THE DEAD WORD

Deadsoul Tribe's 4th studio album picks up from where January Tree left off: Clearly a post metal sound, pretty similar to their previous 2 albums and quite different from their debut. The main element of the album is again Devon Graves' characteristic vocals, a feature that will always be the crucial factor in the bands' present and future releases. Yet again, the vocal performance on this album is unique and interesting. In addition, the variation of sounds and tempos pretty much exists, as it did on previous works.

Regarding the music, the similarities with Psychotic Waltz's latter albums - mainly in the vocal melodies and not so much in the structure - are inevitable. However, the overall music approach of the band has moved as the years went by, towards a more post/alternative sound, which is still heavy, evident in tracks like Don't you Ever Hurt and The Long Ride Home. The main obvious influence in the music and structure is Tool, where the riffs borrow several ideas from albums like Aenema and Lateralus. Let the Hammer Fall is another example of the effect that M. J. Keenan's band had on this record, which also combines elements from P. Waltz's Mosquito. Apart from the main characteristics in their music, DT have incorporated Queensryche harmonies, 70's melodies (Some Sane Advice) and an alternative metal approach in the vein of Soundgarden and Alice in Chains (To My Beloved). Dead Word mainly balances between mid and slow tempos, even when heavier tunes are introduced, while the clever use of piano and flute at selected moments is one of the positive aspects.

Despite the potential that all the above referred features bear, the ultimate result is an empty product. The ideas are well structured and executed, but the musicianship is not at the expected high levels. There are only a few really ground-shaking moments. While the album flows quite smoothly, I found myself getting bored after a few spins. I get the feeling that the songs are longer than they should have been, mainly because the ideas are not innovative enough and get repetitive or predictable. The few moments that I picked out are A Flight on an Angel's Wings, My Dying Wish and A Fistful of Bended Nails. As mentioned above, some excellent ideas are apparent but are subsequently 'lost' within the mediocrity of the compositions.

Although not a bad album, Dead Word is possibly DT's weakest release. It is representative of the band's sound but not of its real capabilities.

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