Legacy

Crushed between two giants like Tyranny and Room V, Legacy is the oft-overlooked fourth album by US prog metallers Shadow Gallery. It is a shame, because it is a very solid release, containing a couple of killer tracks (“Cliffhanger 2”, “Colors”) and tons of very good progressive rock/metal music.

On Legacy, Shadow Gallery come across as a band in full control of their sound and who, having earned their stripes in the prog metal arena, are willing to stretch towards more audience-friendly and accessible solutions than what one can usually find on a progressive metal album. The six songs of Legacy may therefore not be the most structurally or technically complex prog metal tracks out there, but they should nevertheless be greatly enjoyable for anyone with an interest in progressive rock or metal. A remarkable aspect of the band’s sound is in fact that it sits almost perfectly in the middle between the prog rock of the 1970s and the metal of the 1980s, with strong hints of bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, US prog rockers Kansas, and Queensrÿche. This mixture reminds me of a considerably heavier and, at places, darker a version of another iconic US prog rock/metal band, Spock’s Beard.

Whether you are on the heavier or softer side of prog, you will surely find a lot to like in this album. The playing is simply sublime, but not in a show-offy way, which is probably one of the most remarkable characteristics of the band. Shadow Gallery can play as no other (listen to the astonishing instrumental interlude in the middle of “Cliffhanger 2”, which just leaves me amazed every time I play the album), but they keep their instrumental prowess strictly to the service of the songs – a rare quality in progressive circles. The arrangements are layered and rich, but not overly complex, giving the music a classy, sophisticated feel as in the best prog rock tradition. There is a lot of colour in the music as well, with electric and acoustic guitars, flutes, violins, violas and a great deal of piano and keyboard interjections sprinkled all over the album. Structurally, with the exception of the mammothian “First Light” – a multi-part beast that clocks at 34+ minutes, the songs are not too intricate and are instead tightly focused around catchy, melodic choruses that are perfectly designed to grab the listener’s attention from the very first listen. However, despite the strong focus on melody and accessibility, Legacy can also rock and features some great, powerful riffs that one can easily headbang to (“Cliffhanger 2”, “Legacy”, “First Light”).

The whole album is very pleasant to listen to and never slips into boredom, also thanks to a wise alternation between softer, mellower songs (the ballad “Colors”, the 70s-infused “Society of the Mind”) and more robust and uptempo numbers like “Cliffhanger 2” and “Legacy”. The quality of the tracks is generally high, but “Cliffhanger 2” and “Colors” are perhaps the most inspired episodes of the album, containing respectively some of the best playing and best vocal melodies of the record. On the other hand, the 34-minute long “First Light” is probably the weakest track. This is the obligatory “prog epic”, which any ambitious progressive rock/metal band attempts to write (typically once per album) in their career. However, relative to the best “prog epics” out there, “First Light” lacks flow and consistency. Some parts are great, some are average and some are even mediocre. Most importantly, the various sections do not really work well together and the overall effect is that of a fragmented, slightly unwieldy long track that just does not compare with the quality of the rest of the material on the album. To make things worse, there are several nonsensical minutes of silence and background noise thrown in towards the end of the song before the track picks up again and concludes. It is really difficult to understand how anyone could have thought that splitting the song this way could possibly be a good idea.

Featuring a generally strong production and mix by Neil Kernon, “Legacy” is a very good album by a band that if often overlooked in the progressive metal arena. It may not be Shadow Gallery’s best release, as one gets the sense that the band could do so much more with their technical and arrangement skills (for instance: write a truly memorable prog epic), but it is certainly a very accessible and enjoyable record. This was the first album I ever heard by Shadow Gallery and it really got me excited about this band, so if you are new to Shadow Gallery this may actually be a suitable point of entry.

That's the easiest way for me to put this album. Coming from the wonderful Tyranny album and interluding towards Room V, Legacy is one of those albums where the sound is well- defined and the songs do not fill, but there is still something more that seems to be missing from Legacy that is found in Carved in Stone and Tyranny. The only way I can pinpoint it is that Legacy plays it very safe. Shadow Gallery knows the formula of success to writing songs and they do that here, but there is a kind of magic that is missing.

I wanted to write a review for this album since nobody had yet and I did not want people to skip this album since nobody had anything to say about it. If you are into Shadow Gallery, definitely pick this album up. It is worth the time and money and your Shadow Gallery chain of melodies and songs will enhance in your musical mind. I would not begin someone new to Shadow Gallery with this album, but that does not mean that this is a bad album. On the contrary, it is very good effort except for missing a little bit of beauty and passion like Christmas Day or Crystalline Dream.

Track for track, this album contains mainly lengthy songs (which makes sense for only 6 tracks), but the vocal harmonies do differentiate each song and give them a particular flavor. The opener will sound like Cliffhanger, since it is a continued effort that ties in more to the music identity of Cliffhanger, but still offers its own melodies and sounds. Tracks 2-5 are all safe and good with the good ol' Shadow Gallery formula written all over it. The closer does get a little bland (for 34 minutes), but I still listen to it and find some enjoyment at different parts throughout it.

Upon closer inspection, you will find a good blend of metal, prog rock ('70s), and operatic rock. Each track has its own purpose and approach that separates the listener's experience from heavy to soft, rocking out to thoughtful bliss which is entirely fitting for Shadow Gallery's sound. Cliffhanger Pt. 2 has a driving force that will hook you into the flow created by a strong keyboard front. Not all of Cliffhanger is keyboard driven when the vocals take over to gradually move into a full-on backing choir that is lighthearted and lifting, all which makes SG worth listening to since their choruses make them stand out from other prog metal outfits like Dream Theater, Vanden Plas, and Fates Warning. The latter half of the song is filled with cutting edge solos (guitar and keyboard) that are well-polished and original, courtesy of Brendt Allman.

Destination Unknown is a thoughtful ballad turned power balled closer. Mike Baker really shines in this song and showcases his range while instilling peace upon the listener. One of SG's forgotten ballads after Christmas Day, Don't Ever Cry, Just Remember, and Comfort Me, but still one that holds the beauty within while avoiding some of the bland traps that some progressive/power acts fall into with ballads. Colors is where the older prog rock sound comes out, with a corky vocal string make up, but still enjoyable. Society of the Mind and Legacy both fall under the same category of stylized songwriting with a noticeably crunchy guitar and a memorable chorus. Plenty of time signature changes and alterations to sound to give the listener something new to enjoy without feeling like the song only has a chorus and no substance.

First Light is 34+ minutes long (but cuts out short) and is a combination of SG vocal melodies filled with feeling and guitar melodies that go here and there, but do not maintain a home to come back to. Always First Light transcends from one melody to another with nothing repetitive in the song. This is a kind of doom that will lose many listeners by not maintaining any foreshadow, climax, or return of any kind of any melody or chorus.

All in all, this is a safe album recommended primarily for the Shadow Gallery fans who have already jumped into Carved in Stone and Tyranny and still want more SG! Adding Shadow Gallery to any collection is not a bad thing. If you still are not sure whether you should give this album a shot, try listening to Society of the Mind and Destination Unknown to see if this is what you are looking for. Plenty of prog and metal in this effort from SG, but not a lot of new ideas that step outside of the formula.