EMPIRES NEVER LAST

I thought I had been very active with my progressive involvement in 2007 but somehow I get the feeling I must have been sleeping when this album came out. I never noticed it in the running year even though I have been very active on progarchives looking often on the top 100 2007. And what makes things even stranger is that I'm probably the biggest neo adherent on this site at least amongst the prog reviewers. So the least you can do is check out all the neo albums of the running year, at least the good ones. And this was obviously one of the very best if not the best of all. So that leaves me stunned in fact. The only excuse I have is that I never really cared for Galahad mainly caused by their very poor effort in 1997.

The only thing positive in my mind I experienced with this band was the Bug Eye stream song on our site and that was already a lot better but with this album it's very clear they improved even more. The album starts with a very strange overture (De-Fi-Ance) of a beautiful singing lady for several minutes taken over by some fierce metal towards the end. Impressive opener (3,75*). Termination is a more regular neo track, keeping the album on a high level so far (4*). Third is I could be God, my personal highlight (4,75*). The energy is coming off with wagon-loads, this is not how I remember Galahad. It just shows you that a band always deserves a second chance with a next album. But this surpasses even my highest expectations. I never thought Galahad could do something like this I say in all honesty, a completely different band suddenly after many mediocre or even poor efforts over the years. Next song Sidewinder is there to take away my last doubts (4,5*), we are indeed dealing with a near masterpiece here. At first few listens I wasn't really convinced yet but another advantage is that this album can truly grow on you at least it did on me, I only get more and more enthusiastic after each listen.

On the other hand, after this fourth track we have had the better of the album, next song Memories from an African Twin is ok but not very special (3,25*), Empires never last is a great track but not as good as the two earlier highlights (4,25*) and the closer This life could be my last shows they are running out of fule in the end, a fine ballad-like epical song but not by far the best of the album for me (3,5*).

That's why I was talking of a near masterpiece earlier on, it's not really there but it is truly excellent and no doubt their magnum opus so far. It will probably have something to do with the contribution of the excellent guitarist and producer Karl Groom. Anyway, I'm curious after their follow up. 4 stars for this.