A FOREST OF FEY

Now I am back with a review of a new record and it's time for a band that's totally new for me, the north English "Gandalf's Fist" which this year, has released their fifth studio record "A forest of Fey". Their last one(which I haven't heard) "A day in the life of a universal wanderer"(what a lovely name) did get good reviews here and it has begun good even with this. I don't use to like Neo-prog very much, I am quite new to it. Some reasons draw me to this album: the weird name and the odd and spectacular cover of the album. It is darkar than many prog covers. Gandalf's Fist consists of Dean Marsh on vocals, guitars, mandolin, keyboards and bass, Luke Severn on vocals, Chris Ewen on bass and Stefan Hepe on drums. They also have got help from a bunch of talanted guests from other prog bands(read for yourselves if you are curious).

I have listened a lot to the album and I must say it's clear there was a lot of hard work and musical inspiration that made this posible. I also think the album is worth hearing and it is quite unique, at least it gave me some new thoughs and the spirit of the record inspired me a lot. I have already written the "typical" neo-prog sound is not my favourite sound(I can't say if this is "typical") and the twelve songs of the album had different effects on me. The best songs are "Stories Old and Stories Told"(8/10) a symphonic and very melodic track, "The Circus in the Clearing" which is even more symphonic and folk inspired(8/10) and the shorter "Return from the Tournament" (8/10) great great acoustic guitar. Some songs lie between good and very good, especially "Gardens of the lost" (7/10) with great vocals and the different and exciting "The world we created"(7/10) which verses are similar to King Crimson's "Happy Family"(Lizard 1970). The opener "Childhood Ghosts" and the related closer "A poison tree"(7/10) would get the same rating. The other tracks are good but a bit too average and ordinar for me.

This different and well produced album of some form of neo prog has many relations to older prog such as folk prog and symphonic prog of the seventies but the spirit is modern I believe. I like it but am sorry I can't give it more than three stars, they are solid though and I could almost guarentee that others will call it a masterpiece. Best track: "Stories Old and Stories Told(Of Children Brave and Children Bold)"