Shady Lane – There and Back

Shady Lane is a relatively new melodic progressive metal band, born from the vision of Ivory guitarist Salvo Vecchio, who quickly recruited fellow founding Ivory member, bassist Luca Bernazzi. The lineup was completed with the addition of vocalist Roby Quassolo and keyboardist Antony Elia. Drawing inspiration from genre giants like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Symphony X, the band’s debut album, There and Back, was released on March 21, 2025, through Underground Symphony Records.

There and Back is an eight-track concept album divided into two acts and inspired by the spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle. Operating as a musical travelogue spanning Italy and the United States, it follows a protagonist’s introspective journey as it veers into a gripping psychological thriller. The music acts as the perfect vehicle for this intriguing narrative, pairing magnetic guitar work with Quassolo’s versatile vocals, which shift seamlessly between raspy, soaring, and delicate tones. Furthermore, the guitar parts are deeply rooted in classic melodic progressive metal. Rather than prioritizing sheer speed, the fretwork emphasizes soaring melodic lines, refined riffing, and textured phrasing, successfully balancing technical precision with a narrative atmosphere. Beneath this, the bass provides a melodic, refined, and driving low-end foundation that anchors Shady Lane’s intricate progressive structures, smoothly bridging the heavy metal riffs with atmospheric keyboards. Finally, the drumming provides a clean, dynamic, and heavy foundation that deftly anchors the album’s shifting time signatures and cinematic thriller aesthetic.

In my opinion, the two best songs on the record are “Drag Me into the Nightmare” and the closing track, “The City”. “Drag Me into the Nightmare” stands out by showcasing the heavier, darker edge of the album, blending driving rhythmic shifts with complex keyboard-and-guitar arrangements. On the other end of the spectrum, “The City” serves as an excellent highlight and the album’s lead single. It features exceptionally strong melodic hooks, effective piano integration, and an immediate encapsulation of the band’s balance between hard rock energy and progressive atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere, the entire record carries a distinct cinematic narrative as the music shifts dynamically to evoke the physical and psychological feeling of being on the road.

Mattia “Mat” Stancioiu created the artwork for There and Back while simultaneously handling mixing and mastering duties at Elnor Studios. The visual art perfectly matches the record’s identity as an on-the-road thriller concept piece. Production-wise, the album focuses on a clean, modern style that keeps the heavy sonic landscape polished and elegant.

In summary, There and Back is a captivating progressive rock and metal album that holds the listener’s attention from start to finish. It comes highly recommended for fans of progressive mainstays like Symphony X, Dream Theater, Evergrey, Fates Warning, and Queensrÿche, as well as anyone looking for a well-crafted debut from a band with the compositional talent to execute a dreamy, progressive conceptual journey. For additional information on this release, you can visit the quartet’s official Bandcamp page.