DEAD SOUL TRIBE

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