BEYOND THE REALMS OF EUPHORIA

GALAHAD Since Zero....has become a quite original prog rock band.

Yes...in most of neo prog bands there is always a strong influence of the most important symphonic or neo prog British bands(Genesis,Yes,Marillion,Pendragom,IQ),.

But Galahad is different..unique ..not influentiable .

Yes as i said before their sound is original....a kind of mix between electronic pop and neo prog And this sound is very enjoyable..

Mostly in this album..the modern electronic rock is remarkable .

So for me a very enjoyable album...and in general since ..Zero...i have enjoyed very much the very original neo prog electronic rock of Galahad.

So congratulations for a quite old prog band for maintaining actualized in this modern prog rock sounds era.

4 stars

Whichever way you look at it, this has been an incredible twelve months for Galahad, with the release of this their second new studio album within that period, as well as a tenth anniversary reissue of 'Year Zero' and a double CD set of Whitchurch adventures from the Nineties. But on top of all of that is the loss of Neil Pepper, who passed away from cancer not long after the recording sessions for the album was completed. To say that everyone involved with the band has been on an emotional rollercoaster is something of an understatement, and yet they have kept it together and here is the latest part of the story.

Dean Baker has had a huge impact on the overall sound of the band since he joined, and nowhere is this more obvious than on the first number, 'Salvation I Overture'. It is totally keyboard driven, with elements coming in from dance as well as Jean Michel Jarre, yet when Neil and Spencer join it takes on a new life and when Roy starts riffing it becomes obvious that this was a beat driven rock number all along. If ever there was a song that hearkens back to 'Deconstructing Ghosts' then this is it. If anyone may be concerned that the band has decided to become Pet Shop Boys (and it has to be said that there are elements of that on 'Salvation II Judgement Day') then don't worry as in many ways this is the heaviest I have ever heard the band, although part of that heaviness is due I'm sure to the lack of guitars in places so when they come crunching back they really hit home. I'm sure that Karl Groom must have had a smile on his face as he turned the faders up and allowed Roy room to breathe. What makes this song (and in fact the album) is the interplay between the guys. They are so tight that you feel that they are a multiheaded progbeast. There are times when Neil and Roy are providing incredibly quick complex runs that one just can't believe that this is two guys and not one, the note structures are immaculate.

Galahad have moved a long way musically over the years, but they still don't forget their roots. Today's prog test is what Genesis number is alluded to near the end of 'Guardian Angel'? The song starts with a classic Roy riff, with Neil and Spencer driving it along until Dean takes control and moves it into another direction. Just near the end is the musical nod, which apparently was accidental on the part of Dean but Stu and Karl heard the sound and knew here was an opportunity to bring a smile to the face of progheads. It only lasts a few seconds, but you'll know it when you hear it, not a steal at all, but a homage to one of the band's musical influences.

I love this album, from start to finish, but something very special is the closing number. To celebrate their 25th anniversary Galahad decided to rerecord a 'classic' for each album, so 'Sleepers' appeared on 'Battle Scars' and here we have 'Richeleiu's Prayer'. What makes this special is that Mark Andrews makes a recorded appearance with Galahad for the first time since 'Nothing Is Written', and the first time with Neil in Galahad. Mark originally wrote the song, and was great friends with Neil and although they had played with each other in certain projects, they hadn't recorded together in Galahad as Neil joined after Mark had left. Stu pointed out to me that they had never played together in Galahad, but actually he's wrong as at Stu's wedding reception it was the first (maybe not last?) time that Galahad performed with two keyboard players (Mark and Karl Garrett). There is some extremely delicate piano on this, and they have managed to move it to a new level while retaining some of the original feel from 20+ years ago. This is a song that I always associate with a gig at King Arthur's Court (somewhere in another lifetime) where Stu passed out some party poppers to the usual suspects who he knew would be in the front row and asked us to all release at the same time when he sang 'like a timebomb'. It has always been one of my favourite songs and Stu shows that all these years on he has lost none of his range and his power and note control if anything have improved.

So, to sum up. This is one of the finest prog albums that you will ever hear, no matter what name is on the cover, and is certainly Galahad's finest work to date. The guys are all on top form, and Karl Groom has captured the very essence of the band and distinguished the instruments so that even when everything is blasting away there is still perfect clarity of what is taking place. I have been an advocate for the band for 20 years, and know that I am always going to be biased. But I dare anyone to play this and not honestly give it top marks. Album of the year? I should bloody well think so. www.galahadonline.com

If there is a better example of "progression' within one bands career, Galahad surely would qualify as a banner icon of unending upward spiraling inspiration. They started out as a typical neo-prog act well within the tight Pallas-IQ-Pendragon parameters, though curiously showing an early slant of diversity by publishing the acoustic quartet "Not All There" album which wallowed nicely in almost medieval climes. Recent harder-edged albums such as Year Zero, Empires Never Last and Battle Scars have emphasized a rockier approach but truth is that all along Dean Baker's spacy, almost technoid keyboards have been leading the musical charge and nowhere is this more evident than in 2012 where the band has followed up the raucous Battle Scars with this little gem, a musical spotlight now clearly on Baker's fluid electronics. The result is startling, with lead voice Stu Nicholson in the finest form and the lads are cooking in spirited fashion.

"Salvation" starts out as with all Galahad albums with a bright overture, here less symphonic but more electronic than ever and segues nicely into "Salvation Judgment Day", where Nicholson provides his trademark passionate delivery. Guitarist Roy Keyworth, sadly departed bassist Neil Pepper (RIP) and Spencer Luckman on drums literally sizzle with utter inspiration, completely entranced by Baker's swirly ivory work, a cross between Tim Blake, Tangerine Dream and some of the more talented techno wizards, with loads of choir mellotron colorations to add symphonic enhancement. The music is riveting and powerful, not afraid of stretching the arrangements such as on the splendid 10 minute + "Guardian Angel", a basic Neo-prog ballad given some solid rocket boosting and vivid sonics, with brash riffs thumping the airwaves, sudden sympho swirls and bruising rhythmic pulse. Modern applications abound, such as the well placed vocoder sections (I am generally not a big fan of this artifice but here it works discreetly well) and whistling synth passages. "Secret Kingdoms" is bloody heavy, a bulldozing monster riff that veers nearly into metalloid territory, Keyworth thrashing accurately within the pummeling beat and Luckman slamming hard and fast. Unexpected piano provides only the slightest levity as Stu keeps telling his story with undeniable zeal, especially the gloomy quiet section that would make Peter Nichols fans blush with envy. The tune segues suddenly into the mostly instrumental "? And Secret Worlds" which illustrates the new direction Galahad has taken again, surprising completely with a gorgeous acoustic piano-led performance that is achingly effective, almost classic Queen-like with Stuart's "oohing and aahing" to great effect. Fans of Mercury- May and co. will respond very nicely to this piece as well as to all the material presented here. As if to help me illustrate my comments even better, the next track is called "All in the Name of Progress" and blasts out a whoppingly immediate mood that winks at recent brash tracks from Empires Never Last and Battle Scars, with Stu spitting his brilliant venom once again, (man, what a great vocalist this dude is?), the leaden riffs fizzle like molten phosphorous and the mind sways accordingly. Roy lets off a searing solo to clash with the wistful electronics and the gentle vocal mid-section. Hard riff blasts and choir mellotron like to engage in sonic sex once again with an orgasmic growl to finish off.

A return of the drop-dead lovely "Guardian Angel" only confirms the immense talent and progressive vision expressed by the boys, utterly balancing the listening pleasure with architecturally sound peaks and expertly placed valleys. The track is melodic, melancholic and grandiose prog of the finest caliber.

The band has continued on its policy of reviving past epic glories , on Battle Scars they proposed a solid and successful reworking of "Sleepers", here they have decided to resuscitate their early classic "Richelieu's Prayer", a piece I have not been familiar with (only through its legendary status). It holds obviously a special place in the band's heart, a classic Marillionesque piece full of charming simplicity, whimsical Englishness that is truly evident, ornate guitar and fluid piano and an explosion of sound that would make Fish shudder with pride. This is a like a flashback to one's evolution and I commend this kind of "reminiscence" as it puts their current music into even more immediate perspective. A sterling move from musicians who are finally comfortable with their career path.

A towering success, by far Galahad's finest achievement yet and comes highly recommended to fans of harder edged prog , especially those who lament the memory of Queen, as this is pretty energetic and operatic stuff indeed. Galahad has arrived for good as one of the genre's absolute masters.

5 borders of Nirvana .

Welcome to the rave! Prog Rock goes Techno! Sounds scary!

Probably most fans of our beloved genre who haven't had any exposure to Galahad before would after a minute or so remove this album quickly from their CD player or whatever gadget they are using to play their music. The opening does not sound very prog rock, it sounds more like one of those albums by artists whose initials start with DJ.

Those you have been exposed to Galahad know that the band loves to flirt with techno and dance elements. On "Beyond the Realms of Euphoria" those previous relative innocent flirtations seem to be moving into a more serious romantic relationship, or maybe should I say, a more steamy sexual relationship. This is not a romantic album. Galahad have definitely also upped the Metal influences on this album. It is a tour de force through Neo-Prog, Techno, and Metal! And this is where it becomes actually truly progressive.

I don´t want to single out any tracks. This is a superb album from start to finish. It takes Neo-Prog to new progressive levels. I will give a five star rating for being Galahads best release so far and this is a lot to say after such a killer album like "Empires never last".

Just as much as on Battle Scars, and perhaps even more so, Beyond the Realms of Euphoria showcases just how much of an asset keyboardist Dean Baker is to Galahad. This isn't to say that the other band members (including the late Neil Pepper, who would pass away from cancer shortly after the sessions which yielded both albums) don't pull their weight - they're fully present and churning out fairly straight ahead neo-prog performances, with Roy Keyworth in particular serving up some electrifying guitar on this one - but it's Dean's command of different synthesiser and keyboard styles from modern approaches influenced by dance music (!) to more classically neo-prog modes which makes this diverse and intense release from the band worth a listen, even if it's a bit too unfocused to be a keeper.

The TRUE successor to 'Empires never last!'. Just when we thought that the gap of five years had been too much for them to carry on the impetus of 'Empires', they come out with this!

I don't know where 'Battle scars' went wrong. I didn't particularly like it, that I DO know. But as soon as 'Beyond' started it felt RIGHT.

Having seen (and condemned, visually at least) Galahad's 'Live in Poland' DVD, it was obvious to see the kind of 'trance/dance' music that the keyboardist, Dean Baker, had leanings towards. But it enhances Galahad's sound, in my opinion, and is crucial to the best of their work.

But the album isn't just about keyboards. The whole band work really well together to create such a strong sound. It's never contrived.

Quite frankly, this is the best Prog album I've heard in 2012, but I'll only give it 4 stars, because the music isn't QUITE up there at 'Empire's' level, though it's still really good.

Personally, I'm really pleased that 'Galahad' have rebounded with another album in the vein of 'Empires never last.'

One of my top three purchases of 2012, along with Rush's "Clockwork Angels" and Wobbler's "Rites at Dawn" and ahead of Opeth's "Heritage", Astra's "The Black Chord" and the Flower Kings' "Banks of Eden", I almost didn't get to listen to the album through until January 23, 2013. The original copy I got just before my two-week holiday break in December would not play on my computer and I always take a new CD home, throw it on iTunes, and dump it into my iPhone for my listening pleasure during my commute to and from work. The disc played on any CD player and in my car but my computer didn't accept it. I exchanged the disc for another copy but not before taking it with me on a one-day road trip. It was accompanied by four other CDs by artists the Flower Kings, Kaipa, Mystery, and IQ but "Beyond the Realms of Euphoria" hogged the CD player most of the time. I played it through three times before giving "Space Revolver" a chance. On the way back, I played it two more times and then listened to four of the songs a sixth time, and "Richelieu's Prayer 2012" a seventh time. I liked the album that much!

So what does this album have that appeals to my humble tastes so much? Let's see:

Heavy guitars. Check. The guitar sound here is freakin' wonderful to an old metalhead like me. The intro to "Guardian Angel" could have come straight off of a Dream Theater or Fates Warning album. It's heavy with one of those weird time signatures that would make Honda's Asimo trip over itself and short-circuit if it tried to walk to the beat. Some songs tread shamelessly into progressive metal territory in parts, and I was thrilled by the sudden break into speed metal near the end of "All in the Name of Progress", though sadly the machinegun fire riffs didn't last long (and a most out-of-place death growl rumbles menacingly at the conclusion of the song). The only thing missing from this amazing bombastic and heavy distortion is a killer riff like you'd find on an album by Wolfmother or the Sword. Nevertheless, I love it, especially in contrast with all the atmospheric keyboard work.

Atmospheric keyboards. Check. Right from the album's opening I was amazed and delighted by the techno electronica sound. Looking at the cover and listening to the beginning of "Salvation I ? Overture", you'd be perfectly excused for believing that you'd purchased a Euro/electronica techno dance album. Actually, I am not a fan of this style of music but I do like the electronic sounds, and on this album here in minimal doses and backed by more traditional neo-prog keyboards and heavy guitar I gladly welcome it in my ears. And how about those traditional neo-prog synthesizers? There are wonderful atmospheric sections, spacy journeys, beautiful passages both modern and classically influenced. There are times when only the keyboards carry the music or they are supported by bass and drums but no vocals or guitar. You'd almost think that was a Dean Baker (keyboards) solo album or Galahad featuring Dean Baker. The guy is so darn good at composing and mixing sounds that each solo section is a musical journey.

Classical piano. Check. Mr. Baker proves his ability goes beyond cosmic journeys and techno dance grooves. In songs like "and Secret Kingdoms" and "Richelieu's Prayer 2012" there are some breath-taking classical piano passages, and in the case of "Richelieu's Prayer", electric guitar plays in tandem with the piano to create a kind of Genesisian classical rock music. Incredibly tight and a sheer joy to absorb between the ears.

Great vocals and lyrics. Check. Alright, I admit, I rarely pay much attention to the lyrics but some parts catch my attention and I think they are at least good if not rather usual in a good way. "Richelieu's Prayer 2012" in particular has my attention because, though I know nothing about the song other than it is a re-recording of one of the band's old classics, I surmise that it relates to some social unrest that led to violence and I feel that occurred very near to the homes or hearts of the band. Stuart Nicholson's vocals are wonderfully smooth and effective at conveying the moods of the lyrics and music. Sometimes the singing reminds me a bit of IQ or Pallas but Nicholson manages to stand apart from his peers to his credit. Once again, the impassioned vocals of "Richelieu's Prayer 2012" really touch a chord with me, though Nicholson's good throughout the album.

Multi-part songs. Check. The songs average between 7 and 8 minutes in length and although there's a commonality they all share (heavy guitars, techno synth or classical piano, atmospheric instrumentals, etc.) each song stands apart from the others in composition. The thing I love most here on this album is that you never know which way a song will turn as it runs its course. Take for example "and Secret Kingdoms". Here are the notes I prepared for this review: "Classical piano intro. Such a keyboardist! Reminds me of Renaissance. Vocalese oohs and ahhs to piano. Heavy guitar rock band over piano. Bass solo section and piano joins. Classical piano with bass. Next dramatic rock. Begins to sound a bit like Pallas from "XXV". Heavy rock and classical piano. Great stuff! Vocals return. 'Secret Worlds' reprise. Perhaps first real guitar solo, melodic. Music fades leaving only piano to finish the song." Each song is like a musical journey but one that takes you back home again. The songs tend to wind up near their beginnings, unlike many songs by, say, the Flower Kings which I feel are more like musical migrations that leave you in a different place than you began.

Repeat Plays. Check. About five of the eight tracks get repeat plays apart from the album in my listening devices but much of the time I just let the album play all the way through. I did the same with "Clockwork Angels" frequently. Usually, I pick out a few songs that I really enjoy and listen mostly to those. But with "BtRoE" I am content to and even desirous of listening to the album from start to finish.

In some ways, I can hear that Galahad come from the same musical mould as IQ, Pallas, and Pendragon, but at least on this album ? my first Galahad purchase ? the band has defined their differences from their neo-prog peers. Regarding the techno sound in their music, reading reviews of older albums it seems that this addition came with the boarding of Dean Baker on the Galahad train, and this sound is something that the other class of the 80's neo-prog bands don't have. Sometimes after listening to this album I feel like listening to IQ's "Frequency". But then "Beyond the Realms of Euphoria" ends up getting played again.

I understand that 5 stars is a very generous rating but 4 stars just seems too low and there's no 4.5 option. In any case, 4.5 seems too low too. How about 93/100? Five stars.

I'd never heard any music from Galahad until this year. Though this album mostly reminds me of IQ's 2009 Frequency, I have to admit that the music here surprised me quite a bit: especially the presence of modern dance/house music and other 'tricks' from the world of electronica (on the opener, "Salvation 1: Overture" [4:11] [8/10], the album's IQ-like 'epic,' "Guardian Angel" [10:31] [9/10], and "All in the Name of Progress" [7:14] [7/10]); I'm often feeling that I'm listening to a heavier version of the PET SHOP BOYS or the THE. The chameleonic voice of singer Stuart Nicholson sounds so familiar. At times I'm reminded of the lead singer from IQ's 2009 Frequency, Peter Nicholls ("Salvation II: Judgment Day" and "Guardian Angel"), at other times I hear Guy Manning ("All in the Name of Progress"), and still others I hear FISH ("Richlieu's Prayer 2012"), and others like 80s rocker DAVID COVERDALE from WHITESNAKE (on the RUSH-meets-GARY NUMAN-like "Secret Kingdoms ..." [5:31] [7/10]), and even sometimes BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's Eric Bloom. The attempts to imbue the album with some feel of classical music is to my ears quite false and misleading as the piano pieces to which others must be referring are quite simple and straightforward--almost as if accompaniments to marches and other processional pieces; the intros on the last three songs aren't quite what I had in mind when I heard other reviewers mention the "classical influences" on this album. The time signatures here for the greater part also feel quite simple and straightforward. And the use of sounds and instruments from the realm of "heavy prog" sound quite straightforward as lifts from classic rock songs and stylings from the 1980s. I am impressed with the band's ability to gather, draw and synthesize sounds and elements from many diverse origins in rock/music history. However, I think that the smoothness with which they blend these styles and sounds can be improved upon.

Nice work that most proggers will enjoy--especially if you've a predisposition to Neo-prog.

3.5 stars rated up for its creative surprises.

I find myself very surprised by this most excellent album. I have tried to listen to both BATTLE SCARS and EMPIRES NEVER LAST, but they did not hit me with the same force as BEYOND THE REALMS OF EUPHORIA. I get the "Pet Shop Boys" comments, but you know what? I don't care! I love this and have been playing it over and over since I got it last month. There is not a poor moment on the entire disc and the first 4 tunes that basically run together are pure bliss. I guess it is hard to say why it is prog- but it just IS! Great vocals, great lyrics, great playing...I much prefer this kind of neo-prog to that which reminds me too much of Marillion or other bands. Along with PASSION by Pendragon, this is the best Neo-Prog of the last 5 years. My opinion, of course. If you like bombastic music and loud/quiet/loud melodies this is it. 5 stars. Best album of 2012 along with Big Big Train's ENGLISH ELECTRIC.

I've seen many reviews for this album, and I generally agree with the others: This album is one of Galahad's finest. 2012 saw Galahad busily releasing two albums among other things, Battle Scars being the other release. Both albums represent the best that Galahad has to offer.

The performances on Beyond the Realms of Euphoria are top-notch. They used a very synthetic approach here; but piano, awesome drums, interesting bass lines, and excellent guitar work are also prevalent. The vocals, as always, are outstanding: One of my favorite singers in Neo-Prog (or Modern Prog Rock, as they like to be called). So, the album has some very catchy tunes, some very proggy ones, and all of them are well executed.

However, I do take issue with this album. The philosophy, concepts, and lyrical content of an album mean just as much to me as the music itself. I don't feel connected to an album until I have reaped the philosophical harvest that an album has to offer. So, I loved Battle Scars especially for its wonderful themes of condemning inhumane activity to humans, emotionally scarring other people, and so on. I felt it was quite appropriate. Beyond the Realms of Euphoria, however, contains a philosophy that does not quite match up with their last effort. I don't want to explore this too much, but let's just say that "Believe in your own bloody, beating heart" doesn't quite jive with their message against arrogance in Battle Scars. Why would I place all my faith in something so fragile and prone to error? The album only spirals out of logical control from there. The philosophy in Beyond the Realms of Euphoria is faulty and fallacious at best. Because of these conceptual problems, my mind cannot give this album anymore than a 4/5, though this still represents a great album.

Prog metal and techno/trance don't work really. Despite the good intentions of the band to create something of new in this subgenre this album don't work for me. It's not enough to add some new acid synth effect or phased electronic drum to create a masterpiece. Some song have an industrial EBM feeling in the vein of Absurd Minds or the much commercial Marylin Manson, but despite these bands the singer is grundge oriented with weak teatrical moments.

The big problem is that all the songs and above all the longer epic tracks doesn't flow naturally, leaving the listener disoriented and frustated. There aren't any solo to remember because the guitar is busy to create noise. Sometime there are good keyboards and mellow passage with good and symphonic melodies, and the singer sing well in the much melancholic moments like in the "Richelieu's Prayer 2012" but these aren't so frequent, so i should give to this just 2 stars. Recomend just to fans of Marylin Manson or industrial metal that would try something to different

Trance Dance my a......s!

If you thought that anyone could play good, forget amazing, electronic Trance Dance, well you are in for the truth. NO!, not everyone is capable of composing under those specific conditions and aesthetics. As always, after a super cliched, by now "Trance/Dance" intro, which was used for the first time by the great YELLO, from there rain has fallen.

The main problem for Galahad is not having sunk their teeth, in the depths of this "style". They play only on the surface of the style and their "melodic lines" are more suitable for the 80's innocent and pretty dance songs, like the first "new-romantics", than to the elegant frantic electronics of Underworld's or YELLO's real Trance/Dance/ music. SO, must of the times they end up sounding DISCO more than Trance, and by the way, not even Zappa, himself, could come up with a decent Disco song, jokingly or not.

Therefore, it is difficult to "digest" the fact that this is the "concept" of the album. Even though it is full of "hard electric guitar chords", they really do not work much beyond the mere "WE ARE A METAL BAND!", than to the music itself. ...Around track 4,, they return to their formal language, in a kind of an "euphoric anthem", (which will repeat itself in the closing track), full of electric guitar pirouttes and smashing drums and the never missing, prayer like voice. Track 5 returns again to the mix of "dance music with metal electric guitar chords", but the voice, I insist is more suitable for the 80'S soft music, which by now, is even more outdated and cliched, than "Disco" music itself.

So, I guess I got to a bad start with Galahad's " Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria", it goes beyond a lot of things (cliches,repetitions), but not Euphoria. Even the piano ballads, tend to repeat themselves and are really not that original, although nice (track 7). But on the other hand, they simply lack the "vitamins" and roots, to play real and intelligent, forget original, good Trance/Rock Electronics.

2.5 PA stars

Galahad is a case of a very late bloomer, even in comparison with other prog bands that usually take an album or two to find their groove. With Beyond the Realms of Euphoria - second album in a year, no less - Galahad continue to delve into metal and electronics sounds they began adding to their neo-prog foundation recently. Galahad retain the ability to write supremely melodic neo-proggish lines that get stuck in your head for days, be them slow or fast, but there are also parts here that are fully electronic or are full-on metallic assault. And it doesn't always work, as is the case with the techno-ish second part to Guardian Angel that doesn't know when and how to end, or the surprise growling at the very end of All in the name of progress, after an interesting broken rhythm pattern. As in their previous album, they choose to modernize an epic classic of theirs. This time, Richelieu's Prayer, which originally was a whimsical piano ballad with a powerful Pink Floydian solo at end, and basically they made it more metallic and forceful-sounding.

Review Nº 375

"Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" is the tenth studio album of Galahad and was released in 2012. As happened with their previous two studio albums, their eighth and ninth studio albums "Empires Never Last" and "Battle Scars", respectively, Galahad invited once more Karl Groom, the guitarist of Threshold to produce this new album from them.

"Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" is, unfortunately, the last studio album on which their bass player Neil Pepper participates, because he sadly passed way in September 2011, after loosing his battle with a cancer. Neil Pepper was the bass player of Galahad between 1992 and 2002 and between 2009 and 2011. He was substituted, in 2012 by the new bass player Mark Spencer. So, the line up of "Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" is "Stuart Nicholson (vocals), Roy Keyworth (guitars), Dean Baker (keyboards), Neil Pepper (bass) and Spencer Luckman (drums).

"Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" has eight tracks. The first track "Salvation I ? Overture" is a great and bright track to open the album. It's a very powerful instrumental song with a less symphonic approach being essentially an electronic track with some heavy guitar performance. It works very well because it seems to be a kind of a curtain to what is to come next. The second track "Salvation II ?Judgement Day" is another extremely powerful track with a truly amazing work by all band's members. It's a song full of countless changes of tempo and instrumental passages, contributing in the end to an immense final sound. This is a track where Nicholson provides his very own trademark contribution and that in some moments his voice reminds me the voice of Peter Nicholls of IQ. The third track "Guardian Angel" continues the general riveting and very powerful mood of the album. This is basically a neo- prog song with some solid heavy metal guitar sound magnificently headed by an excellent and unique keyboard work and with a very frantic and pulse rhythm. This is a perfect example how we can use the modern applications on the music and how it can work so well and result perfectly in creating a new sound of a band. The fourth track "Secret Kingdoms?" is another extremely powerful track, but this time it's a very heavy track that enters, in some moments, in the progressive metal music. It has a massive guitar work and a very impressive keyboard performance. We are in presence of an astonishing track where the guitar and the keyboards make a perfect and balanced harmony with Nicholson's voice very well seconded by the bass work and the drum machine performance. The fifth track "?And Secret Worlds" is another great song with a truly completely surprisingly intro led classical piano performance that shows clearly the new direction of Galahad's music. The track is build around the guitar and the piano running parallel lines through all the entire melody. Like Tszirmay, I can also see some presence of Brian May and Freddie Mercury of Queen on the track, especially the piano and the guitar parts. The sixth track "All In The Name Of Progress" is another very powerful and frenetic track with a truly amazing and brilliant vocal performance of Nicholson. It's a very aggressive song with Keyworth riffing with his guitar in the true Brian May's old tradition style and where we can even heard Nicholson growling like a wolf towards the end of the song in the dead metal style. The seventh track "Guardian Angel ? Reprise" is very melodic and grandiose like the entire album. Baker's flowing piano and church organ, angelic chorus and the tender voice of Nicholson take the track to a continuous and growing ethereal musical level. It represents the return of the previous track and it brings the album to a gentle and beautiful conclusion. The eighth and last track "Richelieu's Prayer 2012" is a CD version bonus of an original track from the band. It represents a revisit of a song originally released on their debut studio album "Nothing Is Written". As happened with their previous studio album "Battle Scars", the band has continued on its policy of reviving their past epic tracks. Like "Sleepers" of that album, this is a more powerful and heavier version of the original song in the same line of their new sound. This is a great version, more modern and fresh, that sounds better than ever.

Conclusion: With "Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria", Galahad continues their very own and solid path adding truly new pages into the neo-prog sub-genre. With this studio album, Galahad consolidated their new neo-prog musical approach, proving, that in this moment, they're probably one of the most prog band of that sub-genre. If with "Empires Never Last" and "Battle Scars" we could clearly see the change of the progressivity of the group, with "Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" the band consolidated definitely their new style and showed that Galahad is a band that we need to count in the next future. "Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" is, in my humble opinion, a perfect album without weak points. It's definitely more balanced and cohesive than "Battle Scars", and it's, for me, the natural and great successor of "Empires Never Last", despite it has never reached the brilliance of that album, and became as one of the essential prog pieces, nowadays. So, "Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria" remains, for me, as a very fine studio piece of music.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)