Style: prog metal, prog rock, power/prog (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Threshold, Fates Warning, Queensrÿche
Review by: Andy
Country: US-PA
Release date: May 15, 2001
Heading into the new decade following their most cohesive album and magnum opus Tyranny, Shadow Gallery soon after released Legacy, which both furthered the band’s prog metal sensibilities and sacrificed some of that precious cohesion. The first half of Legacy is composed of short, straightforward prog metal rockers and the best ballad Shadow Gallery composed; the back side, a single behemoth epic thirty-four minutes in length that feels entirely disconnected from the first half. Both halves are great with Himalayan-heighted peaks, but paired they make for a strangely paced album–like two mini-LPs stitched together.
I’ll start with the first half of more reasonably lengthed tracks. Hearkening back to the older days of their career, Shadow Gallery kick Legacy into high gear with the sequel to “Cliffhanger,” “Cliffhanger 2.” Just like the OG, about half of the track is a more mid-paced groove for Baker to take the reins until a shift around the midpoint where the band treats us with all sorts of instrumental insanity. On Legacy, Carl Cadden-James’ bass finally bears just as much importance as the guitars in the mix, and during that hectic solo section, Shadow Gallery nearly sounds like Spastic Ink or Spiral Architect so over-the-top they are with their proficiency. Several other solo sections on Legacy demonstrate crazy skill, too; for instance, “Society of the Mind” sounds like Dream Theater mixed with Angra circa Holy Land.
It’s not all frivolous soloing this time, however. “Destination Unknown” has a gently austere piano intro and a flute solo in classic Shadow Gallery fashion, bringing me back all the way to the days of “Darktown” on Shadow Gallery. Also on this side of the album is the resplendent ballad “Colors,” which through sweet lyrics, fittingly simple bass and guitar, and sublime vocal melodies becomes one of the greatest ballads of all time. The band’s ability to balance so many complex pieces so elegantly continues to impress me, but it is the simple ballad “Colors” which feels the most typically Shadow Gallery to me of any of their songs. Whether it’s the slightly cheesy lyrics sung with so much heart or the keen ear for composition and harmonies, “Colors” is simply gorgeous.
And now to get to what every prog fan has been salivating in anticipation for since I said “thirty-four minutes”: “First Light.” I will be the first to admit that this track was my introduction to Shadow Gallery and is, therefore, a huge nostalgia pick, so my words will be tinted a lovely shade of rose. Like the slightly more well-known, now classic prog epic (which follows the release of this album by nearly a decade, though I’d wager Seventh Wonder have heard “First Light”) “The Great Escape” by Seventh Wonder, “First Light” chronicles the journey of a man tasked with finding a new home for humanity in the wake of Earth’s destruction. I’ve spent many a late night listening to this in the solace of blackness and a blanket. The lyrics are some of Shadow Gallery’s best, the story easy to follow and expertly told, and the epic structure relies on the fluid transitions. Truly, the piece is a stellar achievement, a crowning jewel to an already great album. My one (major) gripe is that at around minute twenty-three, the band cuts to silence… for nearly six whole minutes. This decision has never worked for any band ever (nor will it ever); however, I will say that thematically this happens when our protagonist comes to terms with not finding that “oasis in the sky” for humanity, so the peacefulness of the endless cold vacuum of space makes sense, but for the sake of the listener, cut it down. The orchestrations afterwards are wonderful as if a happy ending for our protagonist does transpire, but who has the patience for complete quiet to get there–especially without knowing it’s there beforehand. Thankfully, skipping a few minutes isn’t a huge deal, but it is an issue that needs to be complained about in a review, however biased. Especially when the song preceding the silence is a nearly flawless prog epic.
In this tale of two albums stitched together, as much as I love the first half, “First Light” just feels slightly superior–even with its annoyingly long absence of anything. This all makes listening to this album a weird experience–how can you go back and look at K2 the same way after having summited Everest? Of course, you can still see the majestic vertex of K2 with as much reverence as before! This album is consistently absolutely fantastic… even if it feels split.
Recommended tracks: Cliffhanger 2, Colors, First Light
Final verdict: 9/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Magna Carta Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Shadow Gallery is:
– Mike Baker (lead vocals, R.I.P. 2008)
– Carl Cadden-James (bass, fretless bass, flute, backing vocals)
– Gary Wehrkamp (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals)
– Chris Ingles (keyboards)
– Brendt Allman (guitars, backing vocals)
– Joe Nevolo (drums)
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