Gandalf's Fist - The Clockwork Prologue (2CD)
One of the most ambitious concept albums of all time just got a whole lot more epic!
The UK purveyors of medieval space rock are back with The Clockwork Prologue - the follow-up, and extension piece, to their 2016 release The Clockwork Fable - their unique 3CD concept album which received universally high praise amongst critics:
- “A mesmerizing musical masterpiece epic in scope and utterly breathtaking in its delivery” – The Prog Radar
- “you must get this … a career-defining, magical epic” – Prog Magazine
- “Reduces Rick Wakeman’s King Arthur to the level of a Chas & Dave Cockney knees-up” – Classic Rock Magazine
- “One of those concepts that will be talked about for many generations to come …5/5” – Power of Prog
The Clockwork Prologue is the first release for Gandalf’s Fist as a six-piece and returns the listener once more to the dark and steamy city of Cogtopolis, a city beneath the surface, the once safe shelter for post-apocalyptic mankind, now a microcosmos following its own crude laws, rules and religions. As the title suggests, the album acts as a 2-part “expansion pack” to its predecessor, taking the combined releases to a seamless 5-disc adventure.
The album once again features the acting talents of Mark Benton (Shakespeare & Hathaway, Early Doors, Waterloo Road); Bill Fellows (Lady Macbeth, Downton Abbey, Broadchurch); Paul Kavanagh (The Wastelander) and Tim Munro (Doctor Who, Great Expectations) and returns listeners to a post-apocalyptic underworld and struggle for the surface.
Using a mix of unused material and brand-new songs composed by the now 6-piece group, The Clockwork Prologue is neither a prequel nor a stand-alone story, but somewhere tantalizingly between the two. Providing listeners with either their first glimpse into the steamy world of the subterranean city of Cogtopolis or, more excitingly, upgrades their previous album to a 5-hour Quintuple Prog Epic.
Musicians:
- Dean Marsh – Vocals, Guitar, Synth Programming, Mandolin, Octave Mandola, Bass
- Luke Severn – Lead and Backing Vocals
- Chris Ewen – Bass
- Stefan Hepe – Drums, Percussion
- Keri Farish – Female Vocals
- Ben Bell – Keys and Backing Vocals
With:
- Melissa Hollick – Guest Vocals on “Supplies For The Festivities”
- William Stewart – Violins
With main acting contributions from:
- Mark Benton as Kong Dahks
- Bill Fellows as Dirty Doyle/Irontooth/Nightkeeper Spy
- Paul Kavanagh as The Primarch
- Tim Munro as The Tinker
- Keri Farish as The Clokkemaker
- Alicia Marsh as Eve
- Chris Ewen as The Boy
Tracks:
CD1: Part I: The Thaw
- The Belly Of The Earth
- An Expedition Amidst The Ice Burrows
- Wardens
- Badgerwhacked
- Solar Huntress
- Dirty Doyle’s Surface Souvenirs
- Supplies For The Festivities
- Secrets, Traitors And A Smashing Set Of Porcelain Ducks
- Blackening
- Hall Of The Badger King
CD2: Part II: The Pieces Of Our Time
- Sun Sickness
- Menders Of Devices
- The Clokkemaker
- A Shortcut Across A Deranged Steam Conveyor
- The Waxwork Downs
- The Sovereign Airship Station
- Leader Of Men
- Wheels In Motion
- The Lamplighter (Overture)
Format: 2CD
Artist: Gandalf’s Fist
Release Date: 2016/July 1, 2019