Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Galahad
Label: Avalon Records
Release: 2012
Length: 56:24
Rating: 5/5
Galahad have been among the leading names of the British neo prog rock scene for years, even if hardly anyone remembers them these days, despite some seriously solid studio work in the past. What sets them apart from the better-known faces of the genre (or, better put, the musical movement) like Fish-era Marillion, IQ, Pallas, Pendragon and Twelfth Night is mainly that they only showed up on the scene in the second half of the eighties. That meant they missed the ‘first train’ of the new wave of prog rock that hit with full force in the early eighties, and with it any chance at commercial success. In their early years they opened for the aforementioned bands at gigs, until at the start of the nineties they figured out for themselves that they were no worse than the older neo prog heavyweights and made the jump to the pros.
Stylistically, Galahad have always sworn by melody, grand orchestral arrangements and theatrically tinged vocal delivery. Since the album »Empires Never Last« (2007), though, they’ve also developed a taste for an increasingly harder sound that, between the irritated roar of guitar riffs and busy double bass pedal work, at times already wanders into prog metal territory, with Arena probably the closest of their neo prog fellow travelers. »Battle Scars« is their latest concept effort, on which they’ve waded even deeper into metal, or heavy rock, territory, only this time they’re also soaking up more elements of modern dance, trance and neoclassicism. These fervent pacifists and social critics have moved quite far in their lyrics lately from the medieval themes that dominated their early work, and now prefer to touch on the senselessness and horrors of modern war. After the good experience with its predecessor »Empires Never Last«, production duties once again went to Threshold guitarist Karl Groom. Thanks in part to him, plenty of people will try to find certain stylistic parallels with Threshold on »Battle Scars«.
The title track is an epic neo prog rock sonic carousel, with lavish orchestral arrangements in the intro that effectively crank up the tense drama right from the start. The dark, Victorian mood gets more intense with every passing second. Singer Stuart Nicholson can boast a distinctive voice that, thanks also to his theatrical singing style, is perhaps closest to Peter Nicholls (IQ), which means he comes from the classic ‘Gabriel-esque’ school of singing. The moment a scorching guitar riff comes crashing in and multi-layered synth textures join it, Galahad show they’re not joking about their vision of a modern band that doesn’t shy away from prog metal elements. The fusion of rustic classicism, with its massive orchestral curtains, and metal eruptions, courtesy of punchy guitar phrases and raw drum fills, is damn effective when paired with Nicholson’s incredibly committed vocal performance.
»Reach for the Sun« is an even harder-hitting creation, where bristling guitar riffs that don’t run out anytime soon repeatedly fuse completely with synthetic keyboard textures and create an unusual melodrama. Once again Nicholson’s vocals are the main source of epic melody, nicely balancing out the raw guitar and rhythmic punch of this stylistically highly multi-layered piece, which also has no shortage of layered electronic patterns. These are spread across the album in just the right places so they never become annoyingly dominant. The next symphonic-tinged epic, »Singularity«, on the other hand, shows the band’s remarkable knack for subtle arrangements through the sophisticated use of mellotron and a shy sprinkling of electronic patterns. With the arrival of thunderous guitar riffing and fiery drum fills, the mood keeps swelling in intensity, while Nicholson once again proves himself a master of vocal theatrics.
»Bitter and Twister« is another successful fusion of classical sophistication, metal uncompromisingness and electronic futurism, peaking in an epic chorus. That chorus is one of the best on the album, while scorching guitar passages, backed by mighty drum crashes, chunky symphonic curtains and electronic crumbs, create an atmosphere that’s as pompous and melancholic as it gets. »Suspended Animation« is an equally interesting experiment that has at least as much in common with prog metal as with traditional symphonic prog influences, while the epic guitar sound is repeatedly enriched by layered trance rhythmic patterns. Nicholson’s vocal performance is once again superb and the main source of tense drama. »Beyond The Barbed Wire« has a calm intro until a punchy riff takes everything into a faster tempo, where massive drum fills, electronic patterns and a flexible vocal effectively carry the song’s dark, melancholic mood through various rhythmic variations. The closing synth solo adds one more layer to the already layered atmosphere.
The epic magnum opus »Seize The Day«, ruled by a mighty chorus that hypnotizes the listener on the spot with its intensity, could be called the best piece on »Battle Scars« when you compare all the songs against each other. The classical piano intro, which builds a calm start to this excellent composition together with almost whispered vocals, is merely a prelude to the drama ahead. All of a sudden electronic patterns take the lead and create a mighty trance motif, which is then spiced up by a metal guitar melody and the pounding of double bass pedals on the drums. Nicholson once again shines with a first-rate vocal performance that peaks in the epic chorus. Along the way they repeatedly and intelligently slip into calmer rhythmic shades, with plenty of interesting variations on bass guitar and synths. Without a doubt one of the best achievements of their career so far. At the end of the album, as a bonus track, comes a re-recorded version of the epic, 14-minute classic »Sleepers«, originally from the album of the same name from 1995. In its new garb it sounds quite a bit more ‘metalized’ thanks to brutal guitar riffs and audacious drum marches, but also far more intense when it comes to weaving a layered atmosphere with numerous unexpected tempo shifts.
With »Battle Scars«, which will surely win them a few new prog metal fans with a broader musical palate, Galahad have made their most mature studio effort yet. They prove there’s still plenty of fresh juice to squeeze out of neo prog, a term that’s often an insult these days for prog rock bands who got stuck in their artistic development and keep swearing by the same repetitive, ‘old-school’ sound patterns. The next studio album from this cult neo prog rock collective from Dorset, titled »Beyond the Gates of Euphoria«, is supposedly already due in October 2012, which is just one more clear proof that they’ve been in excellent form in recent years. That album will also feature the bass guitar lines of Neil Pepper, who died in September 2011 after losing a long battle with cancer. This review is dedicated to his memory.
Line-up
Stuart Nicholson – vocals
Roy Keyworth – guitar
Neil Pepper – bass guitar, guitar and keyboards
Dean Baker – keyboards
Spencer Luckman- drums
Production
Karl Groom
Track list
1. Battle Scars (7.04)
2. Reach For The Sun (3.54)
3. Singularity (7.32)
4. Bitter And Twisted (6.58)
5. Suspended Animation (4.05)
6. Beyond The Barbed Wire (5.30)
7. Seize The Day (8.34)
8. Sleepers 2012 (14.07) (CD Version Bonus)
