Empires Never Last
Through this album Galahad invited the contribution of Karl Groom, guitarist of Threshold. No wonder that this album has some flavor of progressive metal especially in the use of riffs. Karl is also credited with co-production and engineering and the overall sound of the album.
The album starts with an amazing angelic acappella Part 1 of "De-Fi-Ance". This really sets the tone of the overall album beautifully. It moves in great mood to the screaming male vocal which remarks the intro of Part 2 of "De-Fi-Ance". What happen is then the follow-up music which comprises heavy riffs by bass guitar overlain beautifully by a long sustain keyboard work. It is then that you realise you have stumbled on a very special recording indeed. It does remind me of ARENA, and a little like the latest CREDO CD, but has their very own style, and what style...they stand head and shoulders above any other band. Classy, well thought out, musically amazing with top-notch vocals....you can't hope for more.
"I Could Be God" is a long track (13:58) with multiple styles starting with a great keyboard effects followed by dynamic drumming and heavy guitar riffs. It's really an excellent opening. "I could be God.. I could be the devil..." the vocal enters nicely while the keyboard still producing nice repeated notes at background. At 5:12, after the high tone music, it suddenly turns into silent break with ambient keyboard work in spacey nuance. The vocal line enters beautifully in mellow style with no drumming, only keyboard at background.
The remaining tracks are all excellent tracks with "Sidewinder" (11:00), "Memories From An African Twin" (4:02), "Empires Never Last" (9:05), and "This Life Could Be My Last" (10:23). The compositions are really tight.
If you like ARENA, Early Marillion, CREDO, Pallas, etc....you MUST own this wonderfully crafted album. The cd production is also excellent.
Other bands [such as Marillion] should really sit up and take notice of this band. Galahad are the future kings of Neo-prog.
Also check out their other albums 'FOLLOWING GHOSTS' and 'YEAR 0'
Galahad put everything into their music, which takes you on a journey, they are simply one of the greatest bands of modern times. This CD will not be a dust collector, and in time people will realise that GALAHAD is all they need to listen to. Buy this...and be blown away.!!!!!!!!
Amazon Review
|
Empires Never Last
I have to admit I'd never heard of Galahad until recently. Having read a review (on another website) of their new album and the reviewer mentioning fans of Arena and Threshold would probably enjoy Galahad's latest offering, I thought I'd give it a spin.
Let's say I wasn't left disappointed. To my very pleasant surprise I'd stumbled across one of my favourite albums of the year. And in what has been a good year of prog rock albums this is saying something.
It wasn't love at first listen. However, like most goods albums it takes two or three listens for the melodies and hooks to sink into the old cerebrum.
What is very noticeable is that the production is very good. Though this comes as no surprise considering that Karl Groom (Threshold) was involved with co-production and engineering. He also lends his expert guitar hands to some of the tracks.
If you are fans of the two bands above then I would thoroughly recommend this offering. But this should appeal to anyone who like their prog symphonic and/or on the slightly heavy, prog metal side.
Amazon Review (2)
ENL review on a Spanish language site - Somos Pacifistas
|
Empires Never Last
"...the pristine production and crunching guitars might surprise longtime fans. The bleak-sounding title track is a tour de force and I Could Be God is full of Peter Hammill trauma."
GEOFF BARTON, Classic Rock Magazine
|
What a compelling musical experience."
"... The 7 compositions sound bombastic featuring sumptuous keyboard layers, propulsive guitar riffs, howling and fiery guitar soli and expressive vocals (from warm and dreamy to ominous and dramatic)."
ERIK NEUTOBOOM, Collaborator, ProgArchives.com
"No doubt, this is the strongest GALAHAD album to date. Not just the strongest, it blows away everything they did in the past. Pure energy."
"I don't hesitate to predict that 'Empires Never Last' will be one of the best albums in 2007. Highly recommended. ."
ART BOE, Collaborator, ProgArchives.com
ENL Review by Olav Bjornsen - Prog For You
ENL Review by Chainsaw Fellatio
New Horizons - Galahad Reviews page
Galahad Album Reviews - Back Catalogue
GALAHAD - YEAR ZERO
DPRP - Round Table Review
|
Review of 'Sleepless in Phoenixville' CD from the excellent Background Magazine web site.
Galahad is one of the oldest British neo-progressive rock bands formed in 1985 in Dorset. Three years ago, the band got an invitation to perform during the RoSfest Festival in Phoenixville on April 28, 2007 at the legendary Colonial Theatre. This double album, recorded live during that festival, consists only of epic tracks that last over ten minutes. The founding members of Galahad, guitarist Roy Keyworth and singer Stuart Nicholson are still in the band. Together with Spencer Luckman (drums), Dean Baker (keyboards) and Lee Abraham (bass guitar, backing vocals), they gave an excellent concert containing four long tracks from their latest CD Empires Never Last.
The repertoire of Galahad contains many highlights. This concert starts with one of them: I Could Be God. This piece from Empires Never Last begins with an electronic synthesizer beat and ends with a big scream from Stuart ‘his master’s voice’ Nicholson. In the middle section, you hear excerpts of the famous ‘I have a dream’-speech of Martin Luther King in August 1963. New Age-sounding synths and angel choirs introduce Year Zero, but soon electric guitar, pounding drums and pumping bass take over. After eight minutes, the synths come in again and Stuart Nicholson lifts the song to a musical climax culminating in an interesting guitar and organ duel. Bug Eye from the Following Ghost-album has protrusive dance beats. The interplay between drums and guitars is just marvellous and makes this song a real masterpiece. The emotional and strong voice of Stuart Nicholson keeps repeating bug eye, bug eye... Halfway Roy performs a fantastic solo on guitar and near the end, the dance beats return, but this time with a nice choir ending with another short guitar solo and some spoken words. A heavy spinning and distorted guitar introduces Sidewinder, the second track of Empires Never Last powerfully sung by Stuart as if it was his last performance. This song has a fine chorus that kept spinning around my head for days: let me take your hand, I’ll lead you to the Promised Land. .. Then contrary guitar riffs in the middle section and a bombastic ending with an audience clapping enthusiastically.
On the second CD, the best songs are from the album Empires Never Last. The title track is a beautiful combination of guitar, synths and Stuart’s powerful voice. This man really has one of the best voices in the prog scene! On the last track This Life Could Be My Last, he introduces the members of the band. Then the piano is playing somewhat jazzy, but soon the energetic and dynamic guitar, bass and drums change the song to an up-tempo pace. On this live album, you hear a band in absolute top form. You never suffer a dull moment with these nine songs. In more than one hour and a half, Galahad is searching the borders of progressive rock music. Conclusively, I would like to make a special remark for Karl Groom, who did an excellent job mastering and producing this album at the Thin Ice Studios.
Cor Smeets
|
Galahad - Year Zero
Dorset prog band Galahad has been around for a fair few years and has a loyal fan base. In the eighties and nineties it was, perhaps, only to be expected that they fitted neatly into the UK neo-prog scene. Now I know that many people baulk at the term ‘neo-prog’ (and some, unfairly, at the music it represents) but I use it not in any derisory way as a description that most will understand.
That said, with Year Zero Galahad have largely thrown off the ‘neo’ mantle to open up a novel mix of rock, prog, experimental, even a touch of metal and a lot more besides. I was almost tempted to use their well-drafted press release in place of my review as it is tells it like it is, something I’m struggling to do.
Due for official release on 23rd September 2002 (but available for pre-order from the Galahad website – link at foot) Galahad claims the album to be one long changing and evolving piece of music, one that runs to just over 56 minutes, a claim I have no intention of refuting. However, 15 tracks or sections are listed which denote the more obvious changes in direction of this masterpiece. There, I’ve said it now! Masterpiece. The sections flow effortlessly so much so I thought I was on track five when in fact I had reached track 12. Time just flies when you’re enjoying yourself.
The CD leaflet, a folding affair as against a booklet, provides three sides of printed lyrics yet whilst Stu Nicholson’s dulcet tones can be clearly heard on the album, the overall effect is that of an instrumental works which goes to show how good the arrangements are.
On my very first listen my thoughts were that this was an album Porcupine Tree would be proud of. The experimental sounds of Faust, the relaxation of Pink Floyd, the melodic but very heavy style of Black Sabbath, the classical arrangements of Camel and the out and out prog of YES are all there in a Galahad way with a splash of jazz, dance and choral for good measure. The performance, which to the credit of the band sounds effortless, is further enhanced with the help of many guest musicians including John Wetton (vocals) and Sarah Quilter (flute, sax, clarinet, vocals) who can be found in the credits of other Galahad recordings – surely she must become a full time member of the band one of these days?
I could tell you about Roy Keyworth’s humorous spoken (Terry Thomas? Leslie Phillips? Austin Powers?) ‘ding dong’ and (I’m assuming it’s still Roy speaking) in a high voice ‘this is the prog centre of the universe’ etc. that appears just a few seconds after the album apparently ends in a similar way to the end of Tull’s Minstrel In The Gallery, but I won’t. I could also mention the use of Mellotron, mini moog, sustained bass pedals, but I won’t do that either. So it would be unfair to comment on the clever bass and percussion arrangements.
Rest assured Year Zero is one album that should grace all serious prog collections (and even the ones that haven’t reached the serious stage).
Jem Jedrzejewski
Hairless Heart Herald
|
