’re always a snug complement to the songs.
Besides numerous quality ballads to grace the album, there are a few more uptempo numbers such as ‘Maxi Rock’. The song’s tongue-in-cheek title betrays its fun lyrics about chicks on and off the stage. It’s got some cool guitar solos too. And guitars also bring to life ‘In Rhythm With You’ – a spirited Rock ‘N’ Roll / Boogie number. I could go on praising every single song but hopefully by now I’ve already convinced you to check the album out. The fact that the sound quality is excellent certainly shouldn’t dampen the listening pleasure.
Whether listened to alone or in company of someone dear to you, “The Power Of Mind” is bound to be an uplifting experience.
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