Rock Monsters Romania

Sometimes, as an artist, all you need is an album that transforms your career and helps you take that first major step up the ladder.

This is the case with NIDAL, an artist I discovered this summer through the release of his first singles from his new album. I also had the chance to see him live in September at Mastering The Music Business. Since then, he’s released Legendar, his second album, which comes five years after his debut. It’s an album that truly deserves a listen.

If you were a fan of Legends of Olympus, Legendar will take you right back to your childhood. Produced by Adrian Despot at the Vița de Vie studios, this album is a modern sonic journey to ancient Greece, where you’ll relive all the classic myths, one by one, adapted to today’s society. 

The album opens with Orfeu, whose intro feels like a slow, relaxing journey back to that ancient era. The lyrics, filled with references to the original myth, blend so seamlessly into the music that you might not even notice when they begin. Just as you settle into the mellow vibe, the saxophone kicks in, and what seemed like a chill song takes an unexpected turn. The vocals shift, the atmosphere intensifies, and for a moment, it feels like a track crafted by Mihail & Alex Ștefănescu. The ending flows into a modern jazz feel, setting the stage perfectly for the next chapter of this mythic journey.

Next up is Legendar, the title track, and probably one of the funkiest and most inspiring songs I’ve heard this year. Hearing it live for the first time was an incredible experience—it radiated such a great vibe that I instantly fell in love with it. I won’t go on too much about it, as this is one you truly need to experience yourself. (Go ahead, hit play and listen to it while you continue reading the rest of the review.)

The intro to Pantha Rhei transports you straight to the beaches of ancient Greece, with waves rhythmically washing ashore, just as Heraclitus may have envisioned when he wrote the phrase.

Liber follows with a similar vibe, capturing a sense of freedom (fittingly so), in a lively, joyful atmosphere. The howls at the end create an image of a small fire burning on that same beach, adding to the warmth and intimacy of the scene.

Sisif dives into the theme of persistence in the face of an almost unreachable goal, capturing the essence of Camus’s story in a modern light. Haven’t we all felt that sense of struggle?

But what happens when you can’t escape the cycle of emotions or routines? It feels like being trapped in a labyrinth, a feeling that NIDAL captures in Labirint. The song shifts between fast and slow passages, mirroring the flow of our emotional lives. It’s thought-provoking yet danceable, and if you find yourself moving to it with ease, then congratulations, you’re as free as Icarus.

Icar follows as a song about freedom and personal growth, facing obstacles along the way and learning to overcome them. In my opinion, it is beautifully complemented by Imperfect, which reflects on life’s imperfections, the everyday challenges we encounter, and the mindset needed to navigate them. At the end of the day, life may not be perfect, but it’s those little imperfections that make us unique.

The album concludes with Epoche and Narcis, leaving listeners with a touching message: everyone needs their freedom, self-love, and personal space, but also love that doesn’t hinder us long-term, much like Narcis’s influence on Echo in Greek mythology. In the end, we all want love, even if we can’t always control how it affects us.

If you’ve listened to the entire album, you likely view life from a new perspective, which is exactly the goal NIDAL aimed to achieve. It feels like a breath of fresh air in a polluted city. This album is more than just sound (though the mix is masterfully done), it serves as a reminder that music carries important lessons for everyone.

And if you want to experience his music live, check out his tour dates and get your tickets now!

Review by Radu Mihai