- Nov 24, 2002
- 14,136
- 176
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This was really a test for me as a fan. The moment when I have to review an album and unlike all bands dont come with the strongest effort to the date, on any of those catchy phrases for marketing, but with the sad true that a hero has fall from grace.
I started with Shadow Gallery with their debut then Carved In Stone and Tyranny. When I head the latter I knew a major force in prog metal had arrived, I knew Dream Theater was not the marshall in town anymore. I just couldnt stop playing the album for weeks.
So obviously the long delayed Legacy was kind of disappointing trying to start from COS ended but without reaching the same level. All and all have very decent moments not as heavy as its predecessor but neat.
3 years assed and finally the fifth album comes, it comes surrounded by the buzz of being the follow-up to the Tyranny story, talk about big shoes to fill and fail.
Damn, I know you can top your masterwork, no one asked Judas Priest to make AOR another Defenders Of The Faith but they tried to deliver some soul into it. No one could expect Deep Purple making Bananas a better album than Machine Head but is their best since House Of Blue Light.
So obviously I was expecting a lot from Shadow Gallery and I mean a lot, and as fan I got only disappointment. This is not the disappointment of a Metallica fan seeing them selling out, this is not the disappointment of a Dream Theater fan seeing them change bad their sound in Train Of Thought, is the disappointment of a fan seeing a band with all the potential and quality refusing to unleashed in an album and settling for mildness.
Act III
Manhunt: an instrumental intro, nothing close to Stilleto In The Sand and taking some bars from the great Christmas Day, nevertheless may sound promising
Comfort Me: wtf? a ballad as the opener? You have to be shitting me? No they decided to make a soft ballad with a female vox in duet with Mike Baker. But not like the amazing Spoken Words, this is very mild and could have fit in mid album, but not here.
The Andromeda Strain: with that name it starts heavy (like it should) but nothing to slit my wrists to. Yes it does sounds a lot like Shadow Gallery but not their best efforts, and is too mid-tempo and sounds like Dream Theater by moments instead of sound original.
Vow: another ballad. Yes I admit Baker vocals are as good a ever, yes I admit they were great in Queen Of The City Of Ice, but this is not as good, nor original, ergo does not shake you in anyway.
Birth Of A Daughter: another short, soft instrumental.
Death Of A Mother: a darker, faster, heavier instrumental also short.
Lamentia: a very short soft song, kind like a bridge in the history I guess.
Act IV
Seven Seas: another damn soft song. What is this, a fucking St. Valentines Day album? What part of metal is lost in prog metal? Oh another instrumental btw.
Dark: a minute and three seconds of ????
Torn: what do you know? A soft song. If it wasnt because of the unmistakable Mike Baker vocals and some of the well known melodies of the band Ill say this was a hoax. The whole album so far is like a giant mellow trip in front of the fireplace. I can dig it with Lana Lane Winter Sessions, but this is a joke in front of Warcry, War For Sale, Colors or Darktown.
The Archer Of Ben Salem: mid-tempo very prog song, the best of the bunch so far. Reminds a lot of good prog from the 70s, if the whole album would have been like this the rating would have been immensely higher.
Encrypted: another softy (oh my ) by now I should be accustom to it I guess.
Room V: the title song, a more active mid-tempo song. Sounds also like most of the neo-prog bands of today, not a bad thing at all, but not very original either. Its still better than most of the material so far.
Rain: the final shot, a very Shadow Gallery song. Sadly after so much mellowness, this mid-tempo prog tune does not taste as good as could have been.
Verdict: 4/10, mostly for fans like me, but so not rush for it.
I started with Shadow Gallery with their debut then Carved In Stone and Tyranny. When I head the latter I knew a major force in prog metal had arrived, I knew Dream Theater was not the marshall in town anymore. I just couldnt stop playing the album for weeks.
So obviously the long delayed Legacy was kind of disappointing trying to start from COS ended but without reaching the same level. All and all have very decent moments not as heavy as its predecessor but neat.
3 years assed and finally the fifth album comes, it comes surrounded by the buzz of being the follow-up to the Tyranny story, talk about big shoes to fill and fail.
Damn, I know you can top your masterwork, no one asked Judas Priest to make AOR another Defenders Of The Faith but they tried to deliver some soul into it. No one could expect Deep Purple making Bananas a better album than Machine Head but is their best since House Of Blue Light.
So obviously I was expecting a lot from Shadow Gallery and I mean a lot, and as fan I got only disappointment. This is not the disappointment of a Metallica fan seeing them selling out, this is not the disappointment of a Dream Theater fan seeing them change bad their sound in Train Of Thought, is the disappointment of a fan seeing a band with all the potential and quality refusing to unleashed in an album and settling for mildness.
Act III
Manhunt: an instrumental intro, nothing close to Stilleto In The Sand and taking some bars from the great Christmas Day, nevertheless may sound promising
Comfort Me: wtf? a ballad as the opener? You have to be shitting me? No they decided to make a soft ballad with a female vox in duet with Mike Baker. But not like the amazing Spoken Words, this is very mild and could have fit in mid album, but not here.
The Andromeda Strain: with that name it starts heavy (like it should) but nothing to slit my wrists to. Yes it does sounds a lot like Shadow Gallery but not their best efforts, and is too mid-tempo and sounds like Dream Theater by moments instead of sound original.
Vow: another ballad. Yes I admit Baker vocals are as good a ever, yes I admit they were great in Queen Of The City Of Ice, but this is not as good, nor original, ergo does not shake you in anyway.
Birth Of A Daughter: another short, soft instrumental.
Death Of A Mother: a darker, faster, heavier instrumental also short.
Lamentia: a very short soft song, kind like a bridge in the history I guess.
Act IV
Seven Seas: another damn soft song. What is this, a fucking St. Valentines Day album? What part of metal is lost in prog metal? Oh another instrumental btw.
Dark: a minute and three seconds of ????
Torn: what do you know? A soft song. If it wasnt because of the unmistakable Mike Baker vocals and some of the well known melodies of the band Ill say this was a hoax. The whole album so far is like a giant mellow trip in front of the fireplace. I can dig it with Lana Lane Winter Sessions, but this is a joke in front of Warcry, War For Sale, Colors or Darktown.
The Archer Of Ben Salem: mid-tempo very prog song, the best of the bunch so far. Reminds a lot of good prog from the 70s, if the whole album would have been like this the rating would have been immensely higher.
Encrypted: another softy (oh my ) by now I should be accustom to it I guess.
Room V: the title song, a more active mid-tempo song. Sounds also like most of the neo-prog bands of today, not a bad thing at all, but not very original either. Its still better than most of the material so far.
Rain: the final shot, a very Shadow Gallery song. Sadly after so much mellowness, this mid-tempo prog tune does not taste as good as could have been.
Verdict: 4/10, mostly for fans like me, but so not rush for it.
