Artist: Shadow Keep
Label: Limb Music Products
Release Date: 9/18/00
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Title: Corruption Within Artist: Shadow Keep Label: Limb Music Products Release Date: 9/18/00 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
I find Shadow Keep to be a pretty interesting band. They obviously have a love for 80s era Queensryche, but they are far from clones. They are treading the line between sounding dated and staying true to their roots quite well. And while this is far from a flawless record, it is quite enjoyable to listen to.
"While this is far from a flawless record, it is quite enjoyable to listen to." The guitar work is wonderful, in my opinion. Not that it’s something that we haven’t heard before, or mind-blowingly technical, but it is catchy and tight. The songwriters obviously care more for getting you to sing along than trying to bombard you with a million notes. But don’t get me wrong, these guys have been practicing, which makes that previous statement all the more satisfying. These guys have no problems understating their proficiencies for the sake of creating a much more listenable song. Time changes and simple, but effective, riffs comprise and drive every song, and the solos are very tastefully done and complement the songs as a whole.
Production is adequate, but compared to others in this genre it’s a little below the bar. Power metal like this relies much more on crisp production than the more extreme genres in metal, and when bands don’t have a ton of money it can be a liability. In this instance it seems to effect the vocals the most, and I can’t really tell if it’s a technical problem or not. The vocals every so often seem a bit off, and sometimes his falsetto drifts from a Tate inspired wail to an annoying version of Geddy Lee. It does seem like he has the range to get the job done, however; an example being the impressive cover of “Queen of the Reich” that closes this record. All in all, this is a quality record in which the good far outweighs the bad. It will be interesting to see how these guys evolve.
Death's Review:
Every once in while in life we encounter a milestone. Sometimes they are little things, seemingly insignificant items or events that really put something into perspective. Reviewing the new album from Shadow Keep is one such milestone for me and the development of Metal Judgment. Let me explain.
On December 14, 1999, Musashi and I posted demo reviews for Shadow Keep's self-financed six song EP. It was only the second album to receive demo review treatment here. Now here we are in 2001, and Shadow Keep is back with a full-length album backed by record company support. Time for the 'Keep to step up and subject itself to Judgment Committee reviews with the big boys.
"Get involved now, and support this intelligent, highly creative and talented band." Let's start with the fact that I originally gave the EP 4 skulls, although I came very close to giving it 5. I remember back then being new to the demo review thing, and I wasn't exactly sure how much room I wanted to leave myself at the top of the score range. But here was my bottom line: "I can't believe these guys aren't signed to a major metal label with American distribution. Somebody grab this band!"
Of course, demos are analyzed on a bit of a different plane around here than are the commercial label releases subjected to full Judgment Committee treatment. And so the fact that I ultimately give Corruption Within 4 skulls as well nevertheless accounts for Shadow Keep's professional and aesthetic development. Still, all six of the tracks from that first EP appear here, and while I appreciate the anthemic value of the band's self-described (anyone remotely interested in this album and these songs must check out the band's web site, where, if you click on the EP under "albums," you'll find all of the lyrics and complete explanations of the storylines ? very cool) "signature song," "Dark Tower," it falls a bit flat compared to passionately emotional vocal- heavy material like "The Silver Sword." As for the new stuff, the epic "Mark of the Usurper" is amazing and is my favorite, reminding me of the best and deepest John Arch -era Fates Warning material, at least in spirit. While Corruption Within's production, on the whole, surely lacks, it does not detract from the clear fact that Shadow Keep will soon become a major force to be reckoned with in the power metal scene. If you like old Queensryche, Fates Warning, Crimson Glory, etc., or if you are into newer bands like Jacob's Dream or The Quiet Room and that ilk, get involved now, and support this intelligent, highly creative and talented band.
Hel's Review:
Wow, did you know that this is the second demo ever reviewed by Metal Judgment? Crazy to think, here we are with their first label release, merely a year later. I have a confession to make at this point - I never listened to the demo. So I have no basis for making comparisons to that, and I want to dispel any such illusions. I'm not certain how that demo would have fared in my hands, and I'll tell you why in a moment.
The thing I find most endearing about death vocals is that they are difficult to mess up - you can either pull off the style or not, there is no try. When it comes to more traditional vocal styles, no such gray area exists - one person will think a particular singer's voice is great, while another thinks that same singer is the worst ever, and yet both of these people may share the same opinion on a different singer that they both enjoy. So you never know.
"Personally, I'm hoping that a few lessons in breath control fixes this guy's problem, and when I pick up the next Shadow Keep record, I will be as blown away as their potential promises." I was actually surprised to find that I don't like Shadow Keep's singer. I value Death's opinion on most metal issues, and I know he really liked the demo. After listening to Corruption Within, I can understand his enthusiasm for the music behind the voice - the guitar parts sound old-school prog inspired, the drumming is powerful, and the song structures are solid. That is the meat and soul of this record, and the reasons why what is good about it is great. But the singer falls short for me.
I know what he's trying to achieve, I respect what he's trying to achieve, I just don't hear him achieving at all times. It's clear he's inspired by Geoff Tate (What gave it away? The hidden track, a "Queen of the Reich" cover?) and other such power/prog high-pitched singers. The thing is, I need to like the timbre and texture of the singer's voice, without that, it doesn't matter how accurately the singer ultimately hits the notes. This guy sounds unduly shrill to me, as if he's trying to achieve tremolo by forsaking his pitch. Too much slipping and sliding on his way up to the notes, maybe. I'm not sure, but it rubs me the wrong way.
If the vocals lacked that warbly/squeaky thing I'm trying to pin down, there's no doubt in my mind that I would have rated this album a strong 4 skulls. Whenever he's not singing, I think to myself, "This is a five skull riff!" Then he starts singing again, and I really want to press "stop". If you have more tolerance for these kinds of shortcomings, by all means pick this record up right away, you will certainly enjoy it. Personally, I'm hoping that a few lessons in breath control fixes this guy's problem, and when I pick up the next Shadow Keep record, I will be as blown away as their potential promises.
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