Galaxy - Runaway Men Review

What would my dear fan consider to be some guilty pleasures when it comes to music? Just wondering that while listening to Galaxy “Runaway Men,” an album that bropugh up the feeling. It seems to me that part of me has always had a prone for the most accessible heavy music. I mean, those songs that are too heavy for the people who sympathize with the poppers but too soft for metalheads. In the middle of this muscal mess are a somewhat various hodgpodge of names and styles. The fact is that Galaxy with “Runaway Men” represents the 1980s Pop Prog Rock with some traces of Metal music – well, especially from the middle of it to the end. This 1980s Pop Prog Rock means very melodic vocals with prominent keyboards, standard drumming and bassing. The guitars, well, the guitars may vary a lot. They may be agressive and full of distortion but hidden inside the keyboards or may be shy and timid hidden by the production. Or even better too melodic in general following the high melodies of the song. However, once in a while a fantastic and punching guitar solo may arise.

As a matter of fact “Runaway Men” has all this and much more. That’s why I said it’s a guilty pleasure. The album is strongly based on the 1980s Pop Prog Rock I aforementioned and that’s why I found it so irresistable. To my dear fan have a notion of what kind of music Galaxy perfome here I’d give as references bands as Foreigner, 1980s Kansas, Survivor, and many others that some people might label as AOR. As usual, grand opening “Answers” is the track that gives the general idea of the band and the album. I said before that “Runaway Men” goes turning more Metal to its end, but, in fact, the mix with Metal music is dosed with higher doses of Metal. For the record, the album bounces sweet Prog Rock melodies with easy and catchy tunes. That’s the general formula. In the middle of all that depending on the mood they go adding more Prog Rock elements or more Metal elements, but always with the more accessible mooding. “Lady of Fire” tells this story perfectly. The guitars are hidden by the production but they may be felt as striking as they can be. The lead guitar phrasing following the chorus is super delicious followed by a short but effective guitar solo.

And there go the guilty pleasures all around “Runaway Men.” Hard to be divided as hell like this. On one side the punchy and agressive side that loves Extreme Metal, on the other the taste for melodious and catchy tunes. And life goes on.

P.S. – Interestingly, while reading the press review I happened to know that “Runaway Men” was recorded 25 years ago and only now it was seeing the bright of day. Wow, too long time.

Galaxy “Runaway Men” was released on May 27th via Shaded Moon Entertainment.

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