The debut disc from Gandalf’s Fist, this isn’t the masterpiece the 2011 release is, but it is a fine album that shows a lot of promise. It’s not as focused as The Road to Darkness, but so many of the musical elements presented on that disc are hinted at and foreshadowed here. This still holds up very well and serves as a great example of the type of killer space rock meets prog that these guys create.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Ambient textures lead this off, and as it climbs it feels a bit like Pink Floyd, but there are also hints of Hawkwind and Kraftwerk. Then, around the thirty second mark, a searing guitar line brings in some fusion sounds. There’s a dramatic building in the under layers as that continues. It rises up gradually and the guitar almost turns to metal as this works onward. Then, a bit before the two minute mark, acoustic elements begin to dominate. The guitar work gets quite intricate as it continues. Then it turns out to a Latin sounding movement. As it works through from there it becomes more classical meets progressive rock in nature. Then it shifts to a keyboard dominated, mellower section. From there a dramatic progressive rock movement takes it in new directions. They turn it towards a rather soaring sound from there. Some vocals appear, but nearly buried in the mix, more as another instrument. Those vocals become more prominent after a time and there’s some crunchy guitar introduced later. In a lot of ways this segment calls to mind the Space Bandits era of Hawkwind.

This comes in with a fairly bouncy melody progressive rock sound, but shifts to a intricate classically tinged sound. As the vocals come in this resembles a more modern progressive rock mixed with alternative sounds. It’s perhaps akin to a harder rocking No-Man. An intricate acoustic guitar solo is heard mid-song. After a climax, it moves to some almost creepy keyboard sounds to take it out.