Mantra Vega album set for January

Mantra Vega, the project featuring former Mostly Autumn singer Heather Findlay and Dave Kerzner, will release their debut album The Illusion’s Reckoning on January 25.

It features guest appearances from Nightwish’s Troy Donockley and Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, who plays the solo on the album’s title track.

Findlay says: “Having written and sung for this musical genius both in the past in Ayreon and working with him again recently for The Theater Equation, it made perfect sense to ask him to contribute a solo for the album, for which he has worked his usual spine chilling, other-worldly magic.

“We now have all mixes with only a few minor tweaks to go before completion.”

The lineup is completed by guitarists Chris Johnson and Dave Kilminster, bassist Stu Fletcher, drummer Alex Cromarty, vocalists Irene Jansen and Angela Gordon and Remko de Landmeter on Bansuri.

Album pre-sales begin on December 7 via the band’s website.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.