EMPIRES NEVER LAST

No doubt, this is the strongest GALAHAD album to date. Not just the strongest, it blows away everything they did in the past. Pure energy. I listened to their earlier albums and they are really a mixed lot. Even the popular "Sleepers" had just three or so dicent songs on it (out of eight), the rest is just too week or outright poppish. Not so with "Empires Never Last". It's a blast from beginning to end! How very strange that GALAHAD needed so many years to create such a high-quality output for the first time! Every track is dynamic, with great melodies and beautiful orchestration. Stuart Nicholson no longer copies FISH (which was obvious from a couple of tracks on "Sleepers") and instead uses his powerful vocal resources quite originally. He'll really surprise you with his vigorous voice! The songs tend to be quite heavy, but the heaviness is right to the point; it's very distinct from the aimless DT "wanking". The lyrics are often politically coloured. A couple of tracks even feature excerpts from the famous speech of Martin Luther King and some infamous 'bushisms (I am not joking)! This 'technique' quite innovative - I don't remember similar excerpts in prog music before. The most notable tracks on this album are 'I could be God' (you should absolutely see this song live!), 'Sidewinder', 'Empires never last' and 'This life could be my last'. The latter track is very emotional which does not mean it's ligher or poppier. It just makes you think about the significance of your life, which is one the only. I don't hesitate to predict that 'Empires Never Last' will be one of the best albums in 2007. Highly recommended.