Greetings dearest readers and music fans, let’s welcome US artist Erick Duran manard to our blog. On October 12, independent musician Erick Duran Manard released “A Road Without Any More Detours,” his ten-song eagerly awaited new album. After two years of development, this record provides a dramatic and genuine depiction of Manard’s life experiences, ranging from spiritual victories to deep hardships. The album is expected to strike a chord with listeners who have experienced hardship and are looking for hope because of its wide range of musical genres and moving narrative. A number of life-altering incidents, such as a divorce, the COVID-19 lockdown’s effects, bankruptcy, and a near-death experience, have characterized Manard’s trip. Let’s talk more about this album

The opening song of the album is titled “Wrestling Leviathan (Day Star Arise)”. The opening of the song is these very ethereal sounds before a foot-tapping beat is added to it. According to the song, there is a character who fails every night and rises back in the morning to fight back (“Every night I fall, every day I rise”). On the other hand, the song could be talking about the narrow path we Christians are on, an ongoing battle with the enemy who wishes to claim our eternal soul. It also stands for the resilience of the human spirit. There is an electric guitar solo mid-song that is incredibly powerful and a passionate vocal performance. This song was the perfect song to open up the album

Up next is the song “a road without any more detours (dawn breaks anew)”. The song starts with the sound of a car starting the engine, as this car drives away, you hear a radio broadcast talking about Jesus. with incredible this intro, listeners are curious and itching to hear the rest of the song. The message of the song talks about when a time comes in your life when you have lost all hope and then come crawling back to your savior. You then walk the narrow road with renewed energy like your life depends on it because in that moment your life actually depends on it. Musically, the electric guitar sound is at the forefront of this song. (electric guitar solo)Manard gives a spectacular performance with sounds that enhance the listening experience and will delight listeners

“Lost on a dime (blink of an eye)” is the next song on the record. In this song, the performance opens with the sounds of dimes with heavenly operatic sounds serving as a backdrop for this song, you then hear medieval music before the real instrumentation starts, and boy, it is a real kicker! The song talks about how things can go bad in the blink of an eye, financially-wise, and also life in general. The vocal performance and overlapping harmonies really take the song to another level and the vocal performance? The vocal performance deserves a standing ovation and an encore. This song is cautionary and very fun to listen to

“Between Scylla and Charybdis (strait betwixt fear and courage)”. The song starts with rain and thunder sounds, judging by the intensity of the rain, I imagine this to be a thunderstorm. There are choral in the background yet again. All this excitement can be felt even before the instruments and vocals begin. The song is about how God’s grace is evident in the character’s life. This character is ready to let Jesus take the wheel and be his guide in life (”by his grace in the strait we live to die another day”)The song celebrates the mercy of God that prevents us from any harm. Musically, Manard owned the vocals, and the instrumentation especially That electric guitar solo was so crisp and flawless

“Pilot my soul in the tempest/walk on the water (faith meets the sea” is the next song on this record. For some context, The Tempest is a play written by William Shakespeare about a man who was stranded on an island for 12 years. Also walking on the water is another significant miracle that Jesus did on his time on earth. Jesus walked on the sea of Galilee to meet his disciples in a boat, in the story, Peter a disciple of Jesus also walked on the sea for a brief moment till his fear overcame his faith, and nearly drowned. Both of these stories talk about the importance of faith, like in the Tempest when both the man and his daughter have faith that will be rescued, and Jesus and Peter walk on water briefly due to faith. The vocal performance is light as opposed to the high energy the electric guitar brings

Next up is “You are my life(tragoúdi agápis stone lisóu me)”. The instrumentation at the beginning is very lovely and beautiful. The song illustrates a character who has come to the realization that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life(”Jesus you are my life”). You can hear the resignation in the vocal performance which seems to say “Lord, my life is yours, do what you will with me”. This song breathes new life into the album

Next up is the “coalition of words/the parallax effects (divine glory, shines )”. The song is very upbeat from the very beginning. The song talks about following the path of our Christ. The song is performed so beautifully and it captivates you from the very beginning to the end, especially the electric guitar which I know was a ploy to draw listeners in and it worked so well

Up next is a song called “Burning the Plow (No Turning Back”). The instruments that greet listeners are these gorgeous cascade of pieces of music, fused together. The song is about a character who has become born again and tells him or herself that there is no turning back to his or her old life. Manard gives a very fabulous vocal performance and the song’s instrumentation matches the vibe of the song

Next is a song called “Crucible of Loneliness (My Darkest Hour)”. Just like the title of the song, this song has a very dark vibe right from the start, even the electric guitar sounds sad, dark, and lonely. The persona sings about his darkest hour. This song tells listeners to never lose hope even in the darkest hour.

The last song on this album is called “Facing the Thing You Fear the Most (embrace of My Stone/journey’s Reprise)”. This song opens with dramatic stringed sounds that will catch your attention right away. This song was the culmination of all the stories and the message of the song. Manard sounds more gritty on this song and it suits the dark and dramatic instrumentation so well. This amazing song closes the album

This album is more than just an album, Manard takes listeners along on his journey to Christ. Through cohesive storytelling and the usage of sounds that illustrate that particular song, listeners get a more immersive experience. We also get to know more about Manard as he becomes vulnerable and lays it all online about his journey back to Christ. Like the prodigal son, Manard returns to the flock, he is happier and healthier because he puts his trust in the Lord. Manard is a genuine artist and he will dominate the industry in no time

Stream the “A Road Without Any More Detours” album on Spotify

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