CARVED IN STONE

I was deeply saddened last year by the tragic loss of singer Mike Baker. Gone is my hope that Shadow Gallery would one day decide to hit the roads and come to Europe to play live, so that we could have the chance to see them playing their masterpieces from both this album and Tyranny. In anticipation for their new album, I decided to review my personal favourite, and, for me, a masterpiece of progressive metal.

There are twenty tracks on this album, but only 8 songs, the last of which is the wonderful 22 minute epic, Ghostship. The rest are musical interludes that help blend all pieces into a homogenous whole. From the beginning to the end, Mike Baker's star shines. He delivers beautiful acoustic performances, he is great on the heavier stuff and the background vocals all have an LA 80s feeling. Fear not, dear reader! This is Progressive Metal at its very best, without the weaknesses that plagued the genre in the 90s. Everything at its place, no unnecessary solos, only the use of extraterrestrial music skills (by all the band, I feel uneasy about who to mention first), all complimenting the most important thing, the song composition.

Cliffhanger starts with a beautiful piano introduction that will be revisited 6 years later in the Legacy album with Cliffhanger 2 and slowly but heavily develops into a Powerful Crescendo of guitar and keyboards, with heavy rhythmic guitar setting the pace.

Crystalline Dream would have been the obvious single, that is if Shadow Gallery were a commercial music group. Heavy as much as it needs to be, very melodic at the same time, including complicated rhythm changes, which leave an impression the first time you listen, but after repeated listens blend in.

Don't ever Cry, just Remember is one of my favourite ballads ever, including a flute solo by Carl Cadden James, wonderful lyrics and, again, a spectacular performance by Mike.

The best thing about Ghostship is the haunted atmosphere that goes through the middle parts of the epic. After all, it is a song about a ghostship - it does convince, and so do Mike's vocals. Then come the solos in Ghostship e - Storm, that once again confirm that Shadow Gallery was one of the most technical - yet at all times melodic bands in the progressive metal 90s. Ghostship f - Enchantment, the piano solo, always haunts me when I get in front of my keyboard. I can never get this piece out of my mind.

Though these are the highlights of the album, all songs have something to offer and justify their place in this album.

In terms of musical skills, the band would evolve even further in the next few albums - Tyranny considered to be their finest hour. However, Carved in Stone is their earliest masterpiece and a statement in the mid 90s that Shadow Gallery are here to stay and to make our life more beautiful with their albums.