The Dream Syndicate Medicine Show 40° Anniversary Expanded

It is safe to say that the end of the Nineties and into the Millenium was a trying time for Galahad. From the middle of 1992 until 1998 they had kept the same line-up, but in 1998 not only did they have to find a new keyboard player but also Roy Keyworth had left. Given that Roy was the only original member apart from Stu, this was quite a shock to everyone involved with the band. Luckily Roy returned the following year, and with new keyboard player Dean Baker on board they started work on ‘Year Zero’. Galahad have never been afraid of pushing boundaries, and had released albums as Galahad Acoustic Quintet and Galahad Electric Company, but here they stayed much more within the prog field but definitely changed their approach…

At the beginning of 2010, Medicine Show No. 1: Before the Verdict kicked off what was planned to be a monthly 12-volume series from the underground hip-hop producer. Volumes were themed, with reggae, Brazilian pop, jazz, marijuana dispensaries, and rapper Guilty Simpson all figuring into the mix. With only a few delays, the series wrapped up in 2012, with a "secret" No. 13 also seeing release that same year. The Brick collects it all with simple shrink-wrap and no bonuses to speak of, and while the revered Madlib draws the kinds of fans who would have pre-booked every release ahead of time, latecomers get an easy pickup and instant karma overflow when it comes to coolness. Dive in or keep out, but if you like edgy, dense hip-hop productions that billow out of the speakers like the best Indo smoke you've ever exhaled, best to dive in.

"Year Zero" is a well crafted album although very much in the vein of their earlier work does add the fresh mellotron of Dean Baker. "Year Zero" is an exceptionally well recorded album with the mixing, the mastering sounding incredible… likely GALAHAD's best sounding album yet. As usual GALAHAD deliver an album although very much rooted in the classic prog vein draw on modern modal aspects. John Wetton (ASIA - KING CRIMSON) guests on this album and mixes very well against Stu Nicholson's angelic vocals.