Shadow Gallery: Room V

After releasing four immensely amazing albums on Magna Carta Records, Shadow Gallery have decided to move on to Inside Out and release their long-awaited sequel to Tyranny which is quite possibly their most successful album to date. The concept of Room V seamlessly lines up with that of Tyranny: Act I and Act II on Tyranny are followed by Act III and Act IV which are comprised of 14 tracks in total and clock in at over 75 minutes of music. If you decide to pick up the special edition of the album with a bonus disc, you get an in-depth explanation of the storyline from Carl Cadden-James himself. Room V picks up exactly where Tyranny left off, and we are again presented with the same characters. Roughly speaking, the album is about the lives and the characters' outlook on life. It deals with the realities that just when you think you've left your past all behind, you actually are face to face with the beginning of something new.

Jeff Glixman's (Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Kansas) warm and slick production work on Room V immediately recalls the band's Tyranny days. Those who were disappointed by the previous Shadow Gallery disc, Legacy, are going to love Room V. Brendt Allman and Gary Wehrkamp's guitar work is brilliant, fearlessly melodic and shows admirabe restraint. Keyboards, while still very active, have taken a secondary role (compared to the guitars) in the way that they aren't the first thing to actually define the music this time around. Fear not though, you'll hear plenty of ethereal keyboard and piano stuff here, since most of the songs are piano-based ballads that give way to melodious guitar harmonies and Mike Baker's soulful vocal delivery.

Almost half of the music on Room V is instrumental, though far from technical prowess or over-the-top shredding. The emotions are mostly expressed using changes in dynamics and merging compositional elegance with striking musicality. Of importance is Mike Baker's rather laid-back way of singing. This album could be the one featuring his softest vocal delivery in his career. Additionally, the dynamic multi-layered vocal harmonies most Shadow Gallery fans have come to expect from him have been stripped away. This time Mike Baker's voice is in its most naked form - there aren't layers and layers of harmonies or back vocals permeating the band's songcraft. That said, Baker's emotive vocal performance still impresses. The slow, captivating chorus on "Vow" or his duet with Laura Jaeger on "Comfort Me" are astounding.

However, it could be argued that there are way too many slow ballad-like tunes on Room V with the exception of perhaps the title track and the last song "Rain". Since these tracks are the last two on the album, those looking for more aggressive and technically challenging songs may be surprised. Sure there are some really solid guitar riffs with pulverizing bass patterns in tunes like "The Andromeda Strain" whose instrumental interplay between the keys and guitars is first class. The other heavier pieces are the short instrumental numbers: "Birth of a Daughter" has a new age flavoured opening that reminded me of Marty Friedman's Scenes album for a moment, but it immediately takes on a heavier approach with angular guitar riffs interwoven with secret keyboard melodies functioning under Carl-Cadden James' relentless bass. Also note the amazing flute sounds that are introduced right from the first track and that become the main motif of the powerful song "Torn" working their way into the mix alongside pastoral acoustic guitars and a great synth solo by Gary Wehrkamp. This song is perhaps the only track that offers a multi-layered vocal harmony at the very end. The songs on Act IV are more to my liking actually: the bass-rich "The Archer of Ben Salem" might be the album's most progressive moment with its numerous tempo changes and articulate keyboard melody. "Encrypted", on the other hand, sees the band exploring a very different style from their previous releases, implementing a blues solo that is then accompanied by Joe Nevolo's jaw-dropping drum attack. If you're unsure whether you should pick it up, think no more, buy it today. If you're a Shadow Gallery fan, you probably already have it - and that's a good thing.

Track Listing

Act III

1. Manhunt (2:07)
2. Comfort Me (6:49)
3. The Andromeda Strain (6:44)
4. Vow (8:25)
5. Birth of a Daughter (2:38)
6. Death of a Mother (2:13)
7. Lamentia (1:02)

Act IV

1. Seven Years (3:35)
2. Dark (1:01)
3. Torn (8:21)
4. The Archer of Ben Salem (7:26)
5. Encrypted (7:59)
6. Room V (7:42)
7. Rain (8:59)

Added: August 19th 2005
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz
Score:
Related Link: Shadow Gallery
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Language: english

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