No, shale is not a volcanic rock. It's a sedimentary rock formed from the accumulation and cementation of fine-grained sediment, like clay and silt.

Here's why:

* Volcanic rocks (also called igneous rocks) are formed from the cooling and solidification of molten rock (magma or lava).

* Shale is formed from the gradual accumulation and compaction of tiny particles, often in layers at the bottom of lakes or oceans.

While shale can contain small crystals, these crystals are not formed from the cooling of lava, but from the interaction of dissolved minerals in the water that cemented the sediment together.