Independent artist Erick Duran Manard’s A Road Without Any More Detours captures his personal journey through hardship, redemption, and spiritual rebirth. After two years in the making, this record serves as a heartfelt narrative, recounting moments of profound struggle—divorce, the challenges of COVID-19 lockdowns, financial hardship, and a near-death experience—that ultimately led Manard to a life-changing moment of faith on a summer night in 2020.
Each of the album’s ten tracks feels like a chapter in Manard’s story, blending progressive rock with orchestral compositions and using instruments ranging from the Hammond organ and mandolins to Celtic flutes and symphony orchestras. He describes the project as “praise music with an edge,” akin to a cross between Petra and prog rock, delivering a powerful message of resilience, faith, and personal growth.
There’s a huge undercurrent of faith and belief strewn into this project, a key part of what drives Manard today. The rock and roll elements kick into gear on “Wrestling Leviathan” and continue well into the intense “Crucible of Loneliness”. It’s epic, it’s meaningful, and it’s sincere in every which way. A true journey of an album in all ways.