For a post-hardcore band to truly stand out, it’s quite a tall task. Tastemakers and casual listeners alike tend to stick labels on groups or immediately compare them to something they’ve heard before. That’s why when I first listened to Galleons ahead of Metropolis in 2020, something clicked and I knew I was on to something special. Headed up by Valiant Hearts vocalist Tom Byrne, uncleans from Sergey Rodionov, and instruments from Maxim Shepelev and Evgeny Starshinov, the international act followed up Metropolis with an unreal self-titled in 2021 that really saw the scene start to notice this underrated four-piece thanks to legendary vocal features and a throwback sound that longtime fans of the genre haven’t heard in eons. After 3 years, it’s time for Violent Delights to solidify the seminal group and really bring them into the spotlight. How does Galleons’ fourth offering fare?
In a sphere where a 10-track album is the norm, Galleons said “forget that” and has 15 offerings for us on Violent Delights. To expound, 5 singles may seem like overkill, but that tracks as only 1/3 of the record – and drew a lot of ears with features from Craig Owens (Chiodos), Ryo Kinoshita (Knosis, ex-Crystal Lake), and Andrew Wells (Eidola). But Galleons is a band where features are just the cherry on top; new listeners will come to love how Byrne is in a class of his own with his satisfying inflection, massive range, and clever melodies that just resonate so well. Just put on “Yakisoba Dare” and try not to get this infectious opening crammed in your head.
When one thinks of what makes post-hardcore so appealing, some initial thoughts could turn to monumental choruses, bombastic guitar runs, groovy bridges, etc. What goes into Violent Delights is leaps and bounds past the surface-level norm, as Galleons throws everything at the wall and it sticks like superglue. Take opener “You Who Swallowed A Falling Star”, a synth-laden, riff-heavy affair, and juxtapose it with the very next track “Kiss the Sky”, a soaring ballad with a sense of rising action as the album is just getting started. It’s also evident early on that mastering duties from scene veteran Kris Crummett pays dividends in elevating Galleons’ succinct songwriting, bringing punctual guitar chugs, unrelenting double bass kicks, and crystal-clear vocals to the forefront.
While Galleons can take tender, relaxing vocal sections, they’re also not afraid to push their range to the limit on Violent Delights. Case in point, “Vagabond”, my easy favorite, packs a wallop at the same time as it tells a story with its reminiscent lyrics. It’s definitely a case of a song transcending musical notes and instead peeking into the listener’s imagination. Galleons’ flair continues in “Kismet”, dropping my jaw during a swerve tempo-change into an off-beat drum pattern whilst Byrne sings for the stars. This track is a testament to Galleons fragmenting their songs against the grain of “verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-end” and instead opts for a varied, multi-faceted approach.
In an interview I conducted with Byrne in 2020, he shared of Galleons’ future, “We already have about 5-6 decent demos for a fourth album, and we’re once again surprising ourselves with the direction it’s taking”. So even 4 years ago, the seeds for Violent Delights were being planted – and the full realization of each track is astonishing. I can only imagine seemingly random moments like “Blue Lagoon”‘s guitarwork or “Cashmere”‘s melancholic romance theme came to be several years ago. The double-pronged vocal delivery of Byrne’s delicacy and Rodionov’s intensity, both of whom sound considerably more comfortable and defined than earlier Galleons records, makes for a front-to-back singing clinic. And that’s not to say the instruments fall behind – with guitars as the focus in “Russian Roulette” and “The Downtown Dinosaur Gang pt. 3” and off-kilter drums from start to finish, “firing on all cylinders” undercuts just how cohesive Galleons has become.
The obvious question in a 15-track album is, “where’s the filler?” or “are some songs noticeably stronger than others?” These don’t apply to Violent Delights. The songs with vocal features aren’t the best pieces of the pie; tracks like “Lament” and “Violent Delights” stand on their own as the excitement just doesn’t let up at any point – a scalable feat for a record this long. Where Metropolis and Galleons draw soundscapes from some genre staples, Violent Delights is Galleons coming into their own with a definitive uniqueness that isn’t easily emulated. Even if you played the hell out of Violent Delights‘ 5 singles, there’s so much to unearth with this record, and after initial listens, I know I’ll be sticking this into regular rotation throughout the remainder of 2024. As Violent Delights has racked up nearly a million streams on Spotify alone before it’s even out, it’s no hyperbole to say that Galleons is flourishing at long last.
