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"Mystical" is the first Tyger of Pan Tang studio release since the mid-80s, and I wouldn't be surprised if they told me the material presented here had been written 20 years earlier. Slightly more commercial than their early stuff, the songs on this album are so damn catchy that I just can't get them out of my head. Like most of their catalog, the songs here are all near the border of hard rock and heavy metal, some being more on one side than the other. The result is some variety that should please a pretty large crowd - even those who are more into the softer rock styles. The death metalheads most likely won't find anything for them here, however. ;) I found the album to be relatively good in terms of quality, with only a couple of songs that are a bit weaker than the others, but still OK. Overall quite enjoyable, definitely something good to listen to when you feel the need for some lighter music, but also need to showcase good musicianship (in other words, you want lighter, but don't want to go for talentless pop crap... :))

This album wasn't marketed much by the label, which is a shame, as it has enough commercial potential to reach wide audiences... But then again, with the music market today, who knows if that would have made much difference? This is not as good as their earlier material (Wild Cat still rules my world! :)), but the basic sound of the Tygers of Pan Tang is still predominant, and therefore fans of their other stuff will most likely find something they like on here. As for the others, well, it's only a picture of a tiger, so give it a try, it won't bite. ;)