Italy’s Heavy Psych torchbearers The Lancasters return with their most ambitious record to date, “The Word of the Mistral,” released this October via Retro Vox Records and Life On Saturn.
Formed in 2019, the band has built a reputation for explosive live shows and an uncompromising devotion to the raw spirit of late ’60s and early ’70s Rock. Born from the gritty roots of Hard Rock and Psychedelia — that untamed, free vibe that lit up England between 1969 and 1971 – the band keeps it loud, raw, and obsessed with building walls of sound. Their style tips its hat to legends like Led Zeppelin, Terry Reid, The Kinks, and The Stooges, never imitating but always reshaping those influences into something trippy, desert-dirty, Garage-Heavy, and defiantly modern.
Following their 2023 record “Standard Family Size,” the band spent 2024 on the road in Italy, backing up J.P. Shilo (Mick Harvey, Blondie), Mika Bajinski (Sometimes with Others), and Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth). These live experiences sharpened their vision and fed directly into the creation of “The Word of the Mistral,” a concept album blending Psychedelic Rock, Heavy Blues, and visionary storytelling into a sweeping analogue journey.
At the heart of the record is a mythical tale by frontman Dave Chiari. Four knights cross the Italian Apennines in search of a sacred golden ark, meeting figures such as The One Who Sees in the Dark, the King and Queen of Umbrìa, Lucifer, and Hildegard von Bingen — the 12th-century visionary and rebel who defied her era by composing music and inventing her own language. Once branded a threat, she stands here as a symbol of defiance and transcendence. The new single “Rules of the Road” follows the Lancasters’ four horsemen through this apocalyptic journey, where secrets must stay hidden and the maestrale wind is their only guide.
Stream “Rules Of The Road” via the Spotify player below:
Recorded in one intense week at Retro Vox Studio in Parma, the album was tracked entirely on vintage gear, produced and mixed by Centuries Reverb and mastered by Stefano Vanoni at Revolver Mastering.
Supported by the Per Chi Crea grant (SIAE & MiC), the record embodies the warmth and grit of an era when Rock was both dangerous and divine.
“The Word of the Mistral” will be released on 3rd October 2025 via Retro Vox Records and Life On Saturn.
Pre-Order “The Word Of The Mistral” on Bandcamp: https://thelancastersband.bandcamp.com/album/the-word-of-the-mistral-2
Tracklist:
01. Sons of the Sin
02. The One (Who Sees in the Dark)
03. Rules of the Road
04. Crown’s Fayre
05. Stone of Whims
06. The Blue Flowers Lead to Nowhere
07. Hildegarde
08. Golden Ark
09. Mirror Gaze
10. Girl in the Sun