The term quality and not quantity definitely applies to these veterans of the progressive metal scene. Releasing their first album in 1992, Shadow Gallery has always taken their time with each album they release. It's been three years since their last studio album Legacy, released in 2002 and for this new album Room V, their fifth, Shadow Gallery has finally decided to go back to not only revisit the concept of their 1998 album Tyranny but to also complete the story as well. Fans of the band have been waiting for the next instalment of the Tyranny concept and the band has been a little "playful" since that album in dropping hints and adding little tidbits of information about the continuation of the story on some of the songs released since that album. Originally, the Tyranny concept was to be completed with just the first half of this album but as the story unfolded and gained more and more complexity, the continuation of bassist Carl Cadden-James' story evolved into an entire album. Veteran producer Jeff Glixman (Kansas, Gary Moore, Black Sabbath) handles the production duties, bringing the album a superb crystal clarity and punch that Shadow Gallery albums really haven't had in the past. The combination of a superb production, masterful song writing and the amazingly melodic vocal style of Mike Baker all come together to produce the band's finest hour and arguably, their best album so far.

The storyline for Room V picks up 8 hours after the ending of part one of the concept at the conclusion of Tyranny. Like the Tyranny album that was divided into two "acts" Acts I and II, this album is composed of Acts III and IV with each act consisting of seven separate parts. Although some of the sections in each act are connected, they are separate and distinct songs. Things get underway with the instrumental Manhunt that has a heavy prog metal vibe with booming Savatage style guitar riffs accompanied by piano fills, all cumulating to create a solid dramatic intro for the album. Cover Me features a vocal duet between Mike Baker and Laura Jaeger who also appeared on the Tyranny album. It alternates between quieter segments with clean guitar to a much heavier edge with nice dramatic and expressive lead guitar. Most of the material on this album falls into three categories; heavy prog metal, instrumental prog metal and richly melodic progressive hard rock with amazing and very catchy vocal lines. As far as the heavy prog metal aspects of this album, The Andromeda Strain, The Archer Of Ben Salem and the title track Room V are shining examples of Shadow Gallery at their best. The Andromeda Strain kicks some serious prog metal ass with big booming riffs, some wild instrumental "tangents" with lots of speedy guitar and synthesizer leads and excellent melodic vocals the remind me of classic Alan Parsons Project from the mid to late 70's. The Archer of Ben Salem uses many different tempo changes and a more "sneering" vocal from Mike Baker with instrumental interludes that are both intense and dramatic. Room V has more of a Dream Theater prog metal feel and aside from a thundering heaviness and odd time signature riffing and synth leads has a big melodic chorus to top it off.

Besides the opening track Manhunt, there are 5 other short instrumental tracks that are interweaved within the context of the story. The combo of Birth Of A Daughter and Death Of A Mother begins with orchestration and acoustic guitar fills before heavier riffs come crashing in and results in a wild flurry of E.L.P. / Kansas style guitars and keyboards frenzy. Death Of A Mother is also somewhat wild and heavy but uses more neoclassical elements with great expressive lead guitar and the syncopation of the guitar and piano runs is simply jaw dropping. Lamentia is a short passage that reprises the track Cover Me with Dark being nothing more than a bridging track complete with shattering glass and other eerie effects. Seven Seas sees Shadow Gallery using amazing arpeggios with acoustic guitars, keyboards and flute accompaniment; creating a classic early 70's Genesis vibe. Eventually getting heavier, the lead guitars soar.

The richly melodic progressive rock elements are definite highlights to this album. Sure the heavier prog metal stuff is killer too but the vocal melodies from some of the more laid back tracks are what will get stuck in your brain after a couple of listens. Vow, with it's clean guitar and rich vocal melodies again bring classic Alan Parsons Project to mind. Likewise, Torn, with it's very effective use of clean and heavy guitar, has another catchy and memorable chorus. Encrytpted encompasses prog metal as well as melodic progressive metal using both clean and heavier guitar sounds. With a more laid back atmosphere, this one has some great ripping and melodic lead guitar fills to end off the track. The final track Rain uses a plodding and heavy Queensryche feel that has very thematic qualities to the lead guitars and it all cumulates in a huge soaring chorus of voices.

Although the traditional prog metal elements are all here, vocal wise, Shadow Gallery shows us a more catchy and melodic side with Room V. None of their albums in the past have had the sort of melodic catchiness that some of this album does; something I would normally expect from a Spock's Beard album and not necessarily a Shadow Gallery album. Some fans of the band may see this as a very dramatic departure in sound and may be met with mixed response. I think Mike Baker took a page from Arjen Lucassen's The Human Equation (Ayreon); a project that he was involved in, to bring more of a melodic sense to Shadow Gallery's music. Often compared to Dream Theater, I find Shadow Gallery to be much more melodic and progressive in the truest sense with a lot less wankery. Sure there's a couple of instances where things get pretty crazy but it's all used within the context of the evolving storyline. One big difference in the two bands is that the guys in Shadow Gallery all have other jobs and only play and record their music for the pure love of doing it. It's not a business for them and they take their time to do it right; avoiding all the pressures of record companies etc. With all of their albums but especially albums like Tyranny and Room V, the results speak for themselves. Shadow Gallery fans should not be without this album. For those not that familiar with the band and want to experience one of the best progressive metal bands in existence, this album would be an excellent introduction. I like this album more and more with each listen and the complexity requires both patience and your undivided attention to get the most out of the listening experience. This album is available as a special edition 2 CD set with the second disc containing bonus tracks, demos and a huge 20 minute Pink Floyd medley. One of the best albums I've heard so far this year, this one's sure to make my list for the years best. A masterpiece of progressive hard rock/metal.