Road To Darkness (Special Edition)

by Gandalf's Fist

supported by

Dr. "Buzz" Frenzy (Matthew J Hesse) thumbnail

more...

	/

Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Lovely DigiPak with the bespoke artwork done by Daniel Pearce, with a 12-pages booklet including all lyrics

Includes unlimited streaming of Road To Darkness (Special Edition) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 5 days

Purchasable with gift card

£13.50 GBP or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

£7 GBP or more
Full Digital Discography

29

releases

Get all 29 Gandalf's Fist releases available on Bandcamp and save 60%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Songs from the Solway (Special Edition), Hell's Sacrament (Single), There and Back Again (Previously Unreleased Original Studio Mix), The Clockwork Saga, Widdershins, Decennium, Shadowborn (Live at HRH Prog V), The (Re)Master And The Monkey, and 21 more. , and , .

Purchasable with gift card

£53.60 GBP or more (60% OFF)

1.	No Place Cyclone 02:33	lyrics	buy track
Oh, Take Me Home (repeat) What creature, by some strange magics, transcends this cold night?
2.	Emerald Eyes 04:33	lyrics	buy track
Say goodbye to me my Friend Your time has come, You've reached the end Your path is long Your road is far from here And in a breath the tempest cried You left the ground, you rode the sky The reaper smiles and toasts to your dismay Will you take me home? Will you let me die or fade away? Promises of Sorcerer's ways have left you cold, your mind astray Your fairyland now colourless and grey And now the lands beyond the fields, has turned to dust, your mind reveals Your emerald eyes, piercing holes in the sky Will you take me home? Will you let me die or fade away? And there he stands, upon the hill His shallow eyes are watching still Now I see, you might die Now, my dear, so might I
3.	Conjurer Of Cheap Tricks 01:40	lyrics	buy track
Silence Woman! I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!
4.	Into The Dark (Containing Emerald Eyes Reprise) 07:14	lyrics	buy track
In the darkness, fade away In the darkness only suffering and pain In the darkness don't see daylight don't see dreams In the darkness there is nothing left for me Return to the sun, oh no, you know where to go Oh no, it's no place like home Return to the stars, oh no, you know where to go Oh no, it's no place like home, into the dark In the daytime you're awake In the daytime you don't know which road to take In the sunshine you don't know when you should leave In the sunshine there is no more make believe Return to the sun, oh no, you know where to go Oh no, it's no place like home Return to the stars, oh no, you know where to go Oh no, it’s no place like home, into the dark Return to the stars, oh no, you know where to go Oh no, it's no place like home... And should the Sun refuse to shine And should the stars fall from the sky Don’t close your eyes You might lose your way
5.	Twilight At The Gates Of The Prism Moon 03:23	lyrics	buy track
(Laughter) Fly my pretties… Gazing into stardust, wipe the sulphur from your eye Sow the seeds of madness in your brain Turn it into darkness, let it fade away Turn the key, you’re on the road again… Beyond the sphere of sadness; the prism light divine Seize the gate; a doorway lost in time Comfort is companion, or just voices in your head Take a step, the road will never end… My dear girl, do not be frightened Down on your civilized world, I believe there are no witches left, Nor sorcerers, nor magicians. But, you see child, our world has never been civilized For we are far removed from the rest of the cosmos And so, we still have a great many dark things haunting the paths That lie beyond…
6.	The Sulfur Highways Of Io 04:36	lyrics	buy track
I don’t believe in where I’ve been I don’t believe in where I’ve been I don’t believe, I don’t believe in time… Don’t look back, the earth is gone The darkness fills your eyes Don't look back, the road is long Don't see the morning rise Don’t look back, the earth is gone The darkness fills your eyes Don't look back, the road is long Don't see the morning rise Is this road to darkness, oh the only road for me? Me and you… Is this road to darkness, oh the only road for me? Will this road to darkness end?
7.	Untrodden Ways 03:49	lyrics	buy track
She dwelt among the untrodden ways Beside the springs of Dove A Maid whom there were none to praise And very few to love A violet by a mossy stone Half hidden from the eye! Fair as a star, when only one Is shining in the sky She lived unknown, and few could know When Lucy ceased to be; But she is in her grave, and, oh The difference to me!
8.	Road To Darkness 05:30	lyrics	buy track
Io, a world ripped asunder The wizard king in his emerald spire The manic Witch far out to the west The eternal battle between mad and evil A young girl, caught in the middle Of a war that has raged for centuries Torn from the place she calls home Lost in a world without order Darkness won't you take me to a world that's far away On this road I see before me, on this road I can't escape Darkness won't you take me to a world that's far away On this road I see before me, on this road I can't escape Three creatures that once were men A fool, a bastard and a coward Are the only thing that stands between A mad witch brimming with hatred A wizard that knows and sees all And the girl standing on the road in darkness Living in fear and knowing nothing but despair Darkness won't you take me to a world that's far away On this road I see before me, on this road I can't escape Darkness won't you take me to a world that's far away On this road I see before me, on this road I can't escape
9.	The Council Of Anderson 06:19	lyrics	buy track
The silent planet bathes its shores In moonbeams from the night As shadow children dream their dreams To hear their mothers cry The echo of the solar breeze Falls soft upon the sands Walking to the jester’s tune On this road across the stars… The tyrant in his emerald spire Casts shadows in the night His fear is brought to waking souls Who sleep beneath the light The watchmen of the city wall Call out the sorcerer’s name The brave men of the citadel Fall back against the flame The council members disappear To rooms beneath the mire The courtyard of the cowardly Hears whispers of the fire The summoned party pays the price Death takes them by the hand He leads them on a merry dance Across this cursed land…
10.	Assorted Lunatics 02:54	lyrics	buy track
It seems to be you don't really know anything It seems to me you don't really know anyone You say it makes them sick - assorted lunatics Speak to me; your mind was never here anyway Your disease greeting people inside our brain Oh the games they play, you hear the words they say At last your courage fades, no more roads that lead this way First, you gave them your heart, and then, you lost your mind Never free, locked inside like a mental case Sanity, washed away without a trace All the things you do, the voices tell you to It seems to be your emerald eyes never fade away It seems to me you've saved your sight for another day You fill your thoughts with this - assorted lunatics

about

Includes 2021 Hidden Bonus Track: "Making Road to Darkness"- Dean, Luke and Stefan Quaff Ales, Whiskey and Vindaloo as they celebrate the 10th Birthday of the "Road to Darkness" album an exclusive 2-Hour long retrospective podcast!

Ten years ago we released, what we consider to be, the first real Gandalf's Fist album: Road to Darkness.

The album was recorded over the course of a weekend by Dean and Luke and propelled us into micro-stardom! Even though the album has had several, short-run releases over the years, it has never benefited from a high quality packaging or glass-pressed master... until now!

But that's not all! We're taking this 7-year anniversary as the prime opportunity to release: Road to Darkness: Special Edition!

If you have already sampled our previous Universal Wanderer: Special Edition, you will know this will be no simple remaster or repackaging, but an entirely new listening experience!

Using the original multi-track sessions and compositions, the release retains the essence and spirit of the original album but brings the sonic palette up to dare with our intention being it can sit seamlessly alongside our more recent releases. We really think it sounds great!

Road to Darkness is a sinister space-rock re-imagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum, chronicling the tale of a young girl transported to the alien world of Io by an evil sorcerer.

Inspired by Gandalf's Fist's love of science fiction and fantasy and influenced by 70's era progressive rock, the sound could be roughly categorized as Arthur C Clarke taking guitar lessons from David Gilmour before jumping into a Delorean to kidnap L Frank Baum.

It's a mix of Classic-Rock style songs, instrumental sections, hard rock riffs, blues solos, narrative passages and harmonious choruses. With the odd smattering of shanty/folk thrown in for good measure!

Dramatis Personæ
Lucy Venti:
A Girl from the land of Terra.
Awaken from her slumber, she finds herself lost
in a strange new world.

Anderson of Io:
The last remaining Wizard from the Emerald Towers of Prometheus.

The Sorceress Kelaino:
An Orphan of the Ice Tides of Europa.
Her three Familiars:
The Fool
The Bastard
The Coward

Captain Samuel Wrangler:
A Pirate from a land far beyond the Jovian Worlds.

Trinculo:
A Psychopomp in a Trickster's Garb.

credits

released October 22, 2018

Dean Marsh: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synth
Stefan Hepe: Drums and Percussion
Luke Severn: Vocals, Narration

with
Alicia Marsh: Narration
Natasha Jaffe: Cello on "Undrodden Ways"

license

about

Gandalf's Fist UK

Prog/Folk/Rock from the UK. Aided by a merry band of misfits, Gandalf's Fist are your new favourite Cult band waiting to be discovered!

Gandalf's Fist draw on their mutual love for classic rock bands such as Pink Floyd, The Who, and even the likes of Iron Maiden. ... more

Recommendations

contact / help

Contact Gandalf's Fist

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Gandalf's Fist recommends:

Five of Cups
by Patchwork Cacophony

It's our keyboarder Ben Bell with his solo pjoject "Patchwork Cacophony". Check it out! Gandalf's Fist
go to album
The Ghosts Of Dunwich
by Dark Matter

Our drummer Stefan with his companion Dave, and their Doom-Rock/Prog project Dark Matter are well worth checking out, if you're into Black Sabbath or early Hawkwind. Gandalf's Fist
go to album
Skeletronomicon IV: The Quest for Daelgron
by Elvenverse

Dean's "Dungeon Synth" Side-Project Gandalf's Fist
go to album

If you like Gandalf's Fist, you may also like:

London Song
by Big Big Train

supported by 30 fans who also own “Road To Darkness (Special Edition)”

BBT are standard bearers for modern prog, with a sound that evokes the spirit of those legendary 70s bands whilst managing to also be thoroughly contemporary. It's astonishing that over 30 minutes of music of this quality, with such high production values, is being made available for free - and their full albums are also very reasonably priced... Eleventh Earl of Blah
go to album
5th Season
by 5th Season feat. Durga McBroom & Jukka Gustavson

A spirited, modern imagining of classic ’70s prog; Pink Floyd vocalist Durga McBroom and Finnish prog icon Jukka Gustavson guest. Bandcamp New & Notable May 10, 2023
go to album
Immortal's Requiem
by Phantom Spell

featured on Bandcamp Radio Aug 18, 2022
go to album

Bandcamp Daily your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Saxophonist Isaiah Collier chats about his new LP and the influence of Pharoah Sanders.

listen now