BATTLE SCARS

The first of two Galahad studio albums for 2012, Battle Scars offers a dark, occasionally heavy version of the Galahad sound which adds impressively modern electronic beats to their otherwise standard neo-prog approach. Recorded with the aid of Karl Groom at Arena's Thin Ice Studios, something of the darkness of Arena's Contagion creeps in during the more guitar-heavy moments, whilst Dean Baker's very modern approach to keyboards this time around offers up sounds and textures of a sort not usually found in neo-prog. Despite the presence of a remake of an old track from Sleepers as a bonus track, this is clearly a band with one eye on the future and who are attempting even twenty years after their debut to refine their sound, and the end result is entertaining enough but doesn't feel especially focused.