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This powerful new release from progressive
rockers "Shadow Gallery" is almost too much to handle
in one sitting. With the enlistment of close to ten musicians,
this latest recording, "Tyranny," scales new heights
in technical prowess and the power of the mind. Almost too deep
for words, the album is broken into two parts, both of which
tell individual stories that pattern themselves beneath the concept
of good versus evil. The listening experience is one that is
best enjoyed sitting down, in a relaxed mindset between the headphones,
to fully appreciate the full range of musicianship that "Tyranny"
displays. Similar to the best of 70's progressive rock supergroups
such as Kansas, Jethro Tull, and Queen, with superior sound quality
and intensive arrangements, S.G. bridges the generation gap by
adding an intensity and energy more common with the heavier moods
of Savatage and Malmsteen.
Much like sitting through a traditional
stage performance, and following along with the main character's
trials and tribulations, "Tyranny" fulfills that same
theatrical potential, and leaves the listener creeping toward
the end of their seat to learn how the stories unfold.
Appearances by Dream Theater's James LaBrie
and Royal Hunt's D.C. Cooper fulfill their respective roles superbly
guesting on the two eight-plus minute compositions, "I Believe"
and "New World Order" respectively. It's rare that
the artists of today will go to such great lengths to present
such an involved and intense story, and put it all together on
a record, when such grandiose creations seemed to have maxed
out over twenty years ago. But "Shadow Gallery" is
nothing if not ambitious. "Tyranny" stands out as a
true masterpiece, a work of art put to music, that captures the
imagination and engulfs the listener inside a spectrum of majestic
musical charm.
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