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DeadSoul Tribe - A Lullaby For The Devil CD (album) cover

A LULLABY FOR THE DEVIL

DeadSoul Tribe

 

Experimental/Post Metal

3.74 | 137 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

floydisgod
5 stars I must say I've always doubted Devon Graves (Buddy Lackey) on one thing... and that is writing music. After all in Psychotic Waltz, the guitarists wrote most of the first album and the second album was a group effort, but once Graves appeared to take over, the music became both less interesting and less complex. This trend continued into the Deadsoul Tribe albums, and it looked like each album was actually getting worse. I do like a lot of the material from later Psychotic Waltz and Deadsoul Tribe up until now and think it's very good, but it always seemed to be missing something.

All of a sudden, the trend turns full circle and we've got what I feel is a solid candidate for album of the year. I would say "don't ask me how" because I really am shocked, but the fact is I know almost exactly how. Devon found what was lacking and that was ATMOSPHERE. This is easily his best album as both a producer and songwriter. Winding layers of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano, flute, and even some electronics all combine to make this an album which is a unique sonic experience.

It also avoids all the damning flaws of most prog metal. The long showy solos are replaced by short solos which ooze emotion. Emphasis is not on being technical, it is on being emotional. No effort seems to be put towards making it sound progressive. Instead, Devon knows the messages and emotions he wants to get across, and uses those as the inspiration behind the music. It's his honesty that makes the music "progressive", and that's why it stands out as being better than the other 100 prog metal bands that aim to be like Dream Theater, only better. He sees no boundaries relating to commercial obligations or obligations to please a particular group of fans.

This album is above immature pretentiousness. Devon draws from so many diverse kinds of music without taking the elitist attitude that restricts so many prog bands today. What I mean basically is if he felt like rap would best set the atmosphere and convey the desired emotions, he would not hesitate to do just that: rap.

Oh yeah, I think the rest of the band is good too and so are the songs, but I've said what I have to say and it's really up to you to listen to the music. Not everyone WILL like all of the tracks or even the album as a whole. I'm not even saying anything is perfect, I'm really just saying I think this album is what should be considered "a masterpiece of progressive music". If nothing else, it just shows that Prog IS NOT dead, it's just ugly on the surface.

floydisgod | 5/5 |

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