Lifting Shadows is a biography

Biography

A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...

 book detailing the complete story of progressive metal

Progressive metal

Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...

 band Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...

, written by Rich Wilson and published by Essential Works. Lifting Shadows is a set of two books, one subtitled Images and the other subtitled Words (a play on Dream Theater's most successful album, Images and Words

Images and Words

Images and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...

), and also contains a bonus CD

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 of rare and exclusive material.

Images contains rare photos of the band, previously unseen/unused album artwork, letters, press releases and a host of other memorabilia. It is printed on 130gsm art paper, measures 234 x 197mm and has around 192 pages. The inside of the front cover contains a holding pocket for the bonus CD and its slipcase.

Words contains the definitive biography of Dream Theater. It is printed on 80gsm paper, measures 234 x 153mm and has around 384 pages.

Lifting Shadows was dispatched to buyers in mid December 2007. The Words biography side was reprinted minus the Images photo book and Bonus CD in Trade Paperback format & cost ($20 USD), entitled Tour Edition with an added chapter of their activity (a new album recording sessions and their first "package" tour, Progressive Nation) since the original publication date of 2007, publication date of the Limited Edition) to sell at the merchandise booth starting at the "Progressive Nation 2008" tour early that year.

The book is currently being updated for a second edition, including the band's latest album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on June 23, 2009 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's last album to feature drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy before his departure on September 8, 2010. The album was...

. This will be available as a traditional hardback book - the Classic Edition - or as the leather-bound Limited Edition. Pre-orders are currently being accepted, and production is expected to be complete in November 2009.

CD

Lifting Shadows also comes with a free CD which has 11 Dream Theater songs, most of them rare, and unheard of by the average Dream Theater fan.

Tracks

1. Another Won (1985)

(Original Instrumental Berklee Demo)

Taken from the YtseJam Records CD The Majesty Demos

Majesty Demos

- Ytsejam Records re-release track listing :- Personnel :* Chris Collins – vocals on tracks 18-23* Kevin Moore – keyboards on tracks 18-23* John Myung – bass* John Petrucci – guitars* Mike Portnoy – drums; keyboards on track 6...

 1985-1986

2. Two Far (1986)

(1986 Majesty Demo)

Taken from the YtseJam Records CD The Majesty Demos 1985-1986

3. Status Seeker (1988)

(Radio Remix)

Previously only available as a Mechanic Records Radio Promo CD

Remixed by Terry Brown

Terry Brown (record producer)

Terry Brown is a record producer involved in a variety of work, but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band Cutting Crew. Brown is currently working with emerging Ottawa roots-rockers Ken Workman & The Union. He is referred to fondly by the band...

4. Don't Look Past Me (1990)

(Vocalist Audition Demo)

Taken from the 1999 Dream Theater Fan Club CD Cleaning Out The Closet

Music originally recorded in Feb 1990

James LaBrie

James LaBrie

Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...

 vocal tracks added in Oct 1999

Mixed by Doug Oberkircher

5. Under a Glass Moon (1993)

(Live At The Marquee Outtake)

Previously Unreleased

Recorded at the Marquee - London, England - April 23, 1993

6. Caught In a Web (1995)

(Live on BBC Radio One)

Previously Unreleased

Recorded Live on Bruce Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson

Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....

's BBC Radio One Show - January 30, 1995

7. You Or Me (1996)

(1996 Demo)

Taken from the YtseJam Records CD Falling into Infinity

Falling into Infinity

-Personnel:* James LaBrie – vocals* John Myung – bass, Chapman Stick* John Petrucci – guitars, backing vocals* Mike Portnoy – drums, backing vocals* Derek Sherinian – keyboards, backing vocals-Chart performance:Billboard 200:* Falling Into Infinity - #52...

 Demos 1996-1997

8. Burning My Soul (1998)

(Once in a LIVEtime Outtakes)

Previously only available on the Five Years In A LIVEtime DVD

Recorded at Le Bataclan - Paris, France - June 25, 1998

Live Mix by Kevin Shirley

Kevin Shirley

Kevin Shirley is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx, Dream Theater, Tyler Bryant, Mr. Big, and Europe.-Biography:...

9. Through Her Eyes (1999)

(Original "Long Titanic" Arrangement)

Previously only available on the end credits of Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York

Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York

Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York is a VHS/DVD release by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. It was released on April 21, 2001 by Elektra Records...

10. Your Majesty (2002)

(Live in Paris)

Previously Unreleased

Recorded at Mutualite - Paris, France - October 23, 2002

11. Metropolis (2004)

(Live in Los Angeles)

Special Guests: Charlie Dominici

Charlie Dominici

Charlie Dominici is a singer for progressive metal band Dominici.Perhaps he is best known as the second vocalist for the progressive metal band Dream Theater, having replaced Chris Collins and later being replaced by James LaBrie.-Biography:Dominici originally came into prominence as a member of...

 and Derek Sherinian

Derek Sherinian

Derek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...

Taken from the YtseJam Records CD When Dream And Day Reunite

Recorded at The Pantages Theater - Los Angeles, CA - March 6, 2004