Review:

on 2012-10-19 GWHill Said:

I was first introduced to Gandalfs Fist with their 2011 album, Road to Darkness. That album wound up as my pick for best album of 2011. So, when I heard they had a new disc out, my hopes were high. At first I wasnt sure about this disc, though. The previous one felt a lot like the Dark Side of the Moon era of Pink Floyd, and thats what I was expecting. Well, Road to Darkness was clearly a different beast. It stretches into a lot wider range of musical territory from Genesis to heavy metal to fusion. There are parts that seem like Yes, parts that call to mind Dream Theater. The thing is, its all great.

Ultimately, I decided that it will take time to figure out if I like this disc more than the previous one. It is great, theres no question. While Im not certain about that particular point, though, Im sure this will make my list of best of 2012. Yes, it is that good. It seems that this album would have a wider potential audience, too. I mean, while Pink Floyd fans represented the best bet for potential audience that time around, this one really opens it up to more modern progressive rock fans, while still maintaining a connection that should appeal to those music fans.

All in all, this is a great album. Its highly recommended to fans of both modern and classic progressive rock. Those people will find plenty to like with this release. These guys seem to have plenty of talent for writing great music and performing it. The history of excellence is certainly continued on this release. It will be interesting to see what they come up with next time, but they are certainly establishing themselves as a not to miss band of the new progressive rock era.

Rating: 10/10