| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: Galactic Cowboys |
| Record Label: Music Theories Recordings | Country Of Origin: Mars |
| Year Released: 2017 | Artist Website: Galactic Cowboys |
| Tracks: 13 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 61:31 |
No matter what sort of hard music enthusiast you are, some names you just know by instinct. Such as Galactic Cowboys, a moniker evoking images of a band that owns a ‘ranch on mars’ and is willing to ‘pump up the space suite’ in order to put ‘space in your face’ while suggesting it is a ‘long way back to the moon’. All song and album titles aside, the iconic Houston, Texas based act returns in the fall of 2017 following a seventeen-year hiatus with its seventh full length album in Long Way Back To The Moon, a work that challenges debut full length Galactic Cowboys (1991) and sophomore effort Space In Your Face (1993) as perhaps its finest ever. Key component is how similar to said first two albums, Long Way Back To The Moon features the classic Galactic Cowboys line up of vocalist Ben Huggins, guitarist Dane Sonnier, bassist Monty Colvin and drummer Alan Doss.
Style classification as it pertains to this interstellar quartet proves problematic from how it not only consolidates so my diverse hard music forms but also forms that you rarely if ever see consolidated in the first place. Does this make sense? Then consider how Long Way Back To The Moon draws upon the progressiveness to the self-titled debut and joining of the melodic and thrash like to Space In Your Face while occasionally touching upon modern nuances to albums that followed such as The Horse That Bud Bought (1997) and At The End Of The Day (1998). All the while Galactic Cowboys maintains its affinity for four part Beatles-esque style vocal harmonies.
Critics, of course, went to great creative lengths back in the day when it came to pigeonholing the group in terms of its contrasting conglomeration of marked heaviness and conspicuous melody. One reviewer, for instance, suggested Galactic Cowboys influences are ‘diverse from one another as The Beatles are from Metallica’, while another even described the group as ‘The Partridge Family on acid’. While that might go a bit too far in my book, the happier medium was realized (in my opinion) in the reviewer that defined the Galactic Cowboys sound as ‘King’s X meets Metallica’ or better yet the one which asked the following question: ‘Why did Metallica cross the Abbey Road? So it could sound like the Galactic Cowboys!’
Lead off track “In The Clouds” was the first Galactic Cowboys song written in 1989 following the demise of The Awful Truth, an eclectic melodic progressive rock act to also feature Colvin and Doss. True to form, the song mirrors a similar level of progressiveness in light of its fluctuations, including moments that speak of full on metal in which mid-paced guitars compel and others that reflect the light and buoyant to find precious melody rise to the forefront. The groups instrumental proclivity helps take the song out to seven full minutes. In the end, put this one on the self-titled debut and it would sound right at home.
“Internal Masquerade” ups energy levels to conceive the more accessible sound. With its infectious up-tempo allure, the song reeks of the radio friendly (in a positive sense) in playing up a catchy ‘internal masquerade - eternal disarray. It’s eating up my heart today’ refrain, and tightly woven modern guitar tones. Two songs in and it becomes apparent that Ben Huggins has not lost anything in terms of his signature middle ranged and gritty emotionally expansive vocal style.
“Blood In My eyes” delivers big doses of down tuned bass driven groove, courtesy of Monty Colvin, and joins it with equal portions of the signature Galactic Cowboys four part vocal harmonies, creating said ‘Beatles-isque’ effect. Thickly woven guitar riffs not to mention the accenting resonance of lucent Hammond B3 in the backend further expand upon the eclectic feel. If this is not classic Galactic Cowboys then I do not know what it.
The cynical “Next Joke” ups tempo to the next level with its clamoring ambience. This one rates alongside albums heavier cuts, with its metal assaulting guitar mentality and matching pronounced aggression revealed from how the fitting refrain shouts ‘next joke!’ Dane Sonnier steps forward with a fitting stretch of bluesy lead guitar.
“Zombies” ups angst even further with its darker if not chaotic flair. Opening to a distorted bass solo, “Zombies” takes off at once to a borderline thrash heavy tempo with the trampling guitars to match, but at a moments notice can break out in melodic fashion as the groups signature vocal melodies enliven the exultant refrain. With its joining of the tumultuous and radiant, this one has Space In Your Face written all over it.
“Drama” takes the more tempered and reserved tone, at least in comparison to the two barnburners preceding it. The song revels in melodic hard rock underpinnings, guitars make their presence felt but not in a metal sort of way, with the upshot some accessible (do I dare say pop based?) aspects rising to the forefront. Angelic choirs carry the flowing refrain.
I identify with “Amisarewas” as one of the groups most inspired tracks. The song carries over the laid-back flavorings but in a compact mid-paced form, embodying a classic ballad feel - emotion is full on high - but not backing from the groups muscular overtures either (guitars range from light and even to darker hard rocking to modern tinged). One of my favorite sides to “Amisarewas” is the psychedelic feel to the jam based instrumental breakdown.
“Hate Me” returns the album to a heavier thrash based bearing. Short but succinct at three minutes, the song delivers a mega wallop crunch in terms of tempo and backs it with the assailing timekeeping assault of Alan Doss. Overall feel is somewhat similar to “Zombies” but not quite with the same level of melody but still good all the same.
“Losing Ourselves” plays up a mid-paced resonance as the second solid albeit not great cut in a row. The song proves incisive in form, as can be found in the at times taunting spoken word and others sarcastically gritty vocal approach to Huggins. Perfectly in step churning guitar harmonies and withering bass round things out.
Maintaining the mid-paced leanings is “Agenda”, a smoothly flowing cut in which the group’s layered vocal melodies and outbursts of modern style guitars play undisguised roles. Instrumentally, rhythm guitars lead the way until a brief stretch of fluid soloing. Overall feel is straightforward and basic but not simplistic.
Album closes to the six-minute progressiveness of its title track. “Long Way Back To The Moon” hints of an atmospheric presence, with guitars touching upon bluesy tinctures and a laid back bass driven groove manifesting to create a distinguished effect. Stunning melody serves to tie the loose ends together of what amounts one of this reviewers choice cuts.
But wait… there is more in the form of two bonus tracks, “Believing The Hype” and “Say Goodbye To Utopia”. Unlike many ‘bonus’ tracks, the two are solid album quality cuts, albeit I hesitate to place them alongside the Long Way Back To The Moon best. Former is a staunch hard rocker with a heavy hitting refrain and distorted guitar solo, while latter takes a more melodic King’s X type heading highlighting flowing vocal melodies and an outside the box instrumental breakdown. Yes, the two could not be more different from one another, but each brings a subtle catchiness all the same.
Whereas I hesitate to label Galactic Cowboys a Christian band, a band of Christians might be the more accurate designation. Consider, for instance, how during an interview back in the day the band reinforced that, ‘We’re artists. We’re musicians. We’re not preachers. We write about things on our minds. We have a responsibility to be creative and be artists, but were not going to put Jesus in there just so we can please a certain crowd or serve one particular audience. If we do, it’s going to be because the song calls for it’. Hence, the artists creating art mentality to Long Way Back To The Moon lyrics. It begins with “Zombies”, a tongue-in-cheek expose on finding love on the last day of human existence:
Fighting zombies day and night
And one day you caught my eye
Together we’ll survive
Even for just one night
It all makes sense to me now
That I would find the perfect one
It all makes sense to me
That I would find you
On the last day of the world
“Next Joke” speaks of unrealistic expectations that set us up for failure:
If I believe
In something hard enough
Feel it deep within
Like it was meant to be
Seal it on my heart
And blocked out all the negativity
The sky is the limit
When you put your mind to it
You can be anything you want
Next joke!
When you wish on a star
You can have anything
You can have anything you want
Next joke!
“Internal Masquerade” examines the turmoil endemic to the human experience and the difficulties keeping self-generated darkness at bay:
I’m the warning that you heed
I’m the lie that you believe
I’m the monster you unleash in your very soul
I’m the fire in your eyes
I’m the hope that slowly dies
I’m the deeper darker side of you
Internal masquerade
Eternal disarray
It’s eating up my heart today
Internal masquerade
As we drown in the decay
It’s eating up my heart today
“Blood In My Eyes” explores similar themes:
Drowning in the rain of my bloodshot eyes
From the things I despise
Blinded by the light in the deep blue sky
And the blood in my eyes
Futility
Crushing me
Praying for stability
Disunity
Surrounding me
Numbing and confounding me
Galactic Cowboys comeback album Long Way Back To The Moon adds up to many things - progressive, modern, metal, thrash, hard rock, melodic, etc - in drawing upon the groups extensive back catalog. Fans of the early Galactic Cowboys releases certainly will find a lot to like in the new material, while those that trend towards the latter are not going to feel left out either. The unique qualities that separate Galactic Cowboys stand out in the process in terms of the four part vocal harmonies and pronounced (sometimes thrash like) heaviness. Hence, in a hard music scene in which veteran acts can struggle to maintain (or recapture) their prime form, Galactic Cowboys goes against the grain with the creative inspiration that is Long Way Back To The Moon. I like to think of the album as accordingly opening to seven of its best cuts only to hit a lull with “Hate Me”, “Losing Ourselves” and “Agenda” (good but not quite great cuts in my opinion) but regain its momentum with its closing title track. Unlike some, bonus cuts are a bonus. Let’s hope it is not several decades until we hear from Galactic Cowboys again!
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “In The Clouds” (6:52), “Internal Masquerade” (3:18), “Blood In My Eyes” (3:40), “Next Joke” (4:15), “Zombies” (4:12), “Drama” (4:50), “Amisarewas” (6:16), “Hate Me” (3:11), “Losing Ourselves” (4:12), “Agenda” (4:31), “Long Way Back To The Moon” (5:45), “Believing The Hype” (4:05), “Say Goodbye To Utopia” (5:19)
Musicians
Ben Huggins - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Dane Sonnier - Guitars
Monty Colvin - Bass
Alan Doss - Drums
