Gandalf's Fist: A Day In The Life Of A Universal Warrior

Whether through their slightly cheesy, slightly confrontational, slightly questionable name, or simply due to the amount of quality Prog to be found from just about every corner of the world these days, the first two Gandalf's Fist albums Road To Darkness and From A Point Of Existence are both releases I've been aware of, while never being enticed to sample. Well, as is so often the case, it would appear that I've been missing out, for the band's (well duo's) third album, the unwieldily titled A Day In The Life Of A Universal Warrior is really rather excellent.

As the title may allude, this is a conceptual piece and as does seem to be the fashion at the moment, a journey through space is the setting for all manner of tales and ideas to illustrate much broader themes and relevant issues. In the words of the band "The record, seemingly transmitted from a derelict space station in the far reaches of the galaxy using instruments salvaged, is a cosmic jam across space and time exploring a mythical figure from the 26th Century – The Universal Warrior – who's legend tells of a figure who has wandered the cosmos from the birth of existence to the end of time...." so you get the idea with that then! Whether you buy into all that spacey wacey, wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff is up to you, but if you like Melodic Prog with varied approaches and influences, then musically you'll be satisfied with what you find here.

Gandalf's Fist are the pairing of Dean Marsh (guitars, bass, keys) and Luke Severn on vocals, with the creation of this album aided by drummer Stefan Hepe, sax player Andy Bolper, flautists Davor Busic and Suzanne Weller, while wonderful backing and support vocals are provided by Melissa Hollick, Dying Seed, Lonna Marie, Jennifer Pedersen and Beccie Watson. Now I wouldn't always name-check each and every contributor to an album, but in this case I'd go as far as to suggest that the "extra" musicians on ADITLOAUW are so vital to how everything has turned out, that it is impossible to ignore them. So influential are the flutes, sax break and especially the female backing, and on joyous occasions lead, vocals that these are not simply back-up players.

In terms of style, well this is Neo-Prog diving headlong into traditional Prog values via Folk Rock, Iron Maiden grandeur and some simply sublime piano and vocal tracks that could make, given the right push, mainstream chart impact. "Somewhere Beyond The Stars" is a wonderful example of the latter aspect, stunning female (sorry, the PR blurb doesn't say who) vocal lines drawing every emotion from a simple but effective piano melody, while a scintillating clean guitar segues in at the half way point. "The Nine Billion Names Of God" hits like mid period Porcupine Tree, eerie, crawling and atmospheric, while still being catchy as hell, "Nexus" slides into almost Genesis territory, keenly darting from idea to idea, Severn's breathy vocals making a lasting mark, while again the backing vox add weight. However "North Of The Wall" draws everything back, heading into an easy acoustic direction, while "The Battle For Tannhauser Gate" is Folk tinged, almost Zeppelin lite, and "Stowaway To The Mushroom Planet" comes over like Maiden at their more Progressive.

Impressively all these strands come together superbly and make an album capable of holding the attention from start to finish and one which unlike many conceptual pieces where narration flits in and out of view, as it does dramatically here, draws you back for quick-fire re-listens. Marsh is a skilled musician, completely convincing while tearing out pinpoint guitar solos, equally adept at creating keyboard layers and washes, Severn is a fine, impacting, yet restrained singer. However what takes this album from being good and makes it excellent, is the way the pair step aside for saxophone solos, flute breaks and outside vocal contributions for the betterment of the record as a whole.

A Day In The Life Of A Universal Warrior is a voyage and experience you'll want to take again and again and, as I seem to have written an awful lot lately, is another simply stunning example of how impressive Progressive Rock 2013 style really is.

Track Listing
1. Another Night on the Far Side of the Universe
2. The Nine Billion Names of God
3. Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet
4. Somewhere Beyond the Stars
5. The Orphans of the Sky
6. Maze of Corridors
7. A Universal Wanderer
8. Nexus
9. North of the Wall
10. The Battle for Tannhäuser Gate
11. The Wanderer Goes South

Added: November 20th 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Gandalf's Fist on Facebook
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Language: english

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