SHADOW GALLERY — Digital Ghosts (review)

SHADOW GALLERY — Digital Ghosts album cover Album · 2009 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Windhawk
Digital Ghosts is the latest creation from US act Shadow Gallery, and their first production since the tragic loss of their former vocalist Mike Baker.

As this is a band I really haven't listened much to previously I don't know how new singer Brian Ashland compares to Baker, but he comes across as a good and versatile vocalist - perhaps a tad steeped in metal traditions but with a fine set of pipes. And with enough scope to cover the stylistic variations on this album.

The core of the music on this production are vintage progressive metal. Drawn out riffs and riff patterns at times heavily embellished with keyboard textures of a symphonic nature. But while many tracks draws upon the stylistic elements first laid down by Rainbow and later further developed by Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and Symphony X, Shadow Gallery adds a few dimensions of their own to the proceedings. Vocal harmonies for starters, where influences from both The Beatles and Yes are easily detected.

Musically the scope is rather extensive too. The songs shifts back and forth in pace, style and intensity, and unlike many other progressive metal bands Shadow Gallery seems to be fond of venturing forth towards neo progressive territories rather than other metal-based expressions. Those familiar with acts such as The Flower Kings and Transatlantic should be able to detect themes and passages with a great deal of similarity to those artists - even if those sequences may have more of a metal coating in this particular case.

All in all it is a well made effort, and while there aren't too many moments of pure brilliance - limited to the songs Venom and Strong in my opinion - the rest of the tracks are all intriguing excursions without any notable weaknesses as such.
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