GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Galahad: Empires Never Last (May 2006)

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Beyond The Realms of Euphoria CD - £9.99

Battle Scars CD - £9.99

Empires Never Last  CD - £9.99

LINK: Galahad Reveal Official Biography

Galahad are gearing up to publish their official biography, complete with an archive DVD.

One For The Record, by Andrew Wild, looks back on the veteran act’s 28-year history.

Vocalist Stuart Nicholson says: “Hopefully this account will demonstrate that you don’t have to be a massive band like Pink Floyd, Queen or Led Zeppelin to have had an interesting, sometimes chaotic but never dull career.

“The companion DVD contains rare studio and live performance footage of the band dating as far back as 1986. It’s something to be proud of, we think.”

The title is now available for pre-order via the band’s website.

Read on...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ATGONZO

Beyond The Realms of Euphoria CD - £9.99

Battle Scars CD - £9.99

Empires Never Last  CD - £9.99

LINK: Stu Nicholson interview

It has been a traumatic year for English prog rock band Galahad following the tragic, early death from cancer of their bass player Neil Pepper last September, he was just 44 years old.

But the band has bounced back with the release last month of its new album Battle Scars and a second, Beyond Realms of Euphoria, due out in September.

Formed in 1985, the ensuing 27 years have seen Galahad release 16 albums, sell tens of thousands of copies and play gigs in twelve different countries.

This year is shaping up to be a busy one for the band, so DPRP’s Alison Henderson spent the day talking all things music with Galahad’s lead singer Stu Nicholson; hearing all about his quest to get people dancing at Prog gigs and even discovering how he once caught sight of Mrs Robert Fripp’s underwear.

It must have been an incredibly difficult time for you, Spencer Luckman, Dean Baker and Roy Keyworth. How have you all managed to cope with Neil’s death?

Stu: It has been a weird process coming to terms with it all. However, the really wonderful thing is that we managed to get all the recording done for both albums with Neil. The last time I saw him was at our recording studios, so it is a really nice memory to have of him, but at the same time the irony is that when he rejoined the band three years ago he was so enthusiastic about it all.

So, is this the band now turning a tragedy into a triumph?

Stu: We really made a conscious decision that this was the way we wanted to do it and that we would promote and sell the album – available on both CD and vinyl – through our own website. Because I am self-employed, I have been able to devote a certain amount of time doing this work while my wife Lin is Galahad’s administrator. It is very much a cottage industry but I think this is very much the case with quite a few bands these days.

Read on...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO

Beyond The Realms of Euphoria CD - £9.99

Empires Never Last  CD - £9.99

EXCLUSIVE: Galahad Interview (Part Three)

I have to admit that I had never heard of Galahad until, one evening earlier this year my adopted nephew Max and I played their album Battle Scars which arrived together with a heap of other groovy Gonzothings. It was an epiphany, and soon after I interviewed Stu Nicholson, the singer, who is a really nice bloke. Now there is a second album of the year, which is even better. Once again I interview Stu, and enjoyed the experience very much...

If you missed them, check out Part One and Part Two

JON: Is there any more news about your biography?

STU: Yes it’s 99% there.  Andy Wild, who has written it is just adding a few extra bits, because it did finish at one point when Neil had died pretty much, and we thought well actually we would like to keep it going maybe for another year, again to show the positive afterwards ie the two albums coming out, and the gigs and the fact that things are picking up and we’ve managed to sort of deal with it and look forward to hopefully a brighter future and what have you, and again I am sure Neil would agree with that as well.  So we’ll probably take it up to the end of this year and then hopefully publish next year. To be honest it’s down to finances. We’ve had the two albums, gigs, a live album and DVD this year.

JON: I didn’t know about the live album

STU: Yeah, what it is we played a festival in Whitchurch back in the early ‘90s and it was recorded sort of on the desk and they also videod it on an old Super 8 or something like that. One of those old mini cassette things and it doesn’t look too bad. So we got Oscar in Poland who tend to do our re-issues and they put it out for us and it’s basically a  DVD and CD combination.

JON: That’s nice

STU: Again, it’s very much a bootleg, you know, it’s not perfect quality – not the best live recording in the world.

JON: I like bootlegs

STU: Yeah, but basically, you know, it’s for fans to be honest. It’s just a sort of fan thing.

JON: There’s something about bootlegs.  They’ve got an integrity that glossy and heavily produced and over-dubbed live albums don’t have.

STU: Well definitely yeah, it’s real and you can tell; there’s lots of mistakes on it. <laughs> I’ll send you one, and I’ll send you the re-issue of Year Zero as well which is basically the album Year Zero which will did in 2002 – it’s like a tenth anniversary and again there’s a sort of bootleg with it – you get Mr Kyps which is about only one of the five or six times we have played it live and again it’s pretty raw and it’s a bit cringey at times when I listen to it, but, you know, it’s real so that’s like a double CD – you know the original album plus…

JON: Oh yes please…..thank you So what happens next?

STU: Well as you just touched upon, we want to try to get the band biography published next year, we’ve got some live material that we are thinking of putting out as well next year. And then start writing basically. We’ve got a few ideas so we’ll start on that and Neil has left a bit of a legacy as well – there are some unused recordings that he made while he was still alive which are on his computer which we need to sort of get off his computer somehow and we’re thinking of either doing an EP or an album if there’s enough of his material and putting that out on his behalf. But obviously it will be Galahad related and we might have to re-record some bits and pieces and the idea also is that if we   can put that out hopefully, if there’s enough, we can maybe help his widow, Jo, and maybe give her some money from it, because I think she is struggling. Because he did leave three young kids – under four in fact so Jo’s left looking after the kids and of course she can’t really work because she’s got to look after the kids.  So that’s quite tough on her and in fact we are going up to see her I think next weekend which will be nice.  Sort of say hello. And of course any royalties that we can get from the albums are making sure I’m giving her his bit.

JON: That’s really good

STU: So I think it’s just fair really.  Because she’s struggling, so yeah, there are things in the pipeline, but I don’t think we’ll release a new studio album probably for a couple of years or so ‘cos we’re quite slow at that <laughs>

JON: Never mind, it gives us all something to look forward to

STU: Well yeah, we’ve done quite well this year. I can’t believe we actually managed to do it. And we’re also releasing a vinyl version of Euphoria in a few weeks. It’s going to be an album and an EP basically, so you’ll have the main album on a red LP, and a 12-inch sort of single on an orange record. It’ll look really good and I think the artwork will look stunning on an LP and we’re going to put the extra tracks, on both Battle Scars and Euphoria as well as All in the Name of Progress on the EP ‘cos you can obviously only get 40-odd minutes on an album and I just think I will be a nice package.

And that is about it. We will be back with Stu and Galahad very soon. In the meantime check out what is available from Gonzo..

Battle Scars CD - £9.99

Empires Never Last  CD - £9.99

EXCLUSIVE: Galahad Interview (Part Two)

I have to admit that I had never heard of Galahad until, one evening earlier this year my adopted nephew Max and I played their album Battle Scars which arrived together with a heap of other groovy Gonzothings. It was an epiphany, and soon after I interviewed Stu Nicholson, the singer, who is a really nice bloke. Now there is a second album of the year, which is even better. Once again I interview Stu, and feel very privileged to have been privy to the conversation that follows.

If you missed it, check out Part One

JON: Have you been writing since Neil died?  

STU: Not really no.  Because obviously the last year has been basically spent putting recordings, or getting these albums finished, and getting them mixed and getting them out to the masses as it were and also sort of promoting them.  So no we haven’t written any new material to be honest. But obviously that is the next stage and because the other reason being that we – obviously there is only four of us – and we’ve got Mark Spencer who has been playing in Twelfth Night and he’s been playing bass for us at the moment for all the live gigs. And it’s very difficult as to whether he will become a permanent member because obviously Neil is not with us, and it’s not like we got rid of him, you know, we didn’t want him to go, so it’s quite an emotive subject. So I’m not quite sure how the line up is going to be in the future as it were. Mark has fitted in really well so we are hoping that at some point he will probably become a permanent fixture.

 

JON: This is a leading question, I hate leading questions. But I can’t think of any way of phrasing it so that it’s not a leading question.  Do you feel that Neil is still around?

STU: Yeah.  Actually in some ways. Definitely.  I mean we haven’t played that much since he passed away, but whenever we are on stage we always think about him and he’s always in the background there.  You know, when we’re rehearsing and I’m sure he will be when we start writing again.  But certainly at the gigs. And I have mentioned him at several of the gigs as well because the other thing is, he has actually been playing with us at gigs. I know that sounds odd, but what we did on some of his songs, we actually got Mark to play additional  guitar and we are playing to a click, and we are playing to a click which includes Neil’s bass guitar.

 

JON: That’s fantastic.

STU: So we manage to play live with Neil performing with us on bass in the background although he’s not physically there.

JON: That’s lovely, that’s really nice

STU: Yeah, and we just thought that was a nice way of him being with us. In spirit as it were, and the other thing I did – and I did ask his wife first – do you mind if we get a big cut out of Neil?   And I’ve actually got a life-size cut out in my music room of Neil from a photo that we had taken at Lorelei a couple of years ago at the festival with him, and it was his last gig and one of the last photos taken of him as well with his guitar and everything and the plan was to use that and put it on stage.  Unfortunately we haven’t done it yet, because it’s so big I couldn’t get it in my car! <laughs>  He’s about six foot something so we had to sort of cut it in half and a local picture framer actually put it together for me but it’s great you know.  Again, he’s always there, he’s always in our thoughts, and he’s sort of irreplaceable in a way.

 

JON: I was thinking of you the other night because I was watching the George Harrison DVD that Martin Scorcese did – I don’t know if you’ve seen it – there’s two bits on it – there’s bits when they were recording the Beatles without John Lennon with the song when Lennon was in the studio but he wasn’t and the bit when they were doing the second Travelling Wilburys album without Roy Orbison and during both bits I was thinking about you guys and Neil.

 STU: It is quite strange and obviously we’ve got a lot of photos, we haven’t even had any photos taken since Neil went as well so I don’t know… we will at some point but we have to move on and I know that Neil would want us to move on and in a way the irony is we’ve actually been very productive this year with the two new albums, so something positive has come out of a big negative,  and the albums have done pretty well, and the last one is more of a positive sort of statement – you know very colourful and everything else. And hopefully the future is bright, as they say.

This interview concludes tomorrow, with Galahad's plans for the future. Thank you, BTW to Stu for these pictures of the band with Neil on bass..

Check out Galahad at Gonzo

WHOA OH WAIT A MINUTE MR POSTMAN

And what has Postie brought me this morning? Two Galahad CDs (or to be strictly true, a Galahad CD and a CD/DVD pack) courtesy of the most excellent Stu...

Check out Galahad at Gonzo

EXCLUSIVE: Galahad interview (Part One)

I have to admit that I had never heard of Galahad until, one evening earlier this year my adopted ephew Max and I played their album Battle Scars which arrived together with a heap of other groovy Gonzothings. It was an epiphany, and soon after I interviewed Stu Nicholson, the singer, who is a really nice bloke. Now there is a second album of the year, which is even better. Once again I interview Stu, and have an excuse to play a video featuring two strange men with rhino horns...

JON: The album is brilliant – I really like it

STU: Cheers

JON: I liked the last one, but this one – I think – it’s more to my taste. It’s always bad when you say you like one album more than another but I thought Battle Scars was a great record, but I think this one is even better.

STU: Funny, we have a lot of people who have said that and we were expecting the opposite because, obviously there’s the sequency stuff on there is slightly more overt than it is on Battle Scars other than the last track – Seize the Day -  but I think maybe the thing is with this one also, the songs are longer and they are more proggie in some way ‘cos you’ve got the extended sections and instrumentally bits and of course a lot of rock/progressive fans like that as well but you’ve got the immediate stuff as well because you’ve got all the verses and the choruses, but yeah we were really chuffed with it actually.

JON: Was it recorded at the same time as the last one?

STU: Pretty much, yeah.  And the idea was we always knew roughly which songs would go on which album because it is a slightly different atmosphere to each of them and we wanted to put Neil’s songs – because he wrote three of the songs on Battle Scars - on the first album. The idea originally was to try to get that album released while he was still with us, but unfortunately we failed which is a shame. You probably noticed that the first one is more black and white – it was a kind of tribute to Neil really and it was a bit darker and then obviously on the second one it was  case of we wanted to be colourful and look forward to the future and make things a bit brighter and all this sort of stuff.  But there are links and we’ve still got the sort of poppies and all that kind of stuff. It all kind of hangs together quite well I think.

JON: The opening track sounds like the KLF

STU: Does a bit, doesn’t it?

JON: Which to me is a good thing.  I’m a massive Bill Drummond fan, always have been

STU: Yeah, same here.  I liked the KLF at the time – in fact I was playing a 12-inch the other day of one of theirs. It was the ….. with er…was it Dolly Parton? 

JON: I think the song you were talking about was Justified and Ancient with Tammy Wynette.

STU: That’s it, Tammy Wynette, I knew it was one of them.  I do like a lot of that sort of dancey kind of experimental music I suppose and I just like all the shimmering sequences and all that kind of thing, you know.

JON: That was, of course, what the band were doing just when they broke up.  They were recording both with Extreme Noise Terror of all people and the guy who used to be in Deep Purple. Bass player he was sacked.

STU: Roger Glover?

JON: The one after…

STU: Glen Hughes?

JON: Glen Hughes.  He sang on the last of the KLF singles

Yes, I seem to remember that.  I remember reading about it

JON: A lot of people since then try to meld heavy rock music with dance music and never succeeded. I think you’ve done the best of any of those.

STU: I think it’s just a melting pot of influences really, because we’ve all listened to a lot of different stuff and you know I quite like Leftfield – the Leftfield album with John Lydon on it and I also like Faithless and Alison Goldfrapp and people like that which sort of verges on progressive because of all the sequences and all the keyboards and everything, and I’ve always said a lot of dance music, you take away the beats and it just sounds like a prog type thing, you know Tangerine Dream or something, or some of these older Germanic – sort of Krautrock bands I suppose, but yeah, I love all that and obviously we have tried to meld it together and it’s not dance as such, but it’s – well you know, you’ve heard it – it’s sort of using those sorts of sounds and arrangements and what have you. And then trying to fuse it with some heavy guitars and give it a bit of beat as well.

JON: How much of it is written in advance when you go in, or how much of it is written as you go in the studio?

STU: All of it.  Basically all of the songs are written in advance.  Pretty much.  And then the studio is really a case of laying down the bare bones, you know the bass guitars, the skeleton if you like of the track and then gradually layering on top the guitars, the keyboards whatever and occasionally we might change things around because of course the great thing with technology these days is you can – it’s like building a house – you know you can build on top of it, you can also take things out and you can add things in, or lengthen things or shorten things or whatever.  And so sometimes we do change the arrangements or we might add an extra chorus or something, but the basic song structure is pretty much there before we go into the studio. 

JON: And do you write together or separately?

STU: Both.  Actually.  It depends.  We write in every way really, I  mean sometimes me and Dean, the keyboard player will write together and for example for The Guardian Angel, the reprise at the end of the album, we wrote that in about ten minutes. Dean just played me a guitar sort of motif and I thought ‘that sounds really nice’ and I just started singing over it and thought well actually it does sit quite well with some of the ideas that I used for Guardian Angel but we didn’t use them on the original song so we sort of reprised it. And then we took that format to the studio and laid down the drums and the sort of basics and then basically gradually added all the layers of backing vocals because obviously that’s one thing I couldn’t do in rehearsal, but in the studio we spent a lot of time on – probably the most time I’ve spent on – sort of putting harmony vocals and backing vocals on and things like The Secret Kingdoms on the chorus I really wanted lots of backing vocals like a Queen-type thing. And if you listen it is quite Queeny in places with the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and what have you.  I’ve just always wanted to do it. So I gave it a go  <laughs>

JON: Why not…I think it is a smashing record. 

And this seems to be a sensible point to break off for today, because in tomorrow's segment of the interview the mood changes as we talk about their late bass player Neil who died just after the albums were completed..

Check out Galahad at Gonzo

LOOK WHAT I HAVE GOT....

As regular readers will no doubt be aware, I was very impressed by Battle Scars by the mighty Galahad which came out earlier this year. Now there is a second studio album called Beyond the Realms of Euphoria which is very imminent.

Stu from the band has been kind enough to send me a preview copy, and this weekend the orange cat and I will sit down with a cup of tea (or possibly something a little more psychoactive) AND GIVE IT A DAMN GOOD LISTEN.

We shall then report back to you. WATCH THIS SPACE...

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:
http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

LINK: Galahad - still rocking after 28 years

Galahad: still rocking after 28 years

VETERAN prog rockers Galahad show no signs of slowing down after 28 years of rocking.

They might be getting on a bit, but their studio output and live performances put bands half their age to shame.

The band is bracing themselves for next month’s release of their second new studio album to be released this year.

Beyond the Realms of Euphoria is Galahad’s eighth studio album and sees the band treading similar water to that of Battle Scars, which was released earlier in 2012 but with a few additional and unexpected twists and turns.

Read on...
Check out Galahad at Gonzo

GALAHAD REVIEWED

http://www.69facesofrock.com/galahad_battlescars_cd.html

Galahad - Battle Scars (GHCD) ****

Galahad originally formed back in 1985, and they were many of the progressive bands coming out in England. The band continued, releasing records, playing shows, doing what they do best. Over the years their following grew, but can still be considered very underground in some parts of the world.

"Battle Scars" is a very solid effort by a band with a vast amount of experience. Galahad certainly developed a style over these years, that's certainly visible throughout their music. The songs on this record are well crafted. Despite at times lengthy passages, one almost want the tune to continue a little bit longer. Galahad has really cool groves, and they don't mind putting some good melody, and twist things around. Many of the songs have very heavy overtones, others tend to be more experimental.

When listening to Galahad one easily gets the impression this band has influences from the last four decades of progressive rock. Now that the movement is more popular than ever, many bands come up front showing what they've been doing for years. Only getting more attention these days. Galahad is very easy to follow, and their style will definitely prompt many followers. "Battle Scars" is a great record, it will make you think.

Mark Kadzielawa

Check out the Gonzo Artist Page for Galahad

GALAHAD: Review

http://blog.musoscribe.com/?p=855

File Galahad under that growing list of accessible progressive rock acts that had (up to now) escaped my notice. Apparently they’ve been around for some years; their debut In a Moment of Complete Madnesscame out way back in 1993. Of course, had I heard them at the time, I might have dismissed them entirely: in those days they sounded very much like Rush, a band that – for all their admitted talents – I’ve never been able to endure.

But on 2012′s Battle Scars, Galahad sounds like a completely different band. Flourishes of symphonic prog adorn the opening title track. Lyrically the song is a bit repetitive, but the playing and arrangement are exciting enough to carry the tune. Assertive yet breezy vocal harmonies, some nice touches of Mellotron, and an angularly percussive midsection all add interest.

The guitar figure upon which “Reach for the Sun” is built recalls – of all things – The Easybeats‘ 1966 hit “Friday on My Mind.” The track is mostly instrumental save for the odd “na na” and two lines of lyric that serve to link it thematically with the title track (isBattle Scars a concept album?) but it’s a dramatic piece nonetheless.

Some modern sounds blend nicely with more classic string-synth textures on “Singularity,” a tune that suggest that the guys in Galahad have been listening to Porcupine Tree. Not really derivative of Steven Wilson‘s peerless group, the track does bring together the elements that bridge the gap between classic and 21^st century progressive rock: a propulsive, accessible beat and plenty of thrilling sonic variety.

The Porcupine Tree vibe is even more pronounced on “Bitter and Twisted.” A throbbing synthesizer line recalls Richard Barbieri‘s work on Fear of a Blank Planet, but once again, Galahad isn’t ripping off anyone; a strong melody, some dramatic vocals fromStuart Nicholson and precise/complex drum work from Spencer Luckman show that Galahd have plenty of good musical idea of their own. Halfway through the track, the band takes off on a brief prog-metal excursion that’s both doomy and tuneful.

Dean Baker‘s washes of distorted organ kick off “Suspended Animation; that leads into some rubbery bass work from Neil Pepper; and that leads into some Roy Keyworth stacked guitar overdubs that recall Steve Hackett‘s work with Genesis. The tune itself has a sinister, smoky feel.

“Beyond the Barbed Wire” has all of the tasty elements of the other songs on Battle Scars, and adds the hookiest melody to the mix. It’s an effective mix of crunchy, rockin’ out sections and ethereal synth-and-vocal washes. The anthemic album closer “Seize the Day” features a kinetic synth arpeggio and another accessible melody.

A 2012 remake of the group’s 1995 track “Sleepers” is included as a bonus track; I haven’t heard the original, but the 2012 version is very much of a piece with the other tracks on Battle Scars, though it does allow the players a bit more space in which to stretch out and display their impressive chops and tight ensemble playing. In places “Sleepers 2012” is reminiscent of another fine modern prog group, Knight Area.

Virtually free of the qualities that sometimes put listeners off of progressive rock – pretentious themes, over-emotive vocals, showy playing that calls attention to itself – Galahad’s Battle Scars shows that this UK band has learned a thing or two in the past twenty years. Recommended.

Check out Galahad at Gonzo

GALAHAD: Fireworks Magazine review

‘Battle Scars’ is the first of two new studio albums from Galahad due to appear in 2012, in support of which the band is about to embark upon some live dates, including the Progmotion Festival in the Netherlands at the start of September. (The second album, ‘Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria’ was recorded at the same time as the present offering, and both feature bassist Neil Pepper, who passed away last September. It will be reviewed here when available.)

The remaining members of Galahad (Stuart Nicholson (vocals), Spencer Luckman (drums), Dean Baker (keys) and Roy Keyworth (guitar)) have been together for the past thirteen years (thus earning themselves the title of “veterans of the UK prog scene”), so it is no surprise that

‘Battle Scars’ is a tremendously well-polished piece of work, and yet one where the band has
been prepared to take risks. To quote from the band’s web site (www.galahadonline.com) ‘Battle
Scars’ “takes the band further in to a heavy/rockier direction but mixing it up with a few more overt modern dance/trance and classical influences.” Lest that begins to sound alarm bells amongst the more traditional progressive rock adherents reading this, I can only say that it all works absolutely splendidly: not just musically - but lyrically as well, and will be another album in my collection jostling for repeat plays in the future.

Once again we are in what I term “Brit Prog” territory and the key thing is that as fully paid up
members of this union, they have – to my ears at least - a unique sound (you may find other reviews which suggest some Rush and/or Muse inflections) and in having Nicholson’s clear, precise and melodious stylings they are fortunate in having one of the genre’s great vocalists.
Lyrically the album is also very strong, and ‘Battle Scars’ oscillates in mood and focus between
the acerbic and rage-encrusted title track and what is in effect its coda ‘Reach For The Sun’ to the utterly delightful ‘Singularity’ which works on so many levels. ‘Bitter And Twisted’ sets us back into a mood of despair and distrust (more fabulous lyrics, by the way!), keeps us there via ‘Suspended Animation’ and digs the knife in deeper (‘Beyond The Barbed Wire’) only to leave us with a mini epic song of reaffirmation, ‘Seize The Day’ an absolutely fabulous, positive piece and including sections I have dubbed “techno prog” – oh yes!!

So there’s 43 minutes of some of the most phenomenal prog rock music released in 2012. But
there’s more: a bonus of 14 minutes more – a re-visitation of the title track of their 1995 album,
‘Sleepers’. Well, every time I hear it I am completely transfixed by this stellar work, now
magnificently updated and enhanced.

This is a remarkable album, no mistake about it and stands as a wonderful tribute to, and parting gift from the late Neil Pepper. Paul Jerome Smith

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

GALAHAD: More details of the new album

07.08.2012 - 'EUPHORIA' TRACK LISTING ANNOUNCED

We can now reveal that the final track listing for 'Beyond the Realms of Euphoria', the second new Galahad album of 2012 is now confirmed as:
1. Salvation I - Overture
2. Salvation II - Judgement Day?
3. Guardian Angel
4. Secret Kingdoms ...
5. …And Secret Worlds
6. All in the Name of Progress
7. Guardian Angel - Reprise
Bonus track: Richelieu's Prayer 2012

Final tweaking, mixing and mastering of 'Beyond the Realms of Euphoria' will be finalised by Karl Groom at Thin Ice in the next week or so.

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

GALAHAD: New album cover art revealed

Galahad are proud to announce that their new album 'Beyond the Realms of Euphoria' will feature cover art by the extremely talented up and coming young British artist Emma Grzonkowski.

Stu: "Roy spotted some of Emma's art in a local gallery and was immediately struck by the vibrancy of her work and as we felt that this album had to be the opposite of 'Battle Scars', at least in terms of the visual representation, also as we wanted something vibrant, bright and colourful to symbolise hope, good times and a bright future, we felt that Emma's image fitted the remit perfectly".

To learn more about Emma's work check out her website at: http://www.emmagrz.co.uk/

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

LINK: Galahad review

Galahad: Battle Scars
19/07/20120 Comments

The first notes of the title track do your listening room trembling by maximum bass - beware the post hours on the case! The epic melody and heavy themes in the lyrics ("we will live so much longer", "you will reap what you sow") smell like Jim Steinman (the song "Seize The Day" does not happen to think of his "Seize The Night '), supplemented with Biblical references and striking harmonies. When finally the heavy guitars and the singer burst then 18 times in succession "battle scars" chant as if it were a religious mantra, you know it for sure: this is a metal plate! In that genre has undersigned only the biggest names (AC / DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica and other usual suspects), but Galahad should definitely not do. 'Battle Scars' is at times extremely heavy plate, sometimes with very long numbers (unique to the genre). May not be your cup of tea, but technically excellent music played extremely well maintained and finished. A pleasant (but loud) surprise.

The opening track will wake up the neighbors with its sonic bass. The epic melody and heavy subject matter are Reminiscent of Jim Steinman, Whereas the Biblical shoutouts and heavy guitars confirm what you have leg thinking: this is a metal record! Galahad may not be as well known as the genre's heavyweights AC / DC, Iron Maiden or Metallica, but They have delivered a very fine record with 'Battle Scars'.


Julian De Backer (3 to 4)

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

GALAHAD TO HEADLINE PROGUPHORIA FESTIVAL

The MINISTRY OF PROG presents….

A cosy but exciting little shindig on the south coast for all you PROG lovers out there….

PROGUPHORIA

It is with the greatest of pleasure the The Ministry of Prog proudly presents, for your delectation and delight, the inaugural PROGUPHORIA festival to be held at the rather spiffing Mr Kyps rock and roll venue in Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, England on Saturday 20th October 2012 from 4pm onwards.

This celebration of modern popular music will feature several well respected bands loosely associated with the rock/progressive genre, namely:

Galahad will be playing a selection of songs from both their new studio albums ‘Battle Scars’ and ‘Beyond the Realms of Euphoria’ as well as a few golden galaclassics.

The Cryptic Clues (featuring three original Twelfth Night band members!) will be performing a selection of well known Twelfth Night standards.

The Paul Menel Band will be performing songs from the IQ album ‘Nomzamo’ to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its original release in 1987 (!) along with a few other Paul Menel originals from his two recent solo albums.

Alan Reed, erstwhile vocalist with Pallas, accompanied by the ubiquitous Mark Spencer (Twelfth Night, La Host, Alexander O’Neal), will be playing a selection of his Pallas past, his own solo songs, drawn from his recent release ‘Dancing with Ghosts’ and from his forthcoming new studio album.

PROGUPHORIA promises to be a wonderful evening of rather lovely music by some of the finest purveyors of what is known as ‘Proglife’ and a whole lot more besides.

There will also be merchandise stalls, a charity auction which will include some very interesting items up for grabs along with an extremely hip ‘Prog’ disco, for those who fancy a jiggle to some particularly awkward time signatures. There may even be a prize for the best movers and shakers!
Mr Kyps is a fine bespoke 300 capacity venue with a brand new sound system which, more importantly, also sells a rather good selection of the best real ales, wines and lagers. Tickets are priced at a very reasonable £20 each in advance and £25 on the door and can be obtained directly from the Mr Kyps website at: www.mrkyps.net or by calling the ticket hotline on: 01202 748945

PROGUPHORIA is the first festival of its kind on the south coast of England and we’d be delighted and incredibly grateful if as many of you as possible would come along and support us in this new and exciting musical adventure. Indeed, if it’s a success we may do the same next year….:-)

Kindest Regards

The Ministry of Prog

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

LINK: Galahad review

http://www.getreadytorock.com/reviews2012/galahad.htm

GALAHAD Battle Scars (2012)

Do you ever wonder where your life goes? I was staggered when reading the press release for Battle Scars that 2012 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Galahad - and by the sound of the outstanding music here, they've been building up to this moment for all of those years.

Although tinged with more than a little sadness (bass player Neil Pepper lost his battle with cancer shortly after completing his contribution), Battle Scars is nothing short of a deserved triumph for one of the hardest working bands in progressive rock.

The early years of the band were not that great, being generally regarded as a bit too derivative to push any boundaries - perhaps with the exception of the 'Sleepers' album (which caused some controversy at the time due to its cover depicting a young woman in a mortuary - which later transpired to be an actual photograph).

It's all change here though - this is cutting edge neo-prog at its very finest, pushing every boundary to its limit - from the use of lush orchestration to the inclusion of techno dance beats, from the angular guitars to the lush keys and poignant lyrics - nothing has been left to chance.

Nearest resembling Pendragon, whose latest album 'Passion' is a good touchstone, the band really give the impression of 'going for it'. From the opening title track, with its juxtaposition of strings, crashing guitar and evocative lyrics, the scene is set for a musical thrill-fest which never pales.

Second track 'Reach For The Sun' is as good a pure rock song as you'll hear this year and the anthemic 'Singularity' delivers in spades every prog-head's template for magnificence.

The album's finest track has to be 'Bitter And Twisted' which, whilst not winning any awards, lyrically speaking, for positivity, and including the greatest use of the aforementioned dance beats, rocks like an absolute bastard!

A re-recording of the title track from the 'Sleepers' album is included as a bonus track (all fourteen minutes of it) which, although welcome and an insight (for the uninitiated) into Galahad's past, is completely superfluous - what goes before it betters anything the band have previously done.

With 'Battle Scars' Galahad have crafted an intense and eclectic album that demands your attention. It's not easy listening at times (the finest albums never are) but it will restore your belief that there is still great music out there - it's just a matter of knowing where to look.

And look no further than this - absolutely outstanding.

*****

Review by Alan Jones

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

GALAHAD ON PROGLOG AFTERGLOW

'Battle Scars' from Galahad, has become 'CD of the Week' on ProgLog AFTERglow: “a strong album in the best tradition of neo-prog".

The review will remain for some weeks on our homepage and will be stored afterwards under the menu-label ‘WeekCD's 2012’.

Kind regards

Harry ‘JoJo’ de Vries
ProgLog AFTERglow

Prog Smells Not Funny

Check out Galahad at Gonzo:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5997/Galahad

LINK: Galahad review

http://progressiverockcentral.com/2012/06/15/battle-scars/

Battle Scars

BY

ANGEL ROMERO

– JUNE 15, 2012POSTED IN: CD REVIEWS

Galahad – Battle Scars

Galahad

Battle Scars (Avalon Records, 2012)

British progressive rock band Galahad is one of the survivors of the second wave of British progressive rock bands of the 1980s. This was the era that some call neoprog. Galahad is known for taking risks and going in new directions in every new album.

I have mixed feelings about this release. The vocals and keyboards are outstanding throughout the album. However, the band seems to have been infected with the prog metal bug and has added hard rock and heavy metal guitar riffs, making the music less attractive for a progressive rock audience.

Battle Scars opens with beautiful symphonic keyboards, whispered vocals and mellotron. At around minute 3:30, the band switches to hard rock guitars that are of little interest.

Track 2, ‘Reach for the Sun,’ brings more of the hard rocking guitars, although you can also find superb keyboard and electronic music work.

‘Singularity’ uses captivating electronic beats and string synths as well as the same old hard rock riffs. However, at a certain point, guitarist Roy Keyworth breaks away from prog metal slavery and treats the listener to fine solo guitar work.

Track 4, ‘Bitter and Twisted’, sticks to you. It has a catchy hard rock feel with some interesting synth moments.

Some of the best vocal work appears on ‘Suspended Animation’, where you can also find notable organ passages and guitar melodies.

The highlight of the album is ‘Beyond the Barbed Wire,’ where once more we find outstanding keyboard dexterity and where the electric guitar breaks away from the hard rock mold.

Keyboards and guitars fight it out on track 7, ‘Seize the Day.’

The album concludes with the remake of one of the band’s classic tunes, titled ‘Sleepers 2012.’

“I hope you like what we have come up with, and if you know us well you’ll realize that we try and make each album different from the previous one, but still include certain Galahad traits,” says vocalist Stuart Nicholson. “Plus, I’d like to thank all those who have shown patience and stuck with us – it is greatly appreciated by the band.”

The 2012 lineup of Galahad includes Stuart Nicholson on vocals; Roy Keyworth on guitars; Spenser Luckman on drums; Neil Pepper on bass, guitar & keyboards; Dean Baker on keyboards.

Check out the Gonzo artist page

GALAHAD: Great and insightful review

I can't remember whether I have already posted this review or not, but it certainly bears repeating if I have...

It is a real skill for a band to be able to continually evolve, while still retaining a recognisable signature sound that keeps fans coming back for more - accepting, and being enthused that their favourite band will never be exactly the same from album to album. This is a skill that not only do Galahad have in their armoury, it is something they've mastered and thrive because of. The band's last album, 2007's Empires Never Last was a perfect example, with the winding storytelling style for which Galahad have always been known, being beefed up by a harsher, heavier attack that added a forceful, threatening bite to the more intricate style of previous albums. Battle Scars, the first of two new offerings we can expect from Galahad this year (Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria is slated for release towards the end of 2012) follows along similar lines, while, as expected, expanding the range of colours from which Galahad have to choose.

The five years between Empires and Battle Scars haven't all been plain sailing for Galahad, with the sad death of Neil Pepper coming at the end of the bassist's battle with cancer. Fittingly, not only does Pepper's bass playing feature throughout Battle Scars, but his fantastic songwriting is one of the key cogs that makes for Galahad's strongest album to date and the best CD I've plopped in the player so far this year. Sliding into view via a beautifully arranged classical/medieval/keyboard introduction, the album's title track is classic Galahad. Brooding, hook laden, threatening, playful and downright catchy, "Battle Scars" sums up exactly what makes this such a captivating album - the ability to wrap intricate, expansive music round punchy, unforgettable choruses. Singer Stuart Nicholson, immediately draws you in with a whispered beginning, before the keys weave their way towards a bristling riff that smacks you between the eyes, before the insistent chorus chant of the two words that make up the song and album title, transfix you, making you repeat the refrain over and over for weeks to come. Eerie, aggressive and memorable, it is a mighty introduction to the album. "Reach For The Sun" continues the vibe with expansive keyboards and towering drums, alongside staccato riffs and vocals, highlighting the stunning sound the album possesses, courtesy of the band, along with Threshold mainman Karl Groom. Cleverly "Singularity" calms what has been a frenetic, aggressive beginning to the album, with a Jarre like keyboard wash and an intentionally narrow sounding stab of guitars, bursting into full bloom as the song progresses. Already, by this stage it is obvious that, as ever, Galahad intend to challenge the listener to keep up, promising glorious rewards for those willing to invest their time in getting to know the music and involving, uncompromising lyrics. In fact the whole album feels thematically linked, both musically and conceptually, with a deep dark despair, being contradicted with an inner strength that always offers up glimpses of light through the, at times, weighty themes. A spiralling keyboard and busy drum beat offers up an almost dance-like feel to "Bitter And Twisted", although Nicholson's meandering vocals and the wonderful combination of Roy Keyworth's intricate guitar playing and Dean Baker's layers of keyboards actually makes this the song most reminiscent of Empires Never Last. Before the dense riff and layered vocals of "Suspended Animation" brings to mind latter day Rush. Pepper's bass comes right to the fore during this song, throbbing with intent alongside the ever busy drumming from Spencer Luckman. Another catchy chorus comes wrapped in a thoughtful challenging lyric, with "Beyond The Barbed Wire" conjuring up images of prison camps, oppression and closed confused minds, although again the excellent fret work rivals the amazingly varied vocals for supremacy. The album proper closes out with the contradiction of styles that is "Seize The Day", building like an atmospheric track from the catalogue of Fish, before an amazingly bright, yet deeply melancholic keyboard melody is coupled with a huge chorus and bouncing beat to make what in truth is prog-dance. As someone with no affiliation to the latter of those genres, take it from me that the results are nothing short of wonderfully and surprisingly uplifting! In a just world, this song would be not only a prog anthem, but a mainstream hit. As if those phenomenal seven tracks aren't enough, a fantastic, updated and extended version of the title track to the 1995 Galahad album Sleepers is added to Battle Scars as a bonus. As one of the most interesting songs from the band's catalogue, there was always a risk that revisiting such a strong song would prove unwise. Instead it again highlights just how stunning this disc sounds, with the expansive, explosive production, mixing and mastering making a great song even better. Put simply Battle Scars is a triumph. Bring on Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria!
Track Listing
01. Battle Scars
02. Reach For The Sun
03. Singularity
04. Bitter And Twisted
05. Suspended Animation
06. Beyond The Barbed Wire
07. Seize The Day
08. Sleepers 2012 (CD Version Bonus)