Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Galloglass
Label: SPV Records
Release: 2003
Although the sticker on the box claims Galloglass sound like a ” blend of old Helloween and early Blind Guardian, and even like the early work of Helstar and Fates Warning”, that’s miles from the truth. It is true, though, that they try their damnedest to fake some of the solos and transitions typical of those metal veterans. Galloglass have simply borrowed them without a shred of shame. The sound and production are suspiciously in the style of Rhapsody (especially the tracks “Dragon Revenge”, “The Quest”, “The Last Stand”). No surprise there, since the album was produced by Olaf Reitmeier (Luca Turilli, Kamelot). Any further resemblance to those bands is a mockery at best, because Galloglass will have to chop off a lot more dragon heads and plunder a lot more goblin gold before they can ever reach Valhalla.
The lyrics stick to the most desperate power metal clichés (knights, swords, dragons and magic). There’s no concept to speak of, which would at least befit fantasy lyrics, and not even a halfway sensible message of the kind most “clever fairy tales” carry. No, next to Galloglass even the Rhapsody lyrics sound and read like fine poetry. The vocals are crystal clear, sure, and not as whiny as with some “Templar miners” like Hammerfall, but they’re still very pale. There’s not a speck of energy radiating from them, and they often drift away from the backing track. Despite all the puffing and straining, the singer simply can’t rise above his own mediocrity. And that’s honestly the most annoying thing about the whole album. The technical execution of the instrumental sections is passable, along with the good production, but a copy is never better than the original. Galloglass try to breathe a little folk-rock magic into some of their Rhapsody-style bits, but it comes out pretty clumsy. Just like Rhapsody, they’ve also hired session players (on violin and flute). As for the individual tracks, it’s hardly worth the words.
The epic “Remember The Fire” has already been chewed over a thousand times. “The Conjuring” almost convinced me that this project might not be such a trainwreck after all, since it’s the most unique thing on the album. “Eye to Eye” is one more cliché, considering how many bands of this sort have already used similar transitions and choruses. “The Quest” is a textbook example of how to make a baroque ballad with a flute while stealing the best bits of Rhapsody, minus the vocals, which are beneath criticism. The same goes for “The Last Stand”, where they (unsuccessfully) tried to liven up the mood with some violins.
When the album ends, every melody evaporates from your ears in an instant, because it’s all so blatantly copied. The end result is a disaster. The only mitigating circumstance I can offer is that this is their debut. So I’ll put it very mildly: there’s a whole lot of work ahead before anyone beyond the power metal diehards, for whom any Helloween copy is good enough, starts taking them seriously. For starters, they need to find a better singer and quit copying established metal bands. So don’t fall for that lying blurb on the sticker (who on earth dared compare Galloglass to Blind Guardian, when apart from the fantasy cover art they have nothing whatsoever in common?). You’ll be much better off saving your money for something better. Galloglass are just another metal bedtime story, but a painfully boring one, heard a thousand times and less legendary than yesterday’s banana peel from breakfast.
Lineup
Carsten Franks – vocals
Kai Mühlenbruch – guitar
Norbert Geisler – guitar
Dirk Zelmer – bass
Arnd Lorenz – drums
Production
Olaf Reitmeier
Tracklist
1. Dragons Revenge
2. Ancient Times
3. Wintertale
4. Remember The Fire
5. Legends From Now And Nevermore
6. Conjuring
7. Eye To Eye
8. Crusade Of The Damned
9. Quest
10. Last Stand
Album length: 50:32
