Mellow Beast’s new album was a late-night purchase spurred on by a random Facebook post. The Wizards Dream only had one track available to hear, but within 30 seconds, I knew it was special. I also knew I had to review it for everyone reading The Third Eye Psych blog!
About The Wizards Dream
The Wizards Dream was released on April 20th, 2023, and is the solo project of Paul Scott, a musician who wants “to take the listener on a sonic journey to distant lands.” After listening to the music he created, he accomplished that goal and then some.
Paul has a recurring character who gets a song named after him on this record, “Gregory,” or Sir Gregory, as I’ve seen him described. Part of the official description of the album says …
“10,000 Years within the dream, this was the fate for poor Gregory. To escape the wizard’s snare or waste away to his despair.”
The Songs
Choosing the perfect opening song can sometimes make or break an album, but in this case, “The Wizard’s Dream” makes it! There is a mix of influences from the big names of the 60s and 70s, The Doors, David Bowie, and Pink Floyd being chief among them. The song has a spacey atmosphere and a wispy, dream-like quality that I love, which doesn’t let up even when the song slightly changes at around three and a half minutes in.
Crystallized is the second track and finds Mellow Beast maintaining an atmospheric psych style, matching up nicely with the first track’s sound. Paul uses some echoing vocal effects when he first begins to sing, creating a trippy vibe, but when he drops them, his voice really shines. He has an excellent singing style and knows how to use it to make the music really pop.
More mellow vibes and spacey atmospherics make their way into The Witch, though this time, there is a darker edge during the first section of the song. When things brighten up, an Elton John influence can be heard, which I had detected in the other songs but only fully realized here. Beyond that, The Witch isn’t too far from the first two tracks and is equally as enjoyable as they are.
Gregory is my favorite song, and there’s much to love between the David Bowie and Beatles influences.
The intro guitars have a Sgt. Pepper’s tone is similar in style to that classic album. The music is a sweet mix of rock, psychedelic, and glam, with one brief but furious burst of distorted guitars added for good measure. Paul offers up amazing vocals, utilizing influences that bring to mind Bowie, George Harrison, and even subtle touches of John Lennon.
Coming Home is short but incredible. I loved the keyboard and organ work, the Pink Floyd-esque guitar work, and Paul’s vocals are beautiful once again.
Coming Home flows seamlessly into The Door, an approach I have always found pleasing. I didn’t expect this, but the vocals blend David Bowie and Marilyn Manson while coming out sounding just like Paul. The wordless vocal spots add a nice atmosphere to the sections they’re used in.
Final Thoughts
Mellow Beast is a solo project that sounds like something other than a solo project. Paul can create complex and interesting parts on every instrument, which some solo artists can’t do as successfully. This makes his writing incredibly entertaining and is never stale, repetitive, or boring. Mellow Beast’s The Wizards Dream has been available since April 20th, so head over to wherever you stream music and dig into this fantastic album!
Support Mellow Beast by finding him on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram).
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
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