THE SHADOW THEORY

3.5 really

The Shadow Theory can be considered a supergroup in prog metal zone. With one album released so far in 2010 Behind the black veil at Insideout label, this record is quite intresting, strange and an aquaring taste for sure, at least for me. I said super group because we have here some good musicans in prog metal field like the excellent voice of ex Psychotic Waltz, Dead Soul Tribe fame - Devon Graves also responsable for some flute interplays here, the guitarist from lesser known prog metal act Complex 7 - Arne Schuppner, the drums of Threshold - Johanne James, the bassist from Pain of Savation + the keybordist Demi Scott, so a solid line up that will impress many prog metal listners. Well, what we have here, musicaly speaking, is a dark prog metal album, not overly complex and complicated but with very intresting moments in some parts, imagine you combine Dead Soul Tribe dark moody atmosphere with Jethro Tull, the Tull sound is from Graves flute, himself a big Jethro Tull fan, there is even a bonus cover of Jethro Tull's "Sweet Dream". Some fascinating moments for me, like opening track I Open Up My Eyes with dark atmospher but with up tempo passages, the voice and flute of Graves is top notch, prog metal with flute sounds pretty intresting to my ears for sure, another highlights are The Sound Of Flies, the folky Selebrate who sounds like it was extracted from Jethro Tull's Songs from the woods album and The Black Cradle. The sound is dense, dark but has enough excellent moments to be catchy enough for many prog metal listners and only after 3-4 spins I begun to fully appreciate what is going one, at first listning I said what an odd album, but never the less intresting over all. I like it but I can't say is a masterpiece or groundbreaking release, 3.5 stars from me, well desearved.

With Psychotic Waltz vocalist Devon Graves (aka Buddy Lackey) on vocals, The Shadow Theory delivers progressive metal of the darker sort, which definitely is complex but not overly technical.

The album has been injected with a healthy dose of dark psychedelia and a good dose of King Diamond-inspiration. And then there's also a bit of flute every now and then, and some vocal melodies sound a little along the lines of Jethro Tull.

The album is characterized by alternation between heavy passages and more melodic and melancholic sections, and there are several symphonic moments as well. "Selebrate" is worth mentioning because it is the most different song on the album and sounds like something might have appeared on a Jethro Tull album. "A Candle in the Gallery" is also different because this is more of and ambient and easily accessible track. Apart from these two tracks, the style of the album is focused and consistent, which I really like.

I think "Behind the Black Veil" is a very well made record, which I think will appeal to fans of Psychotic Waltz, King Diamond and progressive metal in general.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)

I'm not usually into concept albums but I can really get into this one. I'm sure the fact that I love the style of music here and that every song is excellent doesn't hurt either.This is somewhat of a supergroup with Devon Graves (DEADSOUL TRIBE / PSYCHOTIC WALTZ), Kristoffer Gildenlow (PAIN OF SALVATION) and Johanne James (THRESHOLD) being part of this band. The music is similar to DEADSOUL TRIBE which is a huge positive for me as i'm a big fan. Dark, melancholic and they contrast the heavy and atmospheric sections well.The concept is about a guy who experiences these constant nightmares and the lines between reality and these dreams becomes blurred in his mind.

"Open My Eyes" opens with a dark atmosphere then it kicks in hard before a minute and the vocals follow. It settles beautifully after 1 1/2 minutes then it kicks back in again with flute as contrasts continue. An alarm goes off to end the song. "The Sound Of Flies" opens with gentle guitar, bass and reserved vocals. Here we go ! As it kicks in but it settles back 1 1/2 minutes in as these contrasts continue. Kicking ass 2 1/2 minutes in. "Ghostride" is pastoral to start with laid back vocals, keys and guitar. It abruptly kicks into gear after 1 1/2 minutes. Killer stuff. Devon is screaming the lyrics before 3 1/2 minutes.

"Welcome" opens with beautiful guitar melodies then it starts to get heavy before settling back with vocals. Contrasts continue and we get a nice guitar solo after 3 minutes. "By The Crossroads" sounds like ALICE IN CHAINS to start then it settles back.The intensity is rising then we get a guitar solo. It settles back before 4 minutes then it starts to build again. "Selebrate" has these fast paced acoustic guitar melodies and vocals. Drums and bass then join in around a minute. Great sound ! "Snakeskin" is a sssinister sounding track that is quite intense. I like the words "there is no death from this life" that comes and goes. "Sleepwalking" has this heavy rhythm that kicks in quickly and vocals also join in. Another excellent sounding tune. "The Black Cradle" has these eerie vocals and the intensity is relentless. I like the background synths and flute too around 2 1/2 minutes. "A Cradle In The Gallery" opens with percussion as flute and whispered vocals join in. Piano later. "A Symphony Of Shadows" is like a cross between QUEEN and FLOYD. Piano and flute early as vocals and guitar join in.The vocal arrangements are QUEEN-like. It kicks in at 1 1/2 minutes but then calms right down as the extreme mood swings continue. It's eerie after 4 minutes then it gets heavy again as themes are repeated.

DEADSOUL TRIBE fans will love this and obviously that includes me.

A Symphony of Shadows

After a successful start with Psychotic Waltz, and more recently the band Deadsoul Tribe, Devon Graves has come back for thirds in one heck of a way. The Shadow Theory consists of not only Graves but also Arne Schuppner (Complex 7), Johanne James (Threshold, Kyrbgrinder), Demi Scott, and most notably, ex-Pain of Salvation bassist Kristoffer Gildenlöw. This cast can definitely be deemed an all-star cast, mostly made up of progressive metal artists, and it shows in every way.

Not only is Devon Graves a great singer, but he plays flute exceptionally well. Flute playing in metal was definitely one thing that intrigued me while listening to the album. Beforehand I assumed that it would sound too different, almost not right, but there is nothing wrong with it on "Behind the Black Veil". Right from the beginning the flute stands out on the opening track, 'I Open My Eyes', where the great guitar counter melodies bring it out perfectly. The songs are mostly simple progressive-power metal compositions, except for a few like 'A Symphony of Shadows' and the opener. The feel of the album varies from heavier, creepier music to softer more soothing melodies. Also there are a lot of distinct differences in the songs, unlike most of Graves's Psychotic Waltz stuff. 'Sleepwalking' is a great example of this because it sounds very much like a Pain of Salvation song, probably because of Kristoffer Gildenlöw. With softer vocal sections mixed with some heavy bass influence, it almost feels like it came of an early Pain of Salvation album.

The vocals by Devon Graves, or Buddy Lackey, whichever you prefer, are exceptionally good. He has mastered many different styles and all that adds a lot to the album. Ranging from the Jethro Tull sounding 'Selebrate' to 'A Candle in the Gallery' which sounds very much like King Diamond, this becomes quite self evident. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the drumming of Johanne James, which is very good and heavy, yet very articulate.

The production is very good, packing a heavy sound that enhances every bit of the album. Everything sounds perfect, and I especially like the way the bass and keyboards are put into the mix.

If you don't already have this masterpiece from 2010, then you should definitely pick it up. Any fan of Pain of Salvation, King Diamond, and of course Psychotic Waltz will really enjoy this great piece of music. The heavy atmosphere conveyed throughout the album leads to a great feel that keeps me interested every time I listen. For a great release the Shadow Theory gets 4 stars.

After putting Deadsoul Tribe to rest, Devon Graves announced Shadow Theory as his next project. The band, involving acclaimed musicians from Pain of Salvation, Complex7 and Threshold, leaves a much more professional and solid impression then the musically somewhat disappointing Deadsoul Tribe. So this is an album I really wanted to love a lot. Alas there are some problematic points for me.

The most problematic of all is that whatever Devon comes up with, it will always be inferior to the great Psychotic Waltz. That is no different here, and no matter how proficient the musicians are, the creative genius and uniqueness of Psychotic Waltz is entirely absent. The metal part of the songwriting is often based on old-school thrash-y riffing, and it sounds very uninspired and stale to me.

On top, Devon Graves has never been able to match the brilliant melodious vocal lines he used to come up with in the old days. Maybe it's because of the bland riffing, but whatever the cause, his melodies during the heavy parts sound very formulaic, and they are barely distinguishable from those of the other songs. It's only during a few quieter and more acoustic parts that he seems to find his melodic qualities. I would very much recommend him to record an acoustic album in the vein of Lunatic Soul.

"Behind The Black Veil" is an unremarkable album that will be quickly forgotten. It's not a disaster but it's still a disappointment. There are a couple of enjoyable moments but I've heard this type of music from Devon way too much by now. Don't get this until you got the complete Psychotic Waltz and Deadsoul Tribe's "Murder of Crows" and "Lullaby for the Devil".

Horror Show Prog Metal

I'd been waiting for the Shadow Theory album for quite awhile since the group was announced. Devon Graves has been a guy who has teased me on so many albums. Great moments, but never a fully realized masterpiece (I actually don't have INTO THE EVERFLOW yet, which may qualify). I had hoped that new blood and the shakeups of disbanding Deadsoul Tribe would leave us with something fresh and exciting. Alas, instead we get another very solid piece of dark prog metal with some great flashes. So I'm left to wait for the Psychotic Waltz reunion to see if my hopes are finally realized.

To be sure, BEHIND THE BLACK VEIL is a good album. The opening song, "I Open Up My Eyes" features Graves' flute almost immediately. (This is something I've been begging for for some time, that Graves would integrate the flute into his music to the same degree as his hero Ian Anderson). The song has some highly syncopated sections, and is certainly a notch up in compositional complexity from most DST. Arne Shuppner provides a more powerful bag of tricks on guitar that we've heard support Graves since the Waltz days. At the same time, don't expect big twin lead extravaganzas or anything resembling technical metal. There are a couple of fair guitar solos, some nice keyboard flourishes from co-band founder Demi Moore, and the rhythm section is quite sharp. The whole album is basically Deadsoul Tribe with nitrous packs. Even Devon's vocals are as varied and emotional as I've heard in awhile.

The problem is that the songwriting is good but not great. I prefer several songs from LULLABY FOR THE DEVIL to the ones here. The Jethro Tull cover really stands out melodically and compositionally as a superior song to the rest of the album. Devon has never had a great melodic sense, and on this album, his vocals sound great but don't lend much identity to each song. The band sound is great, and each song has its own riffs, but they really blend into each other.

Bottom line: Probably a transition album between DST and new Psychotic Waltz.

Behind the Black Veil is the debut full-length studio album by multi-national progressive metal act The Shadow Theory. The album was released in November 2010 by InsideOut Music.

The Shadow Theory was started by Greek keyboard player Demi Scott and lead vocalist Devon Graves ( Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe). Demi Scott send some of his music to Devon Graves to ask for his advice ( he had been a fan of Devon´s work for years), but Devon was so intriguied by the material that he wrote back to Demi and suggested that they should form a band. The musicians who make up the lineup in addition to Devon Graves and Demi Scott are Arne Schuppner ( Demimonde, Complex 7) on guitars, Kristoffer Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation, Dark Suns, The 11th Hour) on bass and Johanne James ( Kyrbgrinder, Threshold) on drums. A kind of progressive metal all-star cast if you will.

The music on the album is progressive metal with nods toward traditional heavy metal. It´s obvious from the high quality playing on the album that all involved are experienced and skilled musicians so just to get it out of the way, that part of the album is very enjoyable. The songs aren´t focused on showing off technical playing skills though but more on creating dark and at times downright eerie atmosphere. That atmosphere is accompanied by an equally eerie concept horror story. I´m reminded of King Diamond´s concept horror stories. Actually there are also instrumental/ vocal sections in the songs that remind me of King Diamond. Not that Devon Graves imitates King Diamond´s distinct high pitched vocal style, but Devon delivers a really varied vocal performance on the album with both singing, whispering and shouting vocals, that greatly enhances the dark atmosphere on the album. It´s definitely one of his better vocal performances IMO. The songs are dynamic and most feature both acoustic sections, powerful heavy riffing and atmospheric and hook laden choruses. The song structures are generally simple ( for progressive metal) and catchy ( except for the closing track A Symphony of Shadows, which is quite a complex composition) but still there are challenging instrumental sections here and there to satisfy the demanding progressive metal fan. Just don´t expect Dream Theater type technical playing.

...I guess my only complaint about the album is the production, which to my ears could have been more interesting. The distorted guitars and especially the drums sound a bit flat to my ears. It´s nothing that disturbs my listening pleasure too much though and I might be a bit pedantic even mentioning it.

Behind the Black Veil is nearly an hour long album, but there´s not a second of the playing time where my attention wanders, and that spells quality in my book. I really enjoy how consistent yet adventurous the album is. It´s by no means a groundbreaking album, but it´s a very enjoyable listen. I´d say a 4 star rating is fully deserved. So to quote Devon Graves: "Turn down the lights. Light a candle and some incense. Sit in a comfortable chair. Turn it up loud, and prepare for our first rock cinema, "Behind the Black Veil".

Great for metalheads, but only for them!

When a band or musician is good, you cannot put a doubt about it, however, being good does not necessarily means that the music will appeal to you. I've said this, because this has just happened to me with this album.

The Shadow Theory is a new band created by experienced musicians who have been part of other metal bands, such as Devon Graves, who I actually knew thanks to his role in "The Human Equation", and Kristoffer Gildenlow, known from Pain of Salvation. Their debut album released in 2010 is entitled "Behind the Black Veil" and features eleven songs that make a total time of 57 minutes.

The main problem I have when reviewing metal-related albums, is that I struggle a lot with myself, in order not to let my prejudges win, I mean, I sometimes am skeptic regarding this music, which is not really good for a reviewer, anyway, I have improved a lot on that subject, actually I can say I am more tolerant to this genre and have written decent reviews, I hope this time is the same.

The album kicks off with "I Open Up My Eyes", curiously, this first and the last track are the longest of the album. This song begins with some air and calm effects, but after a minute it explodes and produces that metalish guitar sound, what I like here, is the addition of the flute which actually gives a different perception of the music so I think it was a good decision to include it. The voice is nice, not my favorite, and I like more when it calms down along with the music.

"The Sound of Flies" has a good acoustic introduction but after some seconds all of a sudden the electric and powerful guitar appears, this is a good change but to my ears it is not enjoyable. Before minute three there is a nice keyboard solo. With "Ghostride" happens almost the same thing: acoustic guitar and a soft sound with cool synth effects, which later will disappear because a powerful and heavy metal sound takes over the song; here, also to my ears the vocals are horrible, unlistenable to me. All is a matter of tastes and subjectivity after all.

"Welcome" sounds good to me, though the formula may be the same: acoustic ? powerful, here the lyrics got stuck on my head and yeah, I sing. I don't know if it is good or bad for the band, but I felt attracted by the "chorus", and the music is pretty nice, with a cool guitar solo minutes later. "By the Crossroads" on the other hand, has a heavy and powerful feeling since the very first second and later slows down a little bit; during the song it has some minor changes that can please the listener; specially the guitar solos.

"Selebrate" and "Snakeskin" are shorter tracks which offer nice music, from melodic, symph to powerful metal. The keyboard work Is pretty nice, actually all the musicians do their job great, in fact, I believe both songs may have been longer, and better, they did not extracted all their juice. With "Sleepwalking" I even moved my head at the rhythm of the music. The keyboard bursts remind me a bit to that Metallica with orchestra concert, but well, the sound in general is listenable, and in fact, the vocals remind me now to some Devin Townsend moments, which I enjoy. Next song is "The Black Cradle" which produces a repetitive but addictive sound, then vocals appear and put some dark and chaotic sound to the music. At half the song, there's an extraordinary flute sound that again changes the mood and creates a different atmosphere.

"A Candle in the Gallery" is a shorter, different but good track, it features flute and percussion creating soft sounds, later vocals that whisper and an acoustic guitar join and continue with that soft but at the same time intriguing sound. Though the song is pretty short, in moments I actually felt bored so it seemed longer that it actually is.

And finally: "A Symphony of Shadows", with piano, flute and delicate vocals. Some changes in between appear, three seconds of heavier sound and then three of a soft one, and that same figure is repeated more times until it explodes and keeps that heavier sound at its highest. However, this song offers a lot of changes, in mood, time and tempo, which shows the compositional and musical skills of the band. I like some moments of it, in others I feel stifled.

Well, to be completely honest I was thinking of rating this album with two stars, because I tried to enjoy it for at least the first five times and failed, however I wanted to give it another chance and seems that after all I found some of its beauty, which does not mean I really like it or enjoy it. I think people who like metal will surely love this album, but for those who does not, better maintain the distance. So my final grade will be three stars.

Enjoy it!

A Symphony of Shadows

When talking about progressive metal supergroups, it's hard to imagine a better lineup than that of The Shadow Theory. Consisting of the legendary vocalist Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe), Arne Schuppner (Complex 7) on guitar, Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex-Pain of Salvation) on bass, Demi Scott on keyboards, and Johanne James (Threshold) on drums, it's obvious that there's no shortage of talent here. For the most part, everything about Behind the Black Veil lives up to the expectations I would set for this cast of musicians. This concept album is filled with intriguing compositions, plenty of variation, and a distinct sound to top it all off. If you're a fan of Psychotic Waltz, I would definitely give Behind the Black Veil a shot. More often than not, supergroups in this genre tend to be more focused on showcasing their technical capabilities than creating high-quality compositions, but that is fortunately not the case with The Shadow Theory. This is a dark, heavy, and melodic prog metal album that should satisfy most fans of the genre. There's a surprising level of originality here that gives The Shadow Theory an ambitious sound - something sparsely found among prog metal supergroups. All in all, Behind the Veil is an impressive and promising debut from The Shadow Theory that's sure to make waves throughout prog metal fans in 2010 and beyond.

The music here, although not revolutionary, is still much more original than your average run-of-the-mill vanilla prog metal band. Aside from the obvious Psychotic Waltz influence from Devon's distinct vocals, a lot of the album sounds like a more progressive and symphonic King Diamond. This dark metal concept piece just reeks of influences from The King, which is always a good thing. There's also a bit of a Pain of Salvation tinge during the more melodic sections with multiple vocal harmonies. A song like "Sleepwalking" sounds like something that could have come off an early Pain of Salvation album (which isn't surprising, considering that Kristoffer Gildenlöw is here). One thing that I found interesting when listening to Behind the Black Veil are the Jethro Tull influences - something that is very rare among progressive metal bands. "Selebrate" sounds very Tull-esque, not to mention the bonus cover of Jethro Tull's "Sweet Dream" (a bonus track on 1969's Stand Up). All in all, this is a pretty eclectic album, and is a nice break from the seas of clone bands that seem to populate progressive metal nowadays. Of course, another major asset to The Shadow Theory is the group of musicians here. The drumming from Johanne James is heavy, yet very intricate and precise - surely a highlight on the album. The vocals from Devon Graves (a.k.a. Buddy Lackey) are also great; he's just one of the best vocalists in the history of prog metal.

The production sounds really great - it has a clean sound and packs a powerful punch. The symphonic keyboards sound perfect in the mix, and are never too loud (which is a frequent complaint of mine in melodic prog metal productions). The dark atmospheres are conveyed well, so I have no knocks in terms of production.

Conclusion:

Behind the Black Veil is a great debut from The Shadow Theory. It satisfied all of my expectations and provided a unique and highly-enjoyable prog metal experience. This isn't quite worthy of a masterpiece status, but it'd be hard for me to give anything less than a confident 4 stars. Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be a one-off project that will be forgotten about over time - I could see a second album from The Shadow Theory that even surpasses this one. Recommended to fans of melodic progressive metal!

'Behind The Black Veil' - The Shadow Theory (7/10)

Essentially a supergroup founded and assembled by Psychotic Waltz/Deadsoul Tribe frontman Devon Graves, The Shadow Theory was forged from an aspiration to bring together the most talented and skilled musicians Graves had come across in the past, and make music together. The result of this meeting takes the shape of 'Behind The Black Veil,' a dark, melodic journey of progressive metal that doesn't manage to find a unique sound of it's own, but stands as a strong album that reflects each member's talent.

While the concept of a supergroup is usually quite promising, the reality unfortunately lends an a formula of flash over substance and letdown after letdown, The Shadow Theory manages to put enough of their creativity into the project to make for some dynamic, strong melodic metal. Along with Devon Graves, members of such progressive metal bands as Threshold and Pain Of Salvation are taken in for the ride, and each member does appear to live up to Grave's expectations. While this does seem to be a group effort to some extent, the spotlight generally seems to be on Graves, and his incredibly dynamic voice, or guitarist Arne Schuppner and the great deal of thoughtful riffs he dishes out here. On top of the typical rock/metal instruments, there's also a very strong symphonic presence here, taking alot of orchestral samples and throwing them in to give a classier sound, albeit one that's already been done to death by countless melodic symphonic metal bands.

The idea that the album's sound is derived from other sources is all-too true here, and proves to be The Shadow Theory's biggest fault here. Although having a derivative style can be said for the majority of metal bands out there, the influences here are all-too obvious, and while things come together quite nicely, The Shadow Theory outdoes very few of the source groups. If anything can be said for the style-copying however, 'Behind The Black Veil' does represent quite an impressive collage of different sounds. 'I Open Up My Eyes' for example, starts out in the typical progressive metal vein, before breaking into vocal sections that are rhythmically very similar to alternative metallers System Of A Down. Flute sections also ring throughout the opening track, bringing to mind prog veterans Jethro Tull. The biggest copycatting can be heard on the industrial-infused track 'Sleepwalking' which has a verse that is vocally and lyrically nearly identical to David Bowie's song 'Golden Years,' albeit played through the gritty filter of heavy metal. The gothic-horror interlude track 'A Candle In The Gallery' sounds like a page ripped out of the King Diamond book. Meanwhile, the epic closing track 'A Symphony Of Shadows' (while being a highlight here) makes no effort to hide the Queen influence in the quirky vocal work.

It is actually in the more straightforward, progressive metal songs where The Shadow Theory starts making a bit more of a interesting step forward in their dark and brooding sound. Along with the powerful closing piece, 'Welcome' is another highlight on 'Behind The Black Veil' which sounds tailored to make for a great single. Powerful chorus, a solid song structure and strong, yet concise delivery makes for an instantly engaging song.

While it may very well be possible that The Shadow Theory turns out to be a one-off project and nothing more than a footnote in each band member's career, 'Behind The Black Veil' is indeed a strong debut from this melodic metal group. Despite not feeling too original, the music here is dark, atmospheric and skillfully played. In any case, The Shadow Theory has proven to have some good chemistry, and one can only hope that the band decides to go back for seconds, and improve on their existing sound.