DIGITAL GHOSTS

When I received my review copy of ''Digital Ghosts'' from InsideOut, I was both excited and worried. Excited, because I had never gotten an advance copy of anything for review before, and so I felt rather cool and professional, but worried because I have had quite a love-hate relationship with Prog Metal over the years, and Shadow Gallery's music has never touched my ears until this was sent to me. Truly, I did not know what to expect, and if I would just be honest with myself, I was partly dreading it. I was afraid that I would despise the record, and therefore have to scathe my very first review copy. Feeling like an ass isn't something I enjoy, but I am also very honest about my feelings on matters (especially music!), and so I bit the bullet and gave ''Digital Ghosts'' a try.

Luckily, I did not hate the album. In fact, I quite liked it. I am reminded of the earlier days of Dream Theater, while also being surprised by the sheer originality present in the epic, heartfelt music the album has to offer. I'm not saying there isn't the typical slice of cheese to go along with the music, here; there certainly are moments I could have done without, but as a complete piece, Shadow Gallery's latest album delivers in strides.

I have no point of reference regarding the band's earlier works, but I was told that a new singer is featured here, due to the untimely death of Mike Baker, the original lead vocalist. I have no idea how his voice compares to this new guy, but all I can say is that I am impressed. Not too showy at all, just the right balance between emotional and bombastic, this guy knows exactly when to belt it out, and when to tone it down to best suit the songs.

The same can be said of all of the other guys in the band. I rarely heard a lot of over-the-top playing, here. Oh, certainly some top- notch playing, no doubt, but I never felt as if I were standing in the middle of a shredding contest where the goal is speed rather than soul. Now, most Prog Metal I have heard is crap-- shoddy rehashes of past Dream Theater classics with a few riffs switched around and absolutely no heart in the songwriting. This wasn't the case here, however. For me, this album is a great example of what good Prog Metal is actually capable of. Again, I can't judge any of their other works, but as far as I am concerned, ''Digital Ghosts' is a Shadow Gallery album that everybody should listen to if you're on the fence about this band, or the genre in general. It's a prime example of prog done right. Innovation, not duplication. Finally, Pain Of Salvation is no longer alone in this regard!