DEAD SOUL TRIBE

The first record of DEAD SOUL TRIBE, former PSYCHOTIC WALTZ lead singer Devon GRAVES new band, a true Progressive metal band. Produced by GRAVES, this record shows a side of progressive metal not shown a lot, very poetic lyrics acts as a musical diary of GRAVES life after leaving PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, very dark sometimes, always full of emotion great riffs and acoustic songs, the drumming is very good and the use of the flute is great. A Must Have!...

DEAD SOUL TRIBE, what do you think about when you hear that name? Does it conjure up visions of an entire tribe of dead souls coming to take you away? It may. I thought that it was a creative name for a group myself, not much else ... until I listened to the music.

Devon Graves (AKA Buddy Lackey) is the enormously talented lead singer that built this astonishing progressive rock unit. He produced the music, wrote the lyrics, and played every instrument you could possibly imagine. He really didn't need a group to complete this project. It's a blessing that he was joined by others, as I am sure exhaustion would have set in eventually for him. By the time this disc was through my head was spinning. I can't tell you all of the groups I thought of while listening to this ... MARILLION and DREAM THEATER came to mind. When a group provokes thoughts of other great groups, I take that as a sign that I am listening to something real special. And this self- titled debut is surely that and more.

The key to impressing my ears is a group's capacity to keep me guessing as to what's coming next, this group kept me on the edge of my seat wondering at all times. When you hear the first song "Powertrip," which has a real hard edge and distorted vocals, it may have you wondering what you are in for next, well, just wait until you hear the stunning tracks "Haunted," "The Drowning Machine," which reminded of OZZY and BLACK SABBATH, and "You." They all explode with sweeping powerful guitar riffs and quickly fall into a dream like abyss and then shock you back into a rocking reality just as quickly. They are all destined to become prog-rock classics; it's just a matter of time.

You will be so impressed with the sound of this band. You like prog-rock? You will love this album. The range of styles covered is simply mind boggling, it's like listening to a different group on every track ... it's amazing. The key to the band's sound is Devon's flexible voice; he can growl in the lower register or turn his voice into a beautiful instrument. In fact, he reminded me of James Labrie with his tremendous range. The sonics have to be near perfection for you to really appreciate and hear progressive rock as it should be, and this recording is on the cutting edge. The production is flawless and powerful, lending every song the necessary subtle nuances and bursts of energy needed to drive home the point of the lyrics that steer this musical juggernaut. They will rock your ass off and put you in a dream state all in one song.

Yes, it's groups like DEAD SOUL TRIBE that is the future of progressive rock music. Chalk up another one for Inside Out America for moving up to the numero uno position for prog-rock labels. There is nobody else out there releasing a steady stream of top- notch music like they are.

This is Great stuff, sounds like Tool meets Jethro Tull if you can believe that. The guitar riffs are often Toolish, and the precussion is definitely Tool-Sounding. I had read that the name Deadsoul Tribe was to somewhat descibe the drums as were to be indian-african tribe-like. The vocals are solid but not spectacular, certainly not detracting. He tries to sound a bit like Maynard James Keenan at times, but really can't pull it off. The writing is much like the artwork and band name, dark, morose, and that said quite good, I'm still taking in the lyrics and the meaning of all the songs. I read that Devon Graves was a fan of MJK and Jethro Tull so it makes sense. Where the album really shines is when the flute is incorporated into the songs, wow, nice... I own all three DST albums and so far I like "MURDER OF CROWS" best, but I'd rate all of them at 4-5 stars if you are a fan of Prog metal, especially TOOL. The DST albums are influnced for sure but I don't think they sound like a TOOL ripoff or a ripoff of anyone at all. If you can buy all three at once and save time. I've let several people listen to these cd's... a progressive metal fan, a Goth- Industrial fan, and some TOOL fans, all them were very happy with the DST albums, and wanted more.

"We were somewhere around Barstol, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold ..."

This quote from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas kicks of a roller coaster ride of what I would call Psychedelic Metal. The whole album sounds a bit like it's predecessor - Bleeding by Psychotic Waltz (Dead Soul Tribe is the solo project of Devon Graves, who was the singer of Psychotic Waltz under the pseudonym of Buddy Lackey).

In many aspects, this is much evolved compared to Bleeding. It seems more refined, there's more happening simultaneously. Each instruments simply receives more attention and the whole album has a lot more atmosphere. All of that makes it just more progressive than Bleeding.

All in all, I'd recommend this album to all fans of Sabbath-inspired metal, and it's fairly progressive - not in terms of complexity, but in terms of feel, and sophistication.

Powertrip: This song reminds me of Led Zeppelin's Achilles Last Stand, but the Rob Zombie - like vocals and the heavy chorus make it quite unique.

Coming Down: I love that ultra-low guitar riff in the intro. This track is a perfect example of the sublime, hypnotic Dead Soul Tribe formula. Devon's vocals are much evolved compared to his PS aera, he screams less often. He concentrates on melody and phrasing instead, which is a very good thing.

The Haunted: after some sphaerical keyboard textures, a hefty guitar riff kicks in. The verse again heavily relies on Devon's voice. It really has a "haunting" quality to it, and Devon's guitar work complements it perfectly.

The Drowning Machine: This track has really cool guitar work, and some nice rhythmic extravaganzas. Although Dead Soul Tribe use few signature changes or odd signatures, the interaction between the rhythm guitars and drum/bass is very interesting.

You: One of the highlights of the album - a Dead Soul Tribe anthem. Very nice chord progressions in the chorus, and a clever guitar melody in the verse.

Under The Weight Of My Stone: Nice ballad - or rather interlude, as it's quite short. This track is mainly based on a acoustic guitar and Devon's voice, really a romantic track.

Once: This is another solid track, with the typical haunting verse/epic chorus. The intricate guitar melodies in the verse are amazing, as is the idea to finish the chorus with a break with acoustic guitar only.

One Bullet: Nice track based on a heartbeat sample. It's not a Pink Floyd rip-off though, but turns into a typical DST track like the previous ones. It's the most modern sounding track, with some Dream Theater and Queensryche similarities in the verse.

Empty: Finally, we hear Devon playing the flute ... this is one of the rare happy tracks, even if it is just a minute. One might even call it prog folk ... almost.

Cry For Tomorrow: This track is a little unusual for DST, it features a complex, fast metal riff.

Into The Spiral Cathedral: The intro riff is basically a variation of the intro riff to Powertrip. This might be the most complex track on the album, it features a piano (doubled by acoustic guitar) in the verse and even some tempo changes.

Those who read my reviews will notice I hardly ever make comparisons to other bands. That is because mainly I grew up in the neo-prog timezone, rather than the classic prog period like YES, ELO, PINK FLOYD, CAMEL and GENESIS. And secondly, it's because I feel every band has its own sound and feel, and I feel it unfair to compare them to others. That's also why I'm not going to compare Deadsoul Tribe, one of my favorite neo-prog bands, to the "legendary" TOOL. Let's take a look at the debut, shall we?

The album opens powerfully with "Powertrip", a song about drug use, I'm guessing. A pretty morbid theme, fitting to the atmosphere and the band name. Devon Graves' distorted vocals sound quite menacing. This song goes on in more or less a straight line, as if speeding on a long highway with no other car in sight. Follow-up "Coming Down" leaves some room to breathe. Spooky guitar howls, leaning on a solid guitar/bass riff. Graves shows the wide range of his voice, going from almost fragile melancholic to a powerful presence. Overall a decent song, but not overly exciting.

"Anybody There?" is a short 1-minute spooky ambient track, in which "Anybody There?" are the only vocals (which Devon also sang in the previous song). It goes over into "Haunted", which features a catchy bass-drum riff, and quite a bit of guitar variation. I love Devon's higher voice use in several parts of this song, and also the guitar solos are haunting ones. The next one is "The Drowning Machine", that starts off quite creepy and basically stays that way throughout the whole song, though it does get louder. The whole song has something twisted, which will either appeal to you or make you click 'next'.

The next song is "You", and to be honest, it stands out to me somewhat. Musically this is a very creative song, and maybe that's why it feels a bit "off" on the album 'till this point. Speaking of "off", "Under The Weight Of My Stone" is a soft almost 2-minute acoustic song, with Devon singing a sensitive song. A nice ballad and a good way to catch your breath after the heavy "You". "Once" is mid-level in loudness, and has a somewhat sad feel to it. It's not my favorite piece on the album, but it's definately not a bad piece of music, no sir. It might not be the most original piece of music, however.

"One Bullet" has to be one of my favorite tracks of the album. It features a heartbeat effect, with a haunting atmosphere at first, leaning on a lovely bass tune. The chorus is rough and emotional, and especially the "Remember me this way..." at the end gives me goosebumps. Some keyboard effects are added to the start of the song, making up the middle. The guitar solo goes along the same veins, with some vocals screaming "Lies!" and "I don't wanna live!", making it quite dramatic. The third time the main part comes by, Devon's voice sounds very haunting, and the guitar howls its pain. *le sigh* A depressing song, but often it's depressing that really transfers an emotion, I find. Beautiful.

"Empty" features another catchy rhythm, and a flute!!! Devon's finally picked up his trusty instrument. It's another of those 1-minute musical breaks of the album. Unlike "Under The Weigh Of My Stone", this one's catchy and fun, and over before you know it. "Cry For Tomorrow" is more or less along the veins of "Powertrip", a long repeating rhythm, until somewhere mid-way it changes for a little while. It's some nice straightforward piece of progmetal.

"Into..." is merely a 1-minute introduction to the album closer, "...Into The Spiral Cathedral". It features a nice flute, though, and has a great enjoyable suspense to it. Now, the Spiral Cathedral itself. I can really picture a big old twisted building with lots of spiral stairs. The use of keyboards give it a feeling of "grandness", and is a nice touch to the song. Devon's vocals song higher-pitched and are lovely to listen to. There's plenty of change in the song too, as it slows down in the middle, speeding up a little again later, featuring quite a beautiful guitar golo supported by piano.

And with that, the album is closed. Still, I feel obligated to point out several minor negativeness about it. For one, the short album breaks like "Under The Weight Of My Stone", "Anybody There?" and "Empty" stand out quite a bit, and seem somewhat unnecessary. They just can't compete with the other longer songs, it seems. This with the exception of "Into...", as it's connected to another song, which the others aren't. They kind of take the tempo out of the album at times, which may appeal to some, while others will usually skip them. Also, the music may sometimes sound a bit repetetive, which is fine by me, but it may be "too much of the same thing" for some.

Well, that's that. I give it 4 stars, since I quite enjoy the album, and am only bothered by several minor things.

Yours, Tailscent

This album rides an ocean vessel on the stormy sea of dark moods. After my fourth listen, I found the true value in its means, something typical of the best music any artist has to offer. I don't think any listener can appreciate this from the get go.

There is serious power in the music, mostly stemming from the guitar chord phrasings. The other instruments are wisely kept away from typical overplaying found on some Progressive Metal releases. It truly allows for the meaning of the lyrics to emerge as the defining measure. Do not expect a flurry of guitar riffs and drum fills.

For me, "The Drowning Machine" was a highlight. A bit short, but musically effective both in key and tempo.

I recommend this album to anyone who enjoys dark moody sounding music.

Deadsoul Tribe's debut album is a respectable attempt to create progressive rock. Unfortunately, the result isn't as successful as I imagined it to be in the first place. The beginning of the album seems to be so strongly influenced by Tool that I can say it practically looses it's originality. The most obvious mark is the bass that overtakes the guitar in a alternative style very similar to the one that can be listened throughout the entire discography of Tool. However there are some points during the 55 minutes of music in which the band achieves interesting melody such as the songs "One Bullet", "Coming Down" or "You". A strange aspect regarding the record is that i enjoyed the interludes more than the actual tracks. During those one minute songs the listener discovers the accomplishment of high musical ambitions in a progressive manner. Further more, the sensibility of those parts are impressing: as they are being located between roughly riffed music, the relaxing effect is emphasized. Another enjoyable aspect of self-titled album are the vocals. With an echoing post-production, the psychological effect leads to some high standard vocal interpretation to which I can only give credit. There are times when the voice saves the songs that either have become lame and unoriginal, either have passed from melody to noise. In conclusion, the album is good, but not worthy of three stars. It's lack of originality gives me a bad impression about Deadsoul Tribe, but this is only a debut album and i guess this might become an excuse at some point. Until then, I offer a 2 stars rating to DST's self-titled release.

First album of this Devon Grave's project, wich has not the recognition it deserves...

This first Devon's solo under this name, has the trademark of the band: dark melodies mixed up wich some riff in the Tool style. The name progressive comes by the experimentation given to every album, with some parts wich bring the name Jethro Tull to memory (Empty) and Pink Floyd (Anybody There?) This fact makes the Deadsoul Tribe's albums always interesting, rich and surprising... And this self tittled album is not an exception. Maybe not so good as later albums, but recommendable...

The only problem I have with this album is that it's a bit irregular... Some chorus sound a bit uninspired (You, Cry for Tomorrow...), while other track are simply impressive. The ambiental parts help to create a good ambience and variety, so I must say this disc is not repetitive. Some examples are the electronic One Bullet (wich is not a really good song anyway...) and ...Into the Spiral Cathedral (the orchestral arrangements make this track one of the highlights of the album...)

Instrumentally, the album is well produced, but the sound is not spectacular... The drums are maybe too weak, and I don't like the dry sound they have. The orchestral parts at the end, are not spectacular too. The best is maybe, apart from the strong guitar soudn, the Devon Grave's voice. This man really can sing, and alone his original and variated voice makes this album worthy to listen to... Of course, he is one of the best in Ayreon's The Human Equation!

Best songs: Comin' Down (the typical Deadsoul Tribe's riff, clearly anticipating the A Murder of Crows's style...), Under the Weight of my Stone (good acoustic track, with beautiful and mellow Devon Grave's singing...), Once (the best song of the album, in my opinion... I love the lyrics) and ...Into the Spiral Cathedral (the most progressive track of the album, giving a brilliant ending to the album...)

Conclusion: really interesting first Deadsoul Tribe's album... Variety, melancholy, power, and a lot of influences, form this very good album. If you are searching an album with the strength of Tool, the experimentation of Porcupine Tree, and the melancholic feeling of Anathema... Deadsoul Tribe is perfect for you!

My rating: ***1/2

Das ist für dich: When I think of you, I wish that you were here... Every now and then I dream about you, my dear. I'd tell you my regret would never dissapear... If I could see you once again.

This is the debut album from Deadsoul Tribe. A band created by former progressive/ psychadelic metal pioneers Psychotic Waltz frontman Buddy Lackey. I don´t know for what reason but he has changed his name to Devon Graves. I´m a big fan of Psychotic Waltz and therefore found it natural to follow Devon Graves new band Deadsoul Tribe.

The music on this album doesn´t have much to do with the Psychotic Waltz that I love though. Devon still has a beautiful voice but he is much more restrained on this album than he was in the days of heading Psychotic Waltz. It´s like he has growned up ( there is nothing worse IMO) and somehow learned to sing in a more controlled ( boring) manner. If you liked the more uptempo rockers from the last couple of Psychotic Waltz albums like Dancing in the Ashes and Skeleton you might enjoy this album more than I do. This is heavy metal with a slight psychadelic touch and IMO it´s allright. It´s just not excellent or very recommendable. The only song that stands out a bit is the short acoustic Under The Weight of My Stone but that doesn´t make it more special than any of the other songs. In fact the most exciting songs on the album is the bonus tracks that you only get if you have the digi-pack edition of the album like I do. Into the Spiral Cathedral and the Intro to that song are the only songs that reminds me of the good Psychotic Waltz songs that I love. I also like the opening song Powertrip but it´s mainly due to the fact that Deadsoul Tribe use samples from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thomson which is incidently one of my favorite movies. The samples suit this song perfectly.

I know it´s wrong to bash Devon because his new band doesn´t sound like Psychotic Waltz. There is probably a reason they broke up in the first place and it seems like creative differences could have been an issue as Devon is clearly more interested in a more simple approach than was the case with Psychotic Waltz elaborate and complex music.

The musicianship is good on the album. No flaws even though I could have wished for more personal touches to the music.

The production is allright. It´s good for the time.

I can´t say that I listen to the album very often, but the quality isn´t bad at all and I will rate it 3 stars. This is the kind of album that will appeal to many people into metal. Most Psychotic Waltz fans will be disappointed IMO though.

Very cool to see Devon thank his former band mates from PSYCHOTIC WALTZ in the liner notes. He says "I still think about you all, I often see you in my dreams. I couldn't have done this without you".Travis Smith did the cover art. The pictures in the liner notes and the whole packaging in general is first class.

"Powertrip" is an energetic opener with sound bites from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" thrown in to great results.This is a heavy track with some crushing sections. A good opener. "Comin' Down" also opens with a movie sound bite, this time from "The Buddy Holly Story". A dark and heavy soundscape comes trampling in.The vocals are excellent as they go from reserved to passionate. "Anybody There ?" features these haunting waves of sound. Very spooky to say the least. After a minute he says in a scared voice "Anybody there ?". It blends into "The Haunted" as heavy riffs come crashing in. It settles down as vocals come in, although the heavy guitar comes back as the contrast continues. Ripping guitar 3 minutes in. Man I like Devon's vocals. This might be my favourite track.

"The Drowning Machine" features heavy bass and drums. Heck the guitars are heavy too ! This one reminds me of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ. "You" is heavy. Ok that's an understatement. Great vocals as guitars just rip it up. Another heavy, dark rocker. "Under The Weight Of My Stone" is a short acoustic guitar / vocal ballad. "Once" builds with a powerful undercurrent. Some excellent bass in this one. The guitar cries out after 3 minutes. "One Bullet" is almost doom-like after one minute, it is slower paced with tons of bottom end. Amazing sound 4 1/2 minutes in. "Empty" is like Devon's nod to JETHRO TULL as flute, vocals and strummed guitar lead the way. "Cry For Tomorrow" is an uptempo, heavy track. It's pretty good but my least favourite. "Into..." is a short spacey intro to "...Into The Spiral Cathedral". Drums come rumbling in and then vocals. It lightens, some piano after 3 minutes as the guitar solos over top.

A good start for Devon and the boys but their next three studio albums are much better in my opinion. 3.5 stars.

After the demise of the great Psychedelic Waltz, the return of Buddy Lacky aka Devon Graves with his own band Dead Soul Tribe was great news. Unfortunately, none of the DST albums could bring back the glories of old.

Dead Soul Tribe continues the more accessible and emotive songwriting of Psychotic Waltz's swan song Faded. The song format is concise and verse-chorus oriented, striving for a sweeping emotional impact but lacking the musical depth and enthusiasm to make any kind of lasting effect. The slightly metalized rock never rises above basic Black Sabbath heavy blues riffing, a trick that works fine for Sabbath themselves but that usually makes for a tedious listen if other bands try it.

My main grudge with the album is that the song material is uneven and uninvolved. Some tracks like The Drowning Machine and You are plain weak and predictable, other songs like Once and The Haunted have an idea or two that could work if somebody had kicked this lethargic band into action but things pretty much remain midpaced metal muzak for their entire course. In fact, only the first two tracks manage to grab my attention, the remainder plods along without much of an impression.

At the time of this writing, news got out that Devon has terminated the Dead Soul Tribe project after 5 very similar releases(*). Some of those albums are pretty good in that category, but this debut is better avoided.

(*) The new project is named "The Shadow Theory" with a lineup consisting of Krisstofer Gildenlow (ex-PAIN OF SALVATION), Mike Terrana (ex-RAGE, TARJA, MASTERPLAN, MALMSTEEN, MCALPINE) and guitarist Arne Schuppner.

Dead Soul Tribe has been formed by Devon Graves, the alter ego of Buddy Lackey who used to be front man with Psychotic Waltz. According to Devon "Everyone that liked the albums I did with Psychotic Waltz is going to like Dead Soul Tribe. And those that weren't all that keen on Psychotic Waltz is guaranteed to like my new band". In fact, this is quite a strange album to listen to, as there are times when the music is very intense and brutal while at others (such as "The Haunted") there is an almost ethereal Queen-like style to the music. As well as the music changing tack Devon also uses a few different vocal styles which all add to the complexity and feel. The short acoustic "Under The Weight Of My Stone" certainly places a different air on the proceedings.

The band are fairly driven along by the drumming, and the twin guitar attack concentrates more on power and emphasis than on being overtly technical, although there is much more than just a hard rock album. There isn't a keyboard in sight and the music hasn't got much of what would be considered 'normal' prog metal styles but in many ways that is the genre within which the music sits. It is complex and complicated but manages to avoid being too self-centred, and there are certainly plenty of riffs to be heard.

I get the impression that the band aren't quite this polished in concert, and that they will come across as raw and metallic. An album that certainly suggests that they have a strong future ahead of them.

Originally appeared in Feedback #67, Apr 02

Having enjoyed their first album, but not too much, I was warned that I might not like this album as much as the second album.

And as it goes, yea I really don't like this album. I won't lie, these guys aren't really my thing. But, haven't said that these guys aren't my thing, their second album did suprise me a good amount. But this album on the other hand didn't.

Musically the album is all over the place. Their second album at least had a consistent sound running throughout, which did play to the band's strength. On this album, the band can't decided what they are, are they a Tool rip off, a normal prog band, an experimental rock band or whatever it is they want to be. Most of the time, they are a Tool rip off. On their last album, I said they where a better version of Tool. Looks like Tool have just bettered them on this album.

Vocally, Devon at times plays it really safe, and I mean really safe. Now and then he hits some alright highs, but most of the time, even the melodies have very similar flows throughout.

Even though I did basically spew out a lot of negativity about this album, I will admit that some of the aspects of the album I did quite enjoy. The small intros which led into songs was a pretty great idea and even the album's length, being just about 40 minutes does bode well in the band's favour. Sadly the material just isn't that strong.

The album opener "Powertrip" does start the album off well. With an intro from "Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas", the album has a rather speed metal take with some nu metal flourishes. I do like the interesting take on vocals that Devon decided to attempt.

The best song on the album suprisingly enough is one of the shorter intros "Under The Weight Of My Stone." A rather beautiful folky acoustic song. It's funny that the song it leads into "Once" is a complete bore-fest.

One of the albums more interesting moments has to be the track "One Bullet." An interesting arrangement with a weird sounding electronic beat which gives off an almost Björk sounding industrial groove to the song. Some pretty interesting arrangements throughout.

The album's bonus track "...Into The Spiral Cathedral" is one of the more proggy sounding songs on the album. Nice arrangement throughout with some interesting musical passages.

In conclusion, I really didn't enjoy this album that much. Parts where good and some songs had their moments, but this album was just very confusing. One thing is, these guys sound really isn't one that completely jumps out at me, but at least their second album did keep me enjoyed. I really would say this album is for someone who likes this kind of metal and is a fan of the band. Things do get better for these guys, so this album hasn't completely ruined this band's image.

4.8/10