Tyranny (Shadow Gallery album)

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For the album by The Generators, see Tyranny (The Generators).
Untitled

Tyranny is the third album by the progressive metal group Shadow Gallery, released in 1998 (see 1998 in music). It is the first concept album made by the band, and the story that commences on this album is continued in the album Room V.

Track listing

Act I:

1. Stiletto in the Sand – 1:57
2. War For Sale – 5:35
3. Out of Nowhere – 4:20
4. Mystery – 5:42
5. Hope For Us – 6:00
6. Victims – 5:13
7. Broken – 1:54

Act II:

8. I Believe – 8:41
9. Roads of Thunder – 6:06
1. Empowered
2. Virus
3. Powerless
10. Spoken Words – 4:38
11. New World Order – 8:11
12. Chased – 4:36
13. Ghost of a Chance – 5:19
14. Christmas Day – 5:40

Plot

Stiletto in The Sand

The opening track is an instrumental, presumably referring to the turbulent life that the protagonist has.

War for Sale

The story opens with a Man, who explains that he formerly worked for a government to design weapons of mass destruction. He,initially, isn't entirely aware of the loss of innocent people's lives because of them. But as he realizes that this is all wrong, he questions himself and feels guiltiness. Also he criticizes that all of this has been done just for money (hence the title of the track). So he confronts his corporate leaders.

The Man sings the verse 'Stiletto in the Sand', referring to the fact that the damage is already done.

Out of Nowhere

The Man is fired from his job, literally 'they slamed the door behind', and he becomes disillusioned and isolates himself from the rest of the world. Soon he discovers the Internet, and with it he discovers people "living" in the Internet.

Mystery

In a chatroom, the Man meets a person (we don't know if it is a man or a woman), with whom the Man talks and both argue about the system. Also, the Man mentions that, as he worked on the corporation, is able to hack their computers. Another thing that the Man questions himself is the very fact that he is talking with someone 'a thousand miles away' and that all this communication is sustained by 'silver threads'. He also notes that dawn approaches, meaning that he stayed all night on the computer.

Hope for Us

The Man's perception of the so far perfect world starts to shatter, when he slowly begins to realize how the corporate controlled media affects the lives of everyone. He points that 'we danced their dance', like marionettes. So he wonders if there is a place where all can be free, not being controlled anymore. As this day is far away, he gives himself strength to make his way through days to come.

Victims

When walking across downtown New York, he witnesses a man being robbed and beaten in an alley. He rushes to help, but he's also knocked out, and left unconscious. He wakes up in a basement, in the care of some sort of a poor humanitarian service. And once again he questions this life, pointing that it seems that the scoria pollutes the world, and more people like the ones of the humanitarian service are needed. Even he wonders if the Savior will come to save the victims of the world.

Broken

The Man feels lonely and broken, still overwhelmed by his former blindness concerning the world. He could be a hero, but he was blind. Not knowing what to do, he stares into the computer screen.

I Believe

The Man makes reference to Jesus at the beginning of the song, pointing that Jesus phrophesied a better world. Soon he remember his father's words (portrayed by James LaBrie), he realizes that there's always a chance for change. These words make his spirit rise and now he has hopes that he can do something to change this world, it is just a matter of time for this to end.

Roads of Thunder

This song is separated in three movements:

  • Empowered: The Man now is talking with his friend (we still don't know his gender, but the Man's desesperations points that it is a woman). The Man will use his former skills to create a computer virus which, in his words, shall bring the 'network down in flames'. Also, the Man is tired of this impersonal relation, so he wants a phone call, but the friend is hesitant.
  • Virus: This is an instrumental, possibly pointing to the fact tha the Man is creating the virus.
  • Powerless: Once the virus is created, the Man reveals that he has always been a lonely man, and that he needs to talk with his friend by phone. At the end of the song, his phone rings.

Spoken Words

As the Man speaks with his love (portrayed by Laura Jaeger), he reveals that he is deeply in love with her, and that he doesn't want to abandon her. But she has something to say to him, she talks of treason, and she is scared because of the consecuences that the virus' creation may have brought. Now the Man recognizes that he must run and hide, but he has nowhere to run. His love reveals that she has also been alone, and that his dreams touched her life. She has the idea that they can 'rendezvous somewhere far away'. While she sends the coded location, she points that he may be being watched. Their conversation is interrupted by an unexpected message ("You have an online visitor in your chatroom.").

New World Order

The Man is suddenly faced by a government agent (portrayed by D.C. Cooper) explaining to him that he has been monitored and wiretapped all along, and that he is considered "a risk". This agent also struts of this order created by the corporations (hece the name of the track). The Man cant believe this is happening, he was spied all the time. The agent reveals that brainwashing has been made to mass media, and that everything is controlled. The song ends with the Man's door is being knocked on by agents sent out to apprehend him.

Chased

This is an instrumental track and, as its name points, the Man is being chased, so he is forced to flee.

Ghost of a Chance

Time has passed, and now the Man is somewhere North Dakota, hiding from the government. He feels that, as he has failed, the world is lost. The only thing he wants now is a safe home.

The verse I've got a dream of home sounds much like the same verses of the chorus in the song "Alaska", released in Shadow Gallery's previous album, Carved in Stone. Also, at the end of the song, a guitar can be heard playing a melody that belongs to the song "Alaska".

Christmas Day

Christmas has come, and the Man misses how was it before he knew all of these lies. He yearns a Christmas Day with her love, now that he is all alone and on his own.

Personnel

Additional musicians

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