Lunatic Soul: The World Under Unsun – Album Review
There are certain artists who create their own musical worlds—places where atmosphere, colour, emotion, and sound design all come together to form something deeply personal and unmistakably their own. For me, Mariusz Duda has always been one of those artists. Whether through Riverside or his long-running solo project Lunatic Soul, he has carved out a space that is cinematic, emotional, spiritual, and often strangely comforting even when the themes are dark.
With The World Under Unsun, the eighth and possibly final Lunatic Soul album, Mariusz has delivered something extraordinary—an album that feels like the culmination of everything he has explored since the first Lunatic Soul release in 2008. And having had the privilege of interviewing Mariusz recently, this record lands with even greater emotional clarity. When you understand how he thinks, how he writes, and how he feels his way through sound, the album opens like a book written directly to the listener.
The Editions: CD and Vinyl
I’m reviewing both the 2CD mediabook edition and the 2LP vinyl set from InsideOut Music. If you know Lunatic Soul, you’ll know that colour is always intentional. Mariusz chooses a specific palette for every album, and this one continues that tradition.
The 2CD set is beautifully assembled: full-colour booklet, lyrics, atmospheric photography, and the strong sense that this is not just a product—it’s part of the story.
The 2LP vinyl is, as always with InsideOut, immaculately produced:
Polylined inner sleeves
Heavyweight vinyl
Large-format lyric booklet
Quiet, rich, superb pressings
I own all eight Lunatic Soul albums, and this continues the tradition of exquisite presentation.
THE ALBUM: Track-by-Track Impressions
This isn’t a press-release overview. This is how The World Under Unsun makes me feel—and I would love to hear how it makes you feel too.
1. The World Under Unsun
The album opens with seven minutes of hypnotic, Tangerine Dream-influenced ambience.
After speaking with Mariusz, I went back and re-listened to Ricochet, and suddenly everything clicked.
The descending piano shapes, the floating vocal layers, the pulsing electronic movement, the gentle reverb-washed guitar lines… this is music as landscape painting.
Despite Lunatic Soul’s long history of exploring darkness, this track feels life-affirming—almost hopeful. And there’s a final piano motif that’s an instant earworm.
2. Loop of Fate
Eastern-flavoured percussion opens the piece—toms, soft rhythmic patterns, and a shadowy vocal.
At around the 3:30 mark, it settles into one of those irresistible Lunatic Soul grooves—a pocket you could live in.
The distorted guitars arrive like distant mountains on the horizon, followed by a fantastic saxophone solo.
I love a bit of sax, me.
3. Good Memories Don’t Want to Die
One of the most beautiful songs Mariusz has ever written.
A delicate guitar, a stunning vocal, and deeply emotional chord choices.
When I interviewed him, I told him this could be a crossover single.
It would fit in a film, a TV drama, a montage, anything.
An utterly breathtaking moment on the album.
4. A Monsters
Distorted guitar, rhythmic propulsion, and the point where Riverside and Lunatic Soul briefly shake hands.
But—and Mariusz stressed this in our interview—this project is not meant to be Riverside Lite.
It’s a different canvas, a different book entirely.
A cracking track with a brilliant closing guitar solo.
5. The Prophecy
Soft piano, choral vocals, and wide emotional scope.
It feels spiritual—multi-layered and cinematic.
6. Mind Obscured, Heart Eclipsed
12 minutes. An epic.
A shimmering synth dawn gives way at 2 minutes to a classic Duda bass riff—the kind only he can write.
It’s worth saying this loudly:
Mariusz is one of the finest bass players in modern progressive music.
His riffs are as compelling as any guitar line.
Halfway through, heavier guitars appear, vocals echo as if sung from mountaintops, and at 8:30 another lonely, soulful sax solo emerges.
The track moves like a film score—darkness, light, vast spaces.
7. Torn In Two
A piano-led ballad with gentle vocals and a lovely chorus. A quiet moment of reflection.
8. Hands Made of Lead
More synth layering, spoken vocals, and eventually a heavy, dark guitar riff.
Another sax solo—this time more urgent.
Probably the heaviest moment on the album.
9. Ardour
Shorter and more intimate—acoustic guitars, heartfelt singing, open emotion.
10. Game Called Life
One of my favourites.
Eastern colours return, humming vocals, rhythmic layers, and that unmistakable Duda electro-pulse that gives the music such hypnotic movement.
Riverside fans may recognise similar textures—but Lunatic Soul reshapes them into something more dreamlike.
11. Confession
A reflective ballad with shades of John Carpenter in its instrumental character.
Atmospheric, moody, slightly noir.
12. Self Distorted Glass
Another epic with a stomping drum groove, expressive vocals, and a beautiful drifting middle section.
As I live by the sea, the final ocean sound effects hit home for me.
It feels like standing on a shoreline at dusk.
13. The New End
A soft, moving farewell.
And if this is the last Lunatic Soul album—as Mariusz hinted—then it’s the perfect closing chapter.
After eight albums, The World Under Unsun feels like a full-circle moment.
It’s emotional, cinematic, spiritual, reflective, and at times surprisingly uplifting.
In my view, it contains some of Mariusz Duda’s finest songwriting ever—Riverside or otherwise.
Right now, it’s my favourite Lunatic Soul album.
And it may be the perfect entry point if you’ve never explored this remarkable project.
If you love music that creates a space around you…
If you love soundscapes that shift the temperature of a room…
If you want to hear an artist at the top of his emotional and creative powers…
Then this is essential.
Thank you for supporting Now Spinning Magazine—remember:
Music is the healer and the doctor.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
