Shadow Gallery christian???
I am going to have to delve in deeper to their stuff, maybe give me another reason to go to Progpower next year.
Yeah, that surprised me, too. Can someone knowledgeable speak to that?
I do some occasional promotional work for Shadow Gallery and as such have spoken with all band members in person. Does that make me knowledgeable? You decide
.
Here's the Progpower promo I did for them:
Most of the conversation has been with Carl Cadden-James (the main lyricist and the "mastermind" behind the whole Shadow Gallery concept), Gary Wehrkamp (a multi-instrumental genius) and Brendt Allman (main guitar player and together with Gary responsible for the music itself). I know many artists like the music to speak for itself, without people or the press sticking a label on them. Shadow Gallery is such a band and likes each of its listeners to make up their own mind about what they are saying. Having said that, I do want to try to give some insight, since there seems to be some confusion about the band around here.
I know where these guys stand spiritually and this very much is reflected in their songs. It may not be as "in the open" as say a band like Stryper (although, the song "Venom" (about spiritual warfare) from their latest album is pretty straight forward: "
The end of days you're all alone, when Jesus mighty from his throne drowns you in Venom"), but it actually is the underlying theme for most anything they've written.
Take their best known song "Crystalline Dream" from 1995's "Carved In Stone" for instance. Besides having a very positive vibe, it deals with Jesus gathering together his Bride from the earth and taking those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life to the magnificent place He prepared for us: "
No time or space here, I walk in castles of gold, our love turns into a crystalline dream." It contains lots of other prophetic imagery: "
rumors of wars rage in your heart now", "
carved in the great Book of Life", "
I speak with my mind". The refrain expresses the greatest yearning of all: "
Come down with fire, I want to love You want to take You into my heart. We'll cruise the starways and from the moment that we touch our love turns into a crystalline dream.
Here's the video I made for this song:
The next song on the album "Don't every cry, just remember" describes the fall of Mystery Babylon, the sudden destruction, and again, the taking away of the Church as depicted in the book of Revelation: "
In one great moment judgements fallen. Babylon no longer there. Gone are her streets and giant towers, disappeared into thin air.", "
From the moment I was raptured, Babylon had disappeared. I now return here a survivor. The rest have vanished to thin air." And:
"
I know there's just one way
And this is how it has to be
There was poison in our thoughts
And there was hatred in our eyes
Suddenly something came
Something made it right
We purged our hearts and souls
And we saw through children's eyes
Not stifled by the pain
Not blinded by our
Human nature don't you see at all
The wisdom of our suffering
The lies behind our ways
The reasons for the end"
"
So through eternity
The gift of light gets passed along
to those of us who saw
What the rest could never see
Born to a fallen world
Longing for a morning star
Held on high
For me"
The song "I believe" (with James LaBrie) from their magnificent 1998 concept album "Tyranny" clearly states what it is they believe:
"
Long ago a living story
Walked the whole world prophesying
Told of days when the hand of God
Pulls away from the world
All hell starts breaking out
I see it clear
It pounds the cold into your life
It turns to gray what's black and white"
"
The time for final judgement's close at hand
Four horsemen mount on high"
The closing songs on that album speak of our Redeemer ("
the gift of Hope on Christmas Day.") and our Comforter ("
Despite this nasty world I roam, imagine going home. Ghost of a Chance."
The album "Legacy" closes with a 35(!) minute epic track describing a man's journey from this world to the next:
"
I left a dying world behind
On my way only
God can stop the spiral down to hell
The future of our race
I left a poisoned world behind
Now I see only
Heaven's the oasis in the sky
It's my dream"
2005's "Room V" is the sequel to "Tyranny" and closes with the song "Rain", a plea for protection and covering by the Holy Spirit to withstand an ever growing evil threat:
"
Over and over I am witness to the signs
Evils more focused as we near the end of times
Praying so hard that your shelter comes to
cover me
What kind of world is this that
It should come down to this oh
Each day the pressure building
In Biblical proportion
Ive seen extremes from love and war
They both are walking here
And echoing prophetic song"
"
Hold to whats real
Your shelter comes to rain on me"
So, do I think Shadow Gallery is a "Christian band"? No, I
know they are. Not in the stereotypical, pushing-down-your-throat kind of way, but on a more sophisticated or subtle level they show where they stand. I think the lyrics quoted here speak for themselves.
For me, this band has been
the single greatest musical discovery of the last 15 years. There's a certain richness and quality to their music and lyrics not easily found elsewhere nowadays, not to speak of their songwriting skills, impeccable vocal harmonies and instrumental prowess. I guess working in the music industry for a living does pay off:
-Carl's a highly acclaimed audio mixing engineer and co-founded the "Star One" recording studios in Bethlehem, PA. (Btw, did you know one of his clients Will Smith, Sr. makes a cameo in their video for "Gold Dust"?)
-Gary also has his own recording and music teaching studio "New Horizon Music" in Stroudsburg, PA.
-Drummer Joe Nevolo has his own music school as well: "Big Beat Studio" in Neptune City, NJ.
-Singer Brian Ashland also earns a living in the music industry.
The official video with Will Smith's dad:
My take on the same song:
