Room V
Encyclopedia
Room V is the fifth album
by the progressive metal
group Shadow Gallery
, released in 2005 (see 2005 in music
). It continues the story started in Tyranny, picking up after Tyranny's Act II.
The cover art was done by Rainer Kalwitz, who also did the art for Tyranny. link
Act IV:
track. The story begins where it was left off. Eight hours later, the Man is still running and hiding from the government and searching for his "lover".
This song is as fast as the song "Chased" from Tyranny. The fourth quarter of the song resurrects the piano melody from "Christmas Day", as the time is still Christmas. "Manhunt" ends with a calmed section like "Chased".
. She works on it because "the demon" (a reference to the government) has bought bioweapons from the Israeli intelligence. She uses her own DNA
to create a serum
that can cure smallpox. But, when they go to publish the cure and go clinical trial, without their knowledge, a document slipped through unfolding a "most insidious plot".
The serum works, and is approved to be sold, but soon the formula is stolen, arguing that the serum sequence was scripted incorrectly; the government intends to unleash the disease and sell the cure at a high price. Knowing someone is after them, the Man and his lover must run and hide again.
The title of this track is a clear reference to the book The Andromeda Strain
, although it is not based on the book itself.
, while he must live in this world.
He reveals that the smallpox virus is in the wrong hands, and that they have tried to recreate the serum, but they haven't achieved it. So the Archer reveals that he also carries the same rare blood his wife had, implying Alaska has this blood too, and that her blood is essential to create a vaccine
.
The Archer also reveals that the Man's wife didn't die naturally, but she was killed by Mossad
, the Intelligence from Israel, to steal blood from her (from the baby; they stole some blood from the Woman's womb). The Archer discloses that the New World Order organization is behind all this, and that U.S. Special Forces have a key mission for the Man to perform.
It is also revealed that the codeword and keyword for the serum are "Room V" and "Tyranny" respectively; the Man uses this information to organize a resistance.
), and it is implied that Mike Baker is equivalent to the Man. They write the serum key into Tyranny and Room V, knowing that because of Shadow Gallery's underground status, they can deliver the serum to the world without the New World Order knowing about it. A brief binary code is listed in the album booklet to the left of the song lyrics. The listeners are urged to join the resistance themselves by supporting Shadow Gallery. A five-minute jam session ends the song and fades into the sound of rain.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
group Shadow Gallery
Shadow Gallery
Shadow Gallery is an American progressive metal band formed in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, United States, during the early 1980s, originally under the name Sorcerer. After changing their name to Shadow Gallery and recording a short 8-track demo, the band was signed to Magna Carta Records in 1991...
, released in 2005 (see 2005 in music
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
). It continues the story started in Tyranny, picking up after Tyranny's Act II.
The cover art was done by Rainer Kalwitz, who also did the art for Tyranny. link
Track listing
Act III:- 1. "Manhunt" – 2:07
- 2. "Comfort Me" – 6:49
- 3. "The Andromeda Strain" – 6:44
- 4. "Vow" – 8:25
- 5. "Birth of a Daughter" – 2:38
- 6. "Death of a Mother" – 2:13
- 7. "Lamentia" – 1:02
Act IV:
- 8. "Seven Years" – 3:35
- 9. "Dark" – 1:01
- 10. "Torn" – 8:21
- 11. "The Archer of Ben Salem" – 7:26
- 12. "Encrypted" – 7:59
- 13. "Room V" – 7:42
- 14. "Rain" – 8:59
Manhunt
This is an instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
track. The story begins where it was left off. Eight hours later, the Man is still running and hiding from the government and searching for his "lover".
This song is as fast as the song "Chased" from Tyranny. The fourth quarter of the song resurrects the piano melody from "Christmas Day", as the time is still Christmas. "Manhunt" ends with a calmed section like "Chased".
Comfort Me
At last, the Man joins his lover (portrayed, again, by Laura Jaeger). Both are tired of running and hiding, but they realize how comfortable and safe they feel when they're together, and believe their . So, they promise one another to be always together.The Andromeda Strain
Soon it is revealed that she is a bio-engineer and, possibly when the Man falls asleep, she starts working on a cure for smallpoxSmallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. She works on it because "the demon" (a reference to the government) has bought bioweapons from the Israeli intelligence. She uses her own DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
to create a serum
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
that can cure smallpox. But, when they go to publish the cure and go clinical trial, without their knowledge, a document slipped through unfolding a "most insidious plot".
The serum works, and is approved to be sold, but soon the formula is stolen, arguing that the serum sequence was scripted incorrectly; the government intends to unleash the disease and sell the cure at a high price. Knowing someone is after them, the Man and his lover must run and hide again.
The title of this track is a clear reference to the book The Andromeda Strain
The Andromeda Strain
The Andromeda Strain , by Michael Crichton, is a techno-thriller novel documenting the efforts of a team of scientists investigating a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism that rapidly and fatally clots human blood, while in other people inducing insanity...
, although it is not based on the book itself.
Vow
As they run together, their relationship progresses. Soon the Man proposes to her, and the two get married, hoping to forget their past lives.Birth of a Daughter
This is the second instrumental track and, as its title implies, the Woman has given birth to a daughter named Alaska. The song builds towards a brief moment of calm, happy ambience as Alaska is born.Death of a Mother
This is the third instrumental, and the sequel to the previous track. It opens with a sudden mood change from happy to dark, and the sound of a heart monitor which soon flatlines, leading into a chaotic instrumental that ends with wrenching guitar solos. As its title points, the Woman has died in childbirth, leaving the Man alone with his daughter.Lamentia
The Man is broken, as his wife promised she would never leave during "Comfort Me", but she left so soon. The vocal arrangement is identical to "Comfort Me" as the Man remembers this broken promise. He claims that she is in the hands of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, while he must live in this world.
Seven Years
This is the fourth instrumental, and as its title indicates, seven years have passed since the Woman's death. The Man's daughter has grown healthy. The mood is lush and innocent.Dark
This is the fifth and final instrumental. The peaceful life of the Man changes as a shattering window and a very high pitched scream is heard. Beside the scream, it can be heard that the word "daddy" is shouted twice. The remainder of the piece is dark ambience.Torn
The Man enters the room, only to find out that Alaska was kidnapped, and all of his emotions are let loose. He says he never heard the scream, and starts to curse the kidnappers. He wonders himself if he can ever escape from his past. Although he knows it is likely that the culprit is the New World Order, who would have staged the kidnapping to draw the Man out, his daughter is the only thing that matters in his life now.The Archer of Ben Salem
In the early morning the Man heads out into the forest determined to bring Alaska back alive, but he sees a soldier with a crossbow aimed at him. The Archer (portrayed by Carl Cadden-James), from a special U.S. Special Forces segment fighting the New World Order (who chased the Man previously on Tyranny), has come with news.He reveals that the smallpox virus is in the wrong hands, and that they have tried to recreate the serum, but they haven't achieved it. So the Archer reveals that he also carries the same rare blood his wife had, implying Alaska has this blood too, and that her blood is essential to create a vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
.
The Archer also reveals that the Man's wife didn't die naturally, but she was killed by Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
, the Intelligence from Israel, to steal blood from her (from the baby; they stole some blood from the Woman's womb). The Archer discloses that the New World Order organization is behind all this, and that U.S. Special Forces have a key mission for the Man to perform.
Encrypted
The Archer takes the Man to a well hidden town, to the back room of a library. Here the Man works on the serum, shaping encrypted lines, as the Archer stands guard. It is here that he discovers that the NWO is planning to unleash the plague, and sell the serums to those fortunate enough to pay the high fees for it. When the Man has finished, a scientist takes the disc and nods his head.It is also revealed that the codeword and keyword for the serum are "Room V" and "Tyranny" respectively; the Man uses this information to organize a resistance.
Room V
The Man forms a band of six members, which are actually Shadow Gallery themselves (in an act of breaking the fourth wallFourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
), and it is implied that Mike Baker is equivalent to the Man. They write the serum key into Tyranny and Room V, knowing that because of Shadow Gallery's underground status, they can deliver the serum to the world without the New World Order knowing about it. A brief binary code is listed in the album booklet to the left of the song lyrics. The listeners are urged to join the resistance themselves by supporting Shadow Gallery. A five-minute jam session ends the song and fades into the sound of rain.
Rain
As the Man has finished his work with the U.S. Special Forces, he continues to search for his lost daughter within the woods of Alaska. His entire mission may have saved the world, but it also has destroyed everything he has ever lived for - hence the metaphor "Their antidote is poison". He is tired of this world and this life, and begs to his dead wife for her shelter. It is implied that the Man may have died at the end, but his ultimate fate and that of Alaska's is left open-ended.Special edition
The limited edition set includes a second disc. In addition to a multimedia segment titled The Story of Room V that can be accessed on a computer's CD ROM are these tracks:- "Joe's Spotlight" – 3:06
- "She Wants to Go Home" – 2:40
- "Memories" (Demo) – 1:59
- "Rain" (Acoustic Version) – 5:53
- "Floydian Memories" – 24:36
- Pigs on the Wing (Part I)Pigs on the Wing"Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 concept album, Animals, starting and wrapping up the album. According to various interviews, it was written by Roger Waters as a declaration of love to his then-love, Carolyne...
- Fearless
- MotherMother (Pink Floyd song)"Mother" is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on The Wall album in 1979. The song is notable for its varied use of time signatures.-Composition:...
(The Post War Dream/Thin IceThe Thin Ice"The Thin Ice" is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on The Wall in 1979.-Composition:The song is 2 minutes, 30 seconds in length. The first few seconds are occupied by the sound of a baby crying , lasting around seven seconds...
) - BikeBike (song)"Bike" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn .-Information:...
- Brain DamageBrain Damage (song)"Brain Damage" is the ninth track from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. It was sung by Roger Waters. David Gilmour took over as lead vocalist when the band performed it live on the band's 1994 tour...
- (Tienneman's Square/Goodbye Blue SkyGoodbye Blue Sky"Goodbye Blue Sky" is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on The Wall album in 1979.-Plot:In a brief prologue, birds are heard chirping peacefully...
) - Point Me at the SkyPoint Me at the Sky"Point Me at the Sky" is the fifth United Kingdom single by the British band Pink Floyd, released on 17 December 1968. The song was an early collaboration by bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour. The single was not released in the United States However, it was released by Capitol...
- Your Possible PastsYour Possible Pasts"Your Possible Pasts" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1983 album, The Final Cut. It has never been performed live, but lyrics from the chorus are featured in The Wall film, along with lyrics from "5:11 AM " from The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking...
- Shining OnShine On You Crazy Diamond"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, although it was not originally explicitly written with him in mind. It was first performed on their 1974 French...
(guitar solo by Arjen Anthony LucassenArjen Anthony LucassenArjen Anthony "Oswold Jr." Lucassen is a progressive metal/rock composer, singer and musician from the Netherlands, best known for his long-running progressive opera project titled Ayreon....
) - One in the Crowd
- Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict (distant banter)Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict"Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" is a track written and performed by Roger Waters from the two-part 1969 Pink Floyd album, Ummagumma....
- Baby LemonadeBarrett (album)Barrett was the second and final studio album of new material released by former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett. In February 1970, shortly after releasing his first album, The Madcap Laughs, Barrett appeared on John Peel's Top Gear radio show where he presented only one song from the newly released...
(with guitar riff from Another Brick in the WallAnother Brick in the Wall"Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3...
) - Welcome to the MachineWelcome to the Machine"Welcome to the Machine" is the second song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. It is notable for its use of heavily processed synthesizers and guitars, as well as a wide and varied range of tape effects.-Theme:...
(with interspered vocalization from Wish You Were HereWish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)"Wish You Were Here" is the title track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song's lyrics encompass writer Roger Waters' feelings of alienation from other people. Like most of the album, it refers to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett and his breakdown...
) - Summer of '68 (instrumental)Summer '68"Summer '68" is a song by Pink Floyd on their album Atom Heart Mother. Written and sung by Richard Wright, it is about a one night stand, and the return to habitual life. The soft piano intro contrasts with the bombastic trumpet solo breaks in the middle and end of the song, the latter breaks...
- SheepSheep (song)"Sheep" is a song by the English band Pink Floyd. It was released on the album Animals in 1977. In 1974, it was originally titled "Raving and Drooling".-History:...
(sung by Arjen Anthony Lucassen) - Julia DreamJulia Dream"Julia Dream" is the B-side of the Pink Floyd single "It Would Be So Nice". It was later issued on several compilation albums: The Best of the Pink Floyd, Relics, and The Early Singles disc included in the Shine On box set...
- Comfortably NumbComfortably Numb"Comfortably Numb" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, which first appears on the 1979 double album, The Wall. It was also released as a single in the same year with "Hey You" as the B-side. It is one of only three songs on the album for which writing credits are shared between Roger...
(guitar solo by Gary Wehrkamp) - CymbalineCymbaline"Cymbaline" is a Pink Floyd song from the album, Soundtrack from the Film More. Its lyrics vividly tell the tale of a "nightmare", which was the title of the song when it was first introduced in Floyd's The Man and the Journey shows....
- Corporal CleggCorporal Clegg"Corporal Clegg" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets . It was written by Roger Waters and features David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright on vocals. The song also features a kazoo.-Lyrics:The song is about a...
(with interspersed vocalization from The Great Gig in the SkyThe Great Gig in the Sky"The Great Gig in the Sky" is the fifth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. It features voice instrumental music by Clare Torry.-Composition:...
) - Mother Reprise
- Wot's... Uh the Deal? (with Wish You Were Here segue)
- The Fletcher Memorial HomeThe Fletcher Memorial Home"The Fletcher Memorial Home" is a song by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd. The song appears on their 1983 album, The Final Cut. It is the eighth track on the album, and is arranged between "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert" and "Southampton Dock". It was performed live by Roger Waters for...
(Paranoid Eyes/The Final CutThe Final Cut (song)"The Final Cut" is the title track from Pink Floyd's 1983 album The Final Cut. The video depicts Roger Waters singing to a psychologist and utilizes old film footage of 1930s and 1940s life intertwined...
) - On the Turning AwayOn the Turning Away"On the Turning Away" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Released as the second single from the album, it reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in early 1988. In the United Kingdom, the song charted at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart...
- Pigs on the Wing (Part II)
- Pigs on the Wing (Part I)
- The track "Joe's Spotlight" is a drum solo performed by Joe Nevolo.
- The track "She Wants to Go Home" is an instrumental track.
- The track "Floydian Memories" is a big medley composed by Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
songs extracts, though some parts are not:- There is no song or song segment named "Tienneman's Square" composed by Pink Floyd. It is unsure if the band misspelled (on purpose or not) the name of the famous Tiananmen SquareTiananmen SquareTiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
. It's "And I grief for my sister" fragment from solo Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
track "Watching TV". - The section "Baby Lemonade" is a song composed by an ex-Pink Floyd member, Syd BarrettSyd BarrettSyd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
.
- There is no song or song segment named "Tienneman's Square" composed by Pink Floyd. It is unsure if the band misspelled (on purpose or not) the name of the famous Tiananmen Square
Personnel
- Carl Cadden-James - Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals, Archer on "The Archer of Ben Salem", fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Brendt AllmanBrendt AllmanBrendt Allman , is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a member of the progressive rock band Shadow Gallery.-Personal life:Brendt currently lives in Doylestown, PA with his wife Tonya...
- AcousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, Vocals - Chris Ingles - KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Gary WehrkampGary WehrkampGary Wehrkamp is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is most notably a member of the American progressive rock band Shadow Gallery.-Personal life:...
- Guitars, keyboards, backing vocals - Joe Nevolo - DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and percussion - Mike BakerMike Baker (Singer)Mike Baker was the lead vocalist for the American progressive metal band Shadow Gallery.-Biography:...
- lead vocals
Additional musicians
- Laura Jaeger - vocals on "Comfort Me"
- Libby Molnar - part of Alaska on "Dark"
- Mark ZonderMark ZonderMark Zonder is the drummer of American heavy-metal band Warlord. When the band was in a hiatus, he joined Fates Warning. His artistic name in Warlord is "Thunder Child"...
- drums on "One in the Crowd" and a portion of "Floydian Memories" - Arjen Lucassen - vocals throughout "Floydian Memories"; guitar solo in "Seven Years" and in the extract "Shining On"
- Jim Roberti - vocals throughout "Floydian Memories"
- Joe Stone - first guitar solo on "The Archer of Ben Salem"