Dream Things True

Dream Things True is a collection of works centered around dreams, wishes and fantasies. This was a concept that came to light many, many years ago. The Minstrel is a dreamer, he has always been a firm believer of making your own reality. “If you have a dream, go for it, the only thing stopping you is yourself.”

The Road To Avalon

Let The Minstrel’s Ghost and his knights take you on a journey back in time.

This musical retelling of the Arthurian tales begins with stroll down the road to Avalon where we meet Merlin the Magician who takes us to see the Lady of the Lake........

About TMG

- The Minstrel’s Ghost is the brainchild of Blake Carpenter a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with over 25 years of experience in writing, performing and producing. With endeavors ranging from folk to heavy metal Blake has seen a gamut of projects come and go over the years all helping to reign in the monster. The Minstrel’s Ghost name was first uttered in 2004 when Blake was trying to come up with a moniker for his solo music. It kind of just sat there, perched in the frontal lobe of his brain, itching and twitching for quite a few years. He went through a few projects with local musicians but was soon longing to record his own tunes. He then began writing tracks with a theme in mind. Dream Things True was a megalithic first solo project for Blake. Taking 3 years to bring to completion it was solely performed by Blake. The... Read more →

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Music Street Journal Review

June 24th, 2013

This is the kind of progressive rock concept album that was such a big deal in the 1970s. The music (the main album) is divided into two suites and then those are made up of several shorter pieces. Still, there are recurring musical themes and this all tells one extensive tale. The Minstrel’s Ghost is the brainchild of singer and songwriter Blake Carpenter and the disc features Zoltan Csörsz Jr. (Flower Kings) on drums, Colin Tench (Corvus Stone) on lead guitars, Troy James Martin on bass and Marco Chiappini on lead keyboards.

Track by Track Review

Bonus Track

The Road To Avalon
It’s not often you get a bonus track that’s almost 16 minutes in length, but that’s what we have here. This the first three tracks of the disc assembled as basically one piece of music. In a lot of ways, taken like this, it really does a good job of serving to capture the spirit of the whole set in one more condensed construction.

Part I: The Design

I. The Journey Begins (The Avalon Overture)
Lush keyboards lead this off in a manner that makes me think of Pink Floyd. In fact, as this builds out, I’d say there are definite links to something like Wish You Were Here. That said, though, this is more intricate and complex in some ways, perhaps begging comparisons to Yes. Then, a little after the one minute mark, crunchy guitar brings it back into Pink Floyd like territory as this trudges forward. A melodic movement takes it forward from there, perhaps feeling a bit more like modern progressive rock. There’s a keyboard laden portion later that brings Genesis to mind a bit. This complex and extended instrumental keeps evolving. At times keyboards dominate, but then at other points some seriously crunchy guitar solos and takes the track in other directions. There’s a particularly evocative movement at the end that serves to segue this nicely into the next piece.

II. Avalon Part I
They power it out here as this movement joins. The guitar sound borders on metallic, but seems to lend something closer to Pink Floyd. That said, this arrangement, treated just a little differently, wouldn’t be out of place on a heavy metal album. The vocals bring it into mainstream AOR territory. There are nice keyboard layers over the top at various points along the road here and some more killer guitar soloing. The chorus is very accessible and contagious. It’s got a real anthemic quality to it. A crescendo segues this into the next piece.

III. Merlin
Feeling a bit sad and suitably mysterious, this is a major contrast from the bombast of the last movement. Keyboards hold it for a time, but then a mellow guitar solos, weaving lines of melody and more of those Pink Floyd comparisons. The vocals come in over the top in slow, gentle lines of melody. A little before the two minute mark it powers out into a more full arrangement with more energy. This is very accessible, but yet purely progressive rock. This feels like it could have been released in the heady days of the first coming of progressive rock, the 1970s. The chorus is, again, catchy, and keeps this from being “for prog fans only” material. Parts of the melody here make me think of “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” They modulate out for some cool keyboard textures and sounds in an instrumental movement and the guitar takes over the soloing from there. The section takes the piece into the next one.

IV. Lady Of The Lake
Textural keyboards serve as the backdrop for some theatrical dialog to open this piece up. A little before the one minute mark acoustic guitar rises up and the song proper emerges from there. Electric guitar solos over the top and other instruments add icing to the cake of sound. The arrangement maintains a ballad-like structure as the first vocals come across. Then a soaring progressive rock instrumental movement takes it forward from that segment. There’s a tasty guitar solo later that’s got quite a bit of crunch in it. This definitely has a classic progressive rock vibe to it.

V. Excalibur
The electric guitar motif that opens this is more straightforward and hard rocking. There is a cool keyboard bit that comes across the top. The vocals here are more rock and roll than any of the others we’ve heard to this point. The keyboard solo dominated instrumental section later really does call to mind Yes in some ways. Considering the subject matter here, comparisons to Rick Wakeman’s solo material seems too obvious, but it really does apply on this cut.

VI. Avalon Part II
This brings back musical themes from the first section of it. Again, Pink Floyd is a pretty decent reference point. This is pretty, dramatic, evocative and quite effective. The vocals are gentle, but have enough power to cut over the top of the arrangement. It works out into some pretty powered up progressive rock as it continues. The Pink Floyd references are definitely less valid as it gets more energy and sounds in the mix. The guitar solo later is tastefully crunchy.

Part II: The Life

I. Camelot
Sound effects and bits of theatrical vocals, like something from a film start this. Then the drums solo as the crowd roars. The crowd drums away as the drum solo continues. Then the rest of the instruments join and we’re off in a powerful melodic prog jam. There are some more straightforward rock and roll sounds in the mix, to a large degree being brought to the table by the guitar soloing. The vocals also bring that mainstream, AOR sound to the fore. This is an accessible and powerful piece of music. I’m reminded in some ways of Yes, but this more crunchy and straight ahead than that comparison would make one believe. Still, some of the keyboard work is quite Wakeman-like. I have to say that at points I’m reminded of Starcastle quite a bit, too. This crescendos to segue into the next number.

II. A Love Betrayed
Keyboards with bits of whispered voices serving as theatrical background open this up and then keyboards start to rise beyond that in Pink Floyd-like fashion. The soloing guitar adds to that Floyd reference. It eventually modulates out to a prog ballad approach for the vocals and the cut works out from there as it continues. The vocal line is another that’s accessible and mainstream. I’m particularly fond of the backing vocals that soar over the top later. In fact, I’d say this has one of the best vocal arrangements of the whole disc. The cut gets an infusion of power in time to move out into the next movement.

III. The Son
A galloping arrangement brings this in, feeling a bit like Iron Maiden, in the most metallic piece of the whole disc. It turns towards more melodic, but really, this one would fit well on a metal album. There are some more proggy elements at points, but this is straightforward and quite metallic. It’s a great rocker that brings some serious contrast to the table. The instrumental section around the two minute mark actually makes me think of early Judas Priest. From there sounds of medieval combat are heard as the music drops away. It fires out with some keyboard soloing over a rocking motif and then works back into the song proper. After a reprise of the chorus, the combat sounds return.

IV. Avalon Part III
The metallic tones and combat sounds from the previous one open this up and then it shifts to something a bit more like crunchy Pink Floyd. It works out to more pure prog later and the vocals are some of the most rocking of the disc. It’s a tasty cut, encompassing some changes and complex musical structures while still working some pretty mainstream elements into the mix. The crescendo takes us into the next cut.

V. Le Morte d?Arthur
Coming from the previous number, the crunch fades away and keyboards rise up to bring a mellow, balladic sound into play, perhaps a bit like Tangerine Dream. Acoustic guitar comes in and plays some tasty melodies and brings some more nods to Pink Floyd to the table. The cut is pretty and a bit sad. There are some rather symphonic elements that come over the top. In a lot of ways this reminds me somewhat of Alan Parsons Project.

VI. The End
Rising out of the previous one, this has an almost metallic intensity to it. Still, the sounds are definitely progressive rock and the piece does a great job of wrapping up the themes of the entire disc into one exceptionally satisfying conclusion.

Review by G. W. Hill

Music Street Journal

Music Blogs Review

June 24th, 2013

I got this CD several weeks ago and I ve been listening to its music since. I had a hard time to write this review, for the music here is quite deceiving (in a good way). As you might have guessed by its title, it s another concept album about the myth of king Arthur.

It s interesting of how many artists have done concept albums about the most famous version of arthur s story that came during the medieval era (Rick Wakeman, The Kinks and Gary Hughes are the ones that spring in mind now). This time this is done by american writer, singer and multi instrumentalist Blake Carpenter, helped out by excellent musicians like Corvus Stone s Colin Trench on lead guitar and ex Flower Kings drummer extraordinaire Zoltan Czorsz. Unlike such ambitious projects, this one has the band (Carpenter, Trench and Czorsz plus keyboards player Marco Chiappini and bassist Troy James Martin) playing on all tracks and, quite surprisingly, there are no guests at all.

Upon listening to this CD I was struck by the fine melodies and the overall mellow sound of it all, instead of the expected bombastic epic.

In fact during some time I thought the whole work sounded bland and too low key for my taste. However, after a few spins it dawned to me those several subleties that won me over in the end. The Road To Avalon reminds me of those records made around the mid 70 s where several acts used their virtuosity for the music s sake, rather than to just showing off their technique.

So if you re looking for long solos, spaced out jams,or anything zany for that matter, I suggest you look somewhere else. However, if you like well crafted songs with terrific, but discreet perfomances and elegant arrangements, this is something you should not miss at all. It s really amazing how Blake & co made such a tapestry pf sounds that really needs atention to get some excellent guitar and keyboards lines all over the tracks.

I know that progressive music is no easy listening stuff, but this CD can be taken for granted beecause it sounds deceptively simple at first. I especially liked Tench s tasteful and melodic solos: short, very well done and using great timbres. A true mark of a great musician.

There are no fillers to be found on the whole disc and I always find the flow of the songs very well done. There are no lows either, with all the tracks showing high quality. It s hard to point a highlight since the quality is so even.

I can only mention the instrumental opener, The Journey Begins…, as a personal favorite of mine.

My only gripe with this record are the vocals: Blake Carpenter has a nice, warm voice that is alright, but nothing special and nowhere near the instrumental competence of all involved. It was expected at least to have more than one singer for the colorful set of characters that appear through the story of Arthur s rise and fall. And, at 76 minutes of running time, his voice gets a little boring after a while.

Nothing that spoils the work, of course. He sings with passion and conviction on several ocasions, which compensantes for his lack of range. I still think this epic would have benefited a lot with the help of some strong and varied voices, but that s just my opinion.

With the help of a crystal clear production, a superb artwork and fine songwriting, this is surely one of the best surprises I got from the year of 2012.

Highly recommend for the ones (like me) who still think that good melodies in prog music are not only compatible but also a must!

Final rating: 4 stars.

Tarcisio Moura | 4/5 | 2013-3-18

MusicBlogs

The Rocktologist Review

June 24th, 2013

First of all, I am sorry for taking too long for writing this review, and thanks for the patience. Well, The Minstrel’s Ghost offers here in The Road to Avalon” a 76-minute album divided in two parts, which at the same time are divided in mini-passages, songs that are telling a story, jigsaw pieces that have to be together if one want to complete the puzzle; songs that are full of symphonic textures and images created by its sounds.

So “The Journey Begins” with an intense and challenging passage, a 7-minute track that gathers different nuances and shadows over a pillow of keyboards and a nice mixture of symphonic sounds with some spacey atmospheres that produce a delicious sound, overall the mood is mellow and calm, but it changes when “Avalon Part I” begins, because here the guitar adds power and a sense of vertigo or worry. Here the voice enters for the first time and begins to tell the story. “Merlin” is softer and mellow, here the guitars (electric and acoustic) make an excellent communion and create a very nice atmosphere. After a couple of minutes drums enter and the music becomes friendlier. Here I found some reminiscences of Mike Oldfield and Mostly Autumn.

“Lady of the Lake” is a nice instrumental journey that let our minds fly and imagine the scenario, when that kind of thing happens, it means the music has succeeded. Then all of a sudden “Excalibur” begins and the story continues. I must say the voice is not the best I’ve ever heard, but it is nice to tell the story in this album. In moments the music becomes a bit catchy and easy to dig, belonging in that crossover prog label. “Avalon Part II” starts beautifully, with an instrumental passage that shares tranquility and relaxation, not far from the new age realm, but always within the symphonic one. Later vocals enter and complete the piece. The music may not be the most complex ever, but it is not necessary, its charm lies on it.

The second part of the album starts with “Camelot”, here the band put some “live” sounds of the arrival of Camelot, some voices and joy can be heard until drums appear making a cool solo that a minute later is accompanied by keyboards, little by little the instruments join and create a cool and more vivid piece. “A Love Betrayed” begins with a chat between two people, the atmosphere shares uncertainty and even some tension, after two minutes (its two best minutes, actually) the vocals enter and produce that catchy sound near to classic soft rock. “The Son” has come with a rockier style and more energy. After 2 minutes a battle can be heard, swords everywhere, horses and people screaming; and after 30 seconds keyboards enter with the same energy and make a victorious solo. The same energy and vertiginous sound appears in “Avalon Part III”, an almost instrumental piece that once again produces images in our head, a very nice one.

“Le Morte d’Arthur” has a softer sound, melancholy dropped here, memories and sighs. It is linked with “The End” but one can easily appreciated the song change with the rhythm, this one is faster and more explosive, with nice guitars and a repetitive but cool rhythm that effectively has the sound of goodbye. But after the end there is another story, a 15-minute song called “The Road to Avalon” which is good, but honestly unnecessary, it is like a big reprise and a summary of what the album is about, nothing more. This is a very good album, and I’ve listened to it some 5 times so far, however, it lacks of an element that make you love it, because now I feel I will not listen to it soon again, but who knows. Final grade, 7 out of 10.

Enjoy it!

Review by: Guillermo Urdapilleta

The Rocktologist

Background Magazine Review

June 24th, 2013

In the past several albums have been released about the myths and legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, the sword Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake Guinevere, Merlin the Magician, the castle of Camelot and the mythical Isle of Avalon. Just think about Merlin – Bard Of The Unseen (2003) by the Dutch symphonic prog band Kayak, Once And Future King, parts I & II (2003) by Gary Hughes, Secret Green‘s To Wake The King (2009, see review) and of course Rick Wakeman‘s album The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table (1975), to name a few. Well, we can add another concept album to the long list based on these legends, namely The Road To Avalon recorded by the American prog rockers from The Minstrel’s Ghost.

The Road To Avalon is their second studio album after their debut Dream Things True (2011), but the latter only features Blake Carpenter who played all the instruments. Besides being an excellent singer he’s a multi-instrumentalist who masters both the keyboards and the guitar. For this new album he gathered a band around him consisting of guitarist Colin Tench (Corvus Stone, Bunchakeze), drummer Zoltan Csörsz Jr. (ex-The Flower Kings, ex- Karmakanic), keyboardist Marco Chiappini (Gandalf’s Project) and bassist Troy James Martin. Together they made sure that The Road To Avalon is a musical journey that you won’t forget after you’ve heard it.

This 76-minute long concept album is a pleasant journey back in time. Many influences of the wonderful progressive rock of the seventies from bands like Genesis, Yes and Rick Wakeman shine throughout the album. However, it’s the musical style of Pink Floyd of Wish You Were Here (1975) that mostly came to mind. Besides these names the music sometimes made me think of a contemporary band like Unitopia on their album Artificial (2010). Especially Carpenter’s vocals reminded me from time to time of singer Mark Trueack.

The Road To Avalon is a pleasant album to listen to; it takes you on a journey with all the above-mentioned historical names. Several times you’ll hear realistic sound fragments between the songs that bring you closer to the story as if you’re sitting next to the Knights of the Round Table. Thanks to the fantastic art work of Ed Unitsky you step into the world of the legendary King Arthur. However, without the wonderful music, which grabbed me right from the start, this stunning design would mean less. All tracks are worth listening to without exception. The album ends with the title track that provides a fifteen-minute overview of the album. By doing so you get a kind of nostalgic feeling after this song has finished. It’s a bit like Rick Wakeman did on The Last Battle, the final track of The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur.

I have to compliment all the people who made The Road To Avalon possible since it’s a fine listening experience. Therefore it’s highly recommended to those who enjoy the music of all the above-mentioned acts.

****+ Henri Strik (edited by Peter Willemsen)

Background Magazine

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Welcome

Dream Things True

The Road To Avalon

Let The Minstrel’s Ghost and his knights take you on a journey back in time.

About TMG

The Art Of Ed Unitsky

Check Out His Work

Sprocket Records Shop

For Everything TMG

Melodic Revolution

Music Is Our Voice

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