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Shadow Gallery - Legacy CD (album) cover

LEGACY

Shadow Gallery

 

Progressive Metal

3.71 | 216 ratings

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Muzikman
Prog Reviewer
3 stars Mike Baker (lead & backing vocals), Carl Cadden-James (bass, vocals, flute) Brendt Allman (guitars, vocals), Chris Ingles (keyboards), Joe Novelo (drums), and Gary Wehrkamp (guitars, keyboards, vocals & bass) are Shadow Gallery. There are two words that define the imagery created by progressive rock ... savage beauty. With Legacy, the group's fourth release, you will visit places of magnificence and then quickly find a change of scenery that can be harsh and unrelenting. That is what progressive rock music is. The premise of songs that build upon each other is the facility of each composition to open the door to a layered song structure, with the ever- changing human emotions the mirror for the music. This would apply with any style of music; you will find that this is just slightly more intense with prog rock.

You can tell right from the outset of the first song "Cliffhanger" that this band has reached a level of maturity that gives them extremely good focus. "Colors" will catch you off guard, as they sound like a totally different group. The song sounds ready made to enter the charts with a bullet to the top. It's not pop, mind you, it's rock, but with a more consistent definition and purpose. There is a clear message being conveyed, and the music supports that with a mainstream (forgive me) flow not found on any of the other tracks. I really enjoyed it, but I also welcomed the return of the ever-changing ups and downs and complexities that are the mark of the genre. They decide to use a popular trick on the curtain closer "First Light", there is a long pause at around the twenty-four minute mark, giving the impression that the CD is complete, then a few minutes later the music starts again, and the song is over. Before it finally ends, over thirty-two minutes have passed. My word, that's an album's worth of material for some bands.

Awe-inspiring groups like Shadow Gallery make it easy for a listener to foresee new and exciting sounds on a regular basis. I have said this before ... some of the best music and talent can be found at the Magna Carta label.

They are an indie label with major acts. It's a deadly combination that cannot be matched. All of the major labels that can't hold a candle to this kind of talent would be well advised to take a look at labels like Magna Carta. They hold the trump card. The future of music belongs to the independent bands, and the labels that promote them. This is one of many CDs that will give valid evidence of that fact.

Muzikman | 3/5 |

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