{"id":25194,"date":"2017-12-29T08:57:28","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T13:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/?p=25194"},"modified":"2017-12-29T09:23:53","modified_gmt":"2017-12-29T14:23:53","slug":"galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/","title":{"rendered":"GALACTIC COWBOYS: Long Way Back to the Moon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

When your debut album is the greatest album in the entire universe ever to be released, it’s hard to top your own output. The two-album “Geffen Records era” for this almost famous band<\/a>\u00a0came to an abrupt end after its sophomore album, Space in Your Face<\/em>, was released and guitarist Dane Sonnier departed. Fast forward the “Metal Blade era” of four full-length albums, one EP, a band break-up and a handful of reunion shows, and here we are with a reunited Galactic Cowboys with all the original members \u2014 Sonnier, vocalist Ben Huggins, bassist Monty Colvin and drummer Alan Doss.<\/p>\n

The most obvious difference in sound is how similar the guitar tones are to those first two albums. Props to Wally Farkas, who stepped in after Sonnier’s departure and filled the void flawlessly during those Metal Blade days. He kept this Machine Fish<\/em> moving during a time where the loss of its founding manager, Sam Taylor, forced the band to create on its own. While adding a touch of alternative spice to its mix, they still delivered that Texas brisket metal with all that saucy vocal harmony they became known for. In spite of limited commercial success, their musical output stayed great, along with their live show.<\/p>\n

Each album teeter-tottered across a dynamic spectrum of tight, furious, speedy and crunchy metal (“Feel the Rage,” “Tilt-A-Whirl,” “Media Slant” and “Psychotic Companion”), the off-kilter melodic gems (“Ants,” “Hey Mr.” “Evil Twin” and “How Does it Feel?”) and the lilting balladry of love songs (“Easy to Love,” “Arrow,” “Mona Lisa” and “Life and Times,” just to name a few). Always inventive, fresh, current yet totally unique.<\/p>\n

It’s good to have this band of songwriters, jammers and harmonizing singers back \u2014 and thank the good Lord that this reunion album doesn’t suck! In fact, it’s a fantastic return to the supreme high quality standard that they themselves invented.<\/p>\n

Back to the guitar tones… It’s a much sought-after thing when a guitar player can create his or her own signature tone. While Sonnier’s playing isn’t exactly recognizable after a few bent notes (like Schenker, Vaughan, Hendrix, Van Halen or Gilmour), it’s got that wetter, more drenched sonic fullness from the first two Galactic Cowboys albums that the rest of the catalog subtly missed. Gotta hand it to him, he makes his mates sound even better.<\/p>\n

Sonically, the band jumps around like always, flirting with ratta-tatta-riffs (“Zombies<\/a>,” “Internal Masquerade<\/a>” and “Hate Me”), the swirling bass lines of “Next Joke,” Colvin’s occasional lead vocal (the title track) and the quirky heaviness of “Blood in my Eyes” and “Agenda.” Galactic Cowboys are right at home. Imagine Faith No More trying to blend in on a bill with Metallica and Anthrax. Throw in the sweeping “AmIsAreWas” and the slower, building feel of the lead-off track, “In the Clouds” and you have one great metallic smorgasbord.<\/p>\n

The album highlight could be the build-up of “Drama,” which gives way to a wall of infectious harmony vocals. Hell, this band could probably make singing the phone book sound awesome.<\/p>\n

Lyrically, the band delves into the darkness of the human condition.\u00a0“Internal Masquerade<\/a>” confesses:<\/p>\n

I’m your fear from deep inside
\nI’m the hate that you can’t hide
\nI’m the demons that comprise your very soul
\nI’m the rose amongst the thorns
\nI’m the angel with the horns
\nI’m the deeper darker side of you<\/p>\n

Internal masquerade \u2014 eternal disarray
\nIt’s eating up my heart today
\nInternal masquerade \u2014 as we drown in the decay
\nIt’s eating up my heart today<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Blood in my Eyes” seems to further wallow in that Pauline dissonance written two centuries ago about not doing what I want to do and doing the things I do not want:<\/p>\n

“Fight! Fighting the same fight
\nFight! Losing the same fight<\/p>\n

Drowning in the rain of my bloodshot eyes
\nFrom the things I despise
\nBlinded by the light in the deep blue sky
\nand the blood in my eyes<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But they also wax more hopeful in spite of discrepancies around them in “AmIsAreWas” (capitalization mine):<\/p>\n

Where is the treasury of knowledge
\nOf reason
\nOf life and ideas?
\nSome start in the now
\nRejecting the past
\nBelieving unshakably in things that don’t last
\nIn things that don’t last<\/p>\n

Am is, are was
\nAll that has been done
\nBe been, being
\nAll that’s yet to come
\nThy will be done<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These older and wiser men vent their anger a little bit about doctrines and attitudes they’ve seen. “Hate Me” jabs back at those that judge them:<\/p>\n

Chocolate covered Christians passing by
\nDingy stained glass window sacrifice
\nParalyzed saccharin smiles
\nSlits for eyes<\/p>\n

Turning heads closing eyes
\nBut I will deny
\nI will deny you<\/p>\n

Come on and hate me
\nCome on and hate me, come on hate me
\nCome on and hate me
\nCome on and hate me. Get in line!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Next Joke” takes aim at the idea that all our dreams are possible if we just believe:<\/p>\n

If you believe in something hard enough
\nFeel it deep within like it was meant to be
\nSeal it on my heart and block out all the negativity<\/p>\n

The sky is the limit when you put your mind to it
\nYou can be anything you want
\nwhen you wish on a star you can have anything
\nYou can have anything you want
\nNext joke!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ultimately, the band doesn’t seem to take themselves too seriously, as “Believing the Hype” seems to imply that they drank their own Kool-Aid:<\/p>\n

“Tell your friends
\nIt’s happening again
\nThey’re the greatest band you’ve never heard<\/p>\n

So obscure
\nWhen they come to your town
\nNo one ever seems to get the word<\/p>\n

So underrated you’re overrated, yeah!
\nNow you’re a sucker believing the hype<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Don’t believe their words, though. Give ’em a listen yourself. You might just find one of the finest albums of this past year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When your debut album is the greatest album in the entire universe ever to be released, it’s hard to top your own output. The two-album “Geffen Records era” for this almost famous band\u00a0came to an abrupt end after its sophomore album, Space in Your Face, was released and guitarist Dane Sonnier departed. Fast forward the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":25198,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[4068,4071,4072,938,1193,4070,1741,1995,2567,2647,4073,2991,4069],"class_list":["post-25194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-andy-langer","tag-bbq","tag-brisket","tag-doug-van-pelt","tag-galactic-cowboys","tag-houston","tag-kings-x","tag-metal","tag-rock","tag-sam-taylor","tag-southern-quartets","tag-texas","tag-texas-monthly","cat-17-id"],"yoast_head":"\nGALACTIC COWBOYS: Long Way Back to the Moon - The Original Heaven's Metal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Doug Van Pelt\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/\",\"name\":\"GALACTIC COWBOYS: Long Way Back to the Moon - The Original Heaven's Metal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/longwaybacktothemoon.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-12-29T13:57:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-12-29T14:23:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/#\/schema\/person\/b155afeb7086c8182b3bb3b435e68c4b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/longwaybacktothemoon.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/longwaybacktothemoon.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":400},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/galactic-cowboys-long-way-back-moon\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"GALACTIC COWBOYS: Long Way Back to the Moon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hmmagazine.com\/dvanpelt\/\",\"name\":\"The Original Heaven's Metal\",\"description\":\"Former Editor-in-Chief. 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