Shadow Theory - 'Behind The Black Veil'

An epic concept album featuring some of the best progressive metal has to offer.

The idea of being trapped inside an endless series of nightmares is the theme behind The Shadow Theory’s grandiose debut Behind The Black Veil. This band is an opportunity to see notable figures like vocalist/guitarist/flutist Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz) and bassist Kristoffer Gildenlow (ex-Pain Of Salvation) collaborate on an exciting new project. Four years of development has fine-tuned Behind The Black Veil into an engrossing treat for progressive metal fans.

The band meshes styles together with the crafty hand of road-tested veterans. The spirit of Jethro Tull rings through the solemn flute on “The Black Cradle,” very different from the unnerving acoustic interlude “A Candle In The Gallery” that follows up to progress the story ahead. The band is big on acoustic accompaniments, whether it drives the main melody a la Led Zeppelin in “Selebrate” or forms a tense bond with the punctual guitar riffs on “The Sound Of Flies.”

The theme of being unable to distinguish reality from dreams has been interpreted in many books and films before, and The Shadow Theory aims for a darker approach. The whole album is submerged in a foggy trance, trapped in a lulling serenity that is both soothing and eerie. The atmospheric effects from the keyboards and skin-crawling whispers from Graves are top-notch and a big part of entrenching the listener into the world the main character is potentially stuck in.

Concept albums have a tendency to emphasize the story instead of the music. Behind The Black Veil avoids this ugliness, except for the rambunctious “A Symphony Of Shadows.” In the closer, avant-garde meets a cluster of oddball vocals and an abundance of time changes. It’s not an awful track, but its outgoing nature seems out-of-place alongside the subtleness of the rest of the album.

The Shadow Theory has it down on a musical level, the MVP of the group being the fluid bass playing from Gildenlow, and the overall theme of Behind The Black Veil requires multiple listens. For genre die-hards, this will be a new favorite, even with the mediocre vocals and over-indulgent moments. Then again, if Scenes From A Memory, Dream Theater’s legendary album of excess, can get away with it, why not Behind The Black Veil?

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