I remember where I was…I was bowling at a tournament in Knoxville, Tenn when a teammate came up to me after are squad and said that our friend Marty was talking about spock’s beard and said, “Wasn’t that a band I liked?” It was of course, and Marty and I who knew each other from being in the same tournaments and leagues told me, “well you like Spock’s beard you have to check out these three albums”. He gave me Ayreon – Into the Electric Castle , Threshold – Hypothetical, and Shadow Gallery – Tyranny.
That was a magical day for me as in time all three of these albums have become some of my favorite albums. Curiously I really latched onto Threshold and Ayreon and it took my wife Rayna to have me listen to the album again and frankly I thought back in 2003 that it was one of the best albums in this revitalized prog movement that was starting to happen.
The one thing you might have to over come is the Late Mike Baker’s vocals and the mix have a bit of an 80’s hairband sound.
If that doesn’t bug you and you like your prog rock slightly harder this should be an album you are spinning for quite some time.
This is the first album of a 2 album story continued by Room V. The subject matter equates to Styx’s – Mr. Roboto. But the similarities end there. This album has very little “camp” and much more drama. Gone are songs like Haven’t we been here before and in with epic songs likeGhost of a Chance.
This is a byproduct of a real genius and multi-instrumentalist Gary Wehrkamp who is a really under-rated
song writer. To see him play live on stage is wonderful and he and Joe occasionally trade off on the drums.
I wouldn’t say this about all of their albums but if you ever wondered what a Def Leopard prog album would sound like. This is it.
This album’s Overall rating is justified as Rayna and I flew to Kingston Upon Thames to see them at The Peel in 2010.
| PREVIOUS BAND RATING: |  (0.0 / 5) |
| ACCESSIBILITY: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| HEAVINESS: |  (3.5 / 5) |
| MELODIC: |  (2.0 / 5) |
| ARTWORK & PACKAGING: |  (3.0 / 5) |
| DRAMA: |  (4.5 / 5) |
| OVERALL RATING: |  (5.0 / 5) |
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Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING
PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.
ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture
HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park
MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House
OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live
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