Galahad - Battle Scars
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:16 Written by Ken Foster
Galahad are sometimes described as veterans of the UK prog rock scene, having released 7 studio albums and 3 live albums since 1985. Often mentioned in the same breath as IQ andPendragon, they rode on the stunted new wave of prog during the Eighties and Nineties.
Battle Scars acknowledges this evolution with the odd nod to techno (Bitter & Twisted), much as IQ still do. Traditional prog fans may be slightly alienated by these themes but I believe we should embrace them. Throwing the odd curve ball is always useful to keep things fresh.
The Battle Scars theme running throughout the album is catchy and the press release claims of an epic album aren't at all pretentious. Suspended Animations's non straightforward time signature is particularly appealing to my ears but don't get the impression that this album is difficult to listen to. Far from it infact. It's an album that grabs you on first play and has enough nuances to keep you hooked for considerable repeat listens.
Singularity is just sublime and develops into a choppy riff (again anything but 4/4) and is perhaps the track most remiscent of IQ here. The 8:32 Seize The Day rounds off the album proper and again ventures into electro/dance territory - a powerful and fitting end to a fine album.
But that's not all... as a very welcome bonus the band have included a 25th anniversary treat in the shape of a new recording of their classic track Sleepers. It's a stunning and very welcome addition to a very fine album. I'd go so far as to say this track is worthy of the price of the album on its own!
Rating: 4.5/5
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