Mystic Force A Step Beyond CD (Slipcase, 2025, High Roller Records)

A Step Beyond is the second full-length studio album from the American Progressive Heavy/Power Metal band Mystic Force 

Mystic Force were one of the cult progressive power metal bands to emerge from Baltimore, Maryland, combining technical musicianship with aggressive US metal energy. Formed in 1984 by guitarists Rich Davis and Marc Rouchard alongside bassist Keith Menser, the band solidified their classic lineup with drummer Chris Lembach and vocalist Bobby Hicks. Early demo tapes (Mystic Force, 1987 and Blind Vision, 1988) and two independent vinyl releases in 1990 quickly earned the group a strong following in the European underground, supported by C.M.F.T. Records in the UK and the Demolition distribution network in Germany.

Their rising reputation led to a deal with Germany’s Rising Sun Records, who released the band’s acclaimed debut The Eternal Quest in 1993, followed by A Step Beyond in 1995. While The Eternal Quest delivered faster, more energetic material, its successor ventured into darker, more mid-paced and naturally more progressive territory—recorded at the legendary Kajem Studio, where landmark albums like Queensrÿche’s Operation: Mindcrime and Crimson Glory’s Transcendence were made.

Mystic Force later issued Man vs. Machine (2001) on their own Siegen Records before the band members pursued new musical paths. After the split, drummer Chris Lembach and guitarist Rich Davis formed Shift, releasing two albums, while Davis continued with a solo project and eventually returned with a full-band release, Inside the Upside Down (2024).

Highly regarded by collectors and fans of technical US power metal, Mystic Force’s body of work stands as an essential chapter in the evolution of American progressive heavy metal..

Recommended if you like: Queensryche, Crimson Glory, Fates Warning, Hair Apparent, Sacred Oath, Titan Force

Artist: Mystic Force
Title:  A Step Beyond
Label: High Roller Records
Catalogue Number: HRR979CD
UPC: 4251267720583
Release Year: 1995/2025
Duration: Album
Format: CD
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
Condition: New & factory Sealed
Special attributes: Slipcase, reissue

Tracklist:
1. The Conquest
2. Closer to the Truth
3. Second Chance
4. A Step Beyond
5. Far Away
6. Feature Film
7. Among Infinity
8. Love Hates Loves Desire
9. The Innerchild
10. Deadly Hunger
11. Nothing is Forever
12. No Boundaries