International progsters The Samurai Of Prog are a busy bunch. In addition to the TSOP concern, there are any number of offshoots featuring drummer Kimmo Pörsti and/or bassist Marco Bernard. One of those extracurricular bands is The Guildmaster, featuring the enormous talents of guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Rafael Pacha. The first album, released in 2020, featured Kayak keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel, replaced in 2022 by Mad Crayon/Inner Prospekt’s Alessandro Di Benedetti. The second line-up remains intact for the group’s latest offering, Gathering Of Souls. Spoiler alert: this is already one of my favourite albums of the year.
The Guildmaster creates a very separate identity from its parent organization by combining the progressive ethos with medieval, folk, Celtic and classical flavours. Much of the sound is down to the breadth and depth of Pascha’s wide-ranging palette which extends beyond guitars and keyboards to violin, recorder, mandolin and dulcimer. As if that were not impressive enough, his reach extends to such unusual and ethnic instruments as the krumhorn (a Germanic woodwind with a curved bell), saz (a long-necked lute of Eastern European origin), hulusi (an Oriental wind instrument) and nyckelharpa (a Swedish keyed bowed chordophone). It is primarily for this reason that the band’s forays into older styles of music sound so authentic. Combined with the undeniable progressive chops of Pörsti and Bernard intermingled with the Banksian flourishes of Di Benedetti, this is a band that sounds like no other. Yes, there are instrumental echoes of early Genesis and the songwriting stick-to-your-brain quality of the best neo-prog, but in no sense would you label the music imitative. What it is is jaw-droppingly beautiful, uplifting and ultimately satisfying.
The opening fanfare of The Crusade Of Earl Birger would not be out of place in an Elizabethan period movie. Guitars and woodwinds trade off as the primary instruments, back and forth in a gentle yet majestic garden of sound. Around three minutes in, Di Benedetti takes center stage and brings a definite atmosphere of progressive rock, reinforced a minute later by Pacha’s electric guitar, before it all melts back into a short and rewarding acoustic guitar and piano coda. Where Are You? is the first of three epic pieces on the album. Gentle acoustic guitar paves the way for a delightful, medieval-sounding tune featuring Pacha’s violin, recorder and bodhran. The music is sumptuous as it ebbs and flows between electric and acoustic sections, each part fitting together seamlessly. The level of musical detail almost demands close listening via headphones to capture every nuance. However, a more casual widescreen listen rewards the consumer with a kaleidoscope of musical images bursting forth with ever-changing colours. Pörsti’s drums add enough heft to remind you that this is progressive rock, but they never threaten to overwhelm the song. Di Benedetti’s keys play a largely supporting role in the song, but they are nevertheless essential to the whole. Even Bernard’s bottom end is melodic as it holds the entire piece together.
Omnis Saltat Ad Solem (Solar Dance) continues the Renaissance feel with a joyous tune full of playful movement. Pacha impresses with his dexterity on a variety of instruments, but it is his electric guitar that unfailingly steals the show. It is authoritative, lithe and tuneful. Pörsti’s drums lock in with Bernard’s bass to lift the tune and create a rhythm which practically implores your feet to move across the floor. Pasha’s songwriting expertise is evident in the way he blends mood and tempo without ever losing sight of the song. It is Di Benedetti, however, who takes command for the album’s longest song, the over twelve minute Blood And Oblivion. A slowly unwinding cinematic ballad creates the backdrop for RPWL’s Yogi Lang as guest vocalist. The melody is almost fragile, evoking the pain of the narrator who has committed many despicable acts during his lifetime, but whose memories of that past have faded, and whose perception of who he has become is equally confused and clouded. The tempo picks up and piano and synths take the listener on a journey, back to a turbulent and violent 1000 AD. Regret, though, is never far away, as voiced by Paula Pörsti’s plaintive wordless vocal. Pacha inserts a jazz feel into the instrumental section, giving air and space to the melody before Di Benedetti’s synths return in a sombre, emotional manner, abetted by classical guitar, piano and woodwinds. The incredibly evocative music is capped by a final guitar solo which rises like a prayer, unsure of either an answer or a recipient. Magnificent stuff.
Dulcimer, cither and viola take the listener on another excursion into a bygone musical age during Lo Proetido Es Dueda (A Promise Is A Debt). The bass is mixed forward for a change, anchoring the song as recorders and acoustic guitars carry the melodies. The keys, particularly the electric piano, add a lilt, but it is the organ and synth which garner attention. The almost telepathic feel these four instrumentalists have with one another is palpable, as no one overplays their hand. Guest vocalist/lyricist Nick Markham uses several vocal timbres to match the variety of instruments on display in the album’s third epic, Mary The Jewess. Unlike Lang’s vocal performance, Markham’s is the focus of the song. The guitar interludes between verses are simply gorgeous, as are the harmonized recorders. When the song finally breaks for a heavy instrumental toward the end, it does so in full-on prog mode, complete with stop/start rhythms and virtuosity to spare.
Paula Pörsti’s Finnish language vocals (lyrics by Pirkko Pörsti) cap the heaviest tune on the album. Reflecting on how the venue for prayer has moved from the cathedrals of nature to those made by men, Paula Pörsti’s vocals lend a sense of grace to the music, which bears hallmark Middle Eastern affectations enhanced by Kimmo Pörsti’s rolling rhythms. In a change of pace, Bernard relinquishes the bottom end for the Chapman stick talents of Alfonso Romero which bring a feeling of motion that magnifies the spirituality of the tune. The album closes with another vocal piece, Sea And Sky. John Wilkinson’s (Swan Chorus) voice provides an edge to airy music, led by guest flautist Giovanni Mazzotti. Tony Riveryman supplies the final electric guitar solo, which soars and elevates the song heavenward, a fitting ending to a glorious work of art.
A special mention has to go to artist Ed Unitsky. While he is typically the TSOP and friends artist of choice, his artwork for Gathering Of Souls is incredibly detailed, spiritual, and a perfect complement to the music of The Guildmaster. The album booklet is nearly as essential as the music.
If you are a fan of adventurous music, both past and present, I cannot recommend Gathering Of Souls strongly enough. The instrumentals transport the listener to a place, time and mood as easily as those vocal songs which spell it out for you. The blend of styles on display is skillfully presented by virtuoso musicians and songwriters who make it all seem effortless. This is truly progressive music which weaves a spell and takes you where it will. It has never been far from my CD player since arriving. Shortlisted for my best of 2025 list.
TRACK LISTING
01. The Crusade Of Earl Birger (5:49)
02. Where Are You? (10:29)
03. Omnis Saltat Ad Solem (Solar Dance) (5:55)
04. Blood And Oblivion (12:39)
05. Lo Prometido Es Dueda (A Promise Is A Debt) (7:11)
06. Mary The Jewess (10:49)
07. Luonto Puhuu (Nature Speaks) (5:46)
08. Sea And Sky (5:36)
Total Time – 64:20
MUSICIANS
Marco Bernard – Shuker Bass
Kimmo Pörsti – Drums & Percussion, Additional Keyboards
Alessando Di Benedetti – Keyboards
Rafael Pacha – Classical, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Recorders, Krumhorn, Whistles, Saz, Bouzouki, Bodhran, Electric Violin, Mandolin, Viola Da Gamba, Zither, Hulusi, Cuatro, Nyckelharpa, Dulcimer, Cither, Additional Keyboards, Percussion
~ With:
Paula Pörsti – Voice (2 & 4), Lead Vocals (7)
Yogi Lang – Lead Vocals (4)
Nick Markham Lead Vocals (6)
Alfonso Romero – Chapman Stick (7)
John Wilkinson – Lead Vocals (8)
Giovanni Mazzotti – Flute (8)
Tony Riveryman – End Guitar Solo (8)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Seacrest Oy
Country of Origin: International
Date of Release: 16th May 2025
LINKS
The Guildmaster – Facebook (TSoP) | Facebook (Rafael Pacha) | Bandcamp (Rafael Pacha)
