Sinkadotentree This is my favourite DEADSOUL TRIBE album and it's amazing how much improved this is over the debut. There's no weak tracks and things are more aggressive here, but mainly everything has improved including the compositions. I have to mention the song "I'm Not Waving" because if he's not waving what is he doing ? Well the lyrics paint a picture of a person who is at the end of their rope and yet no one sees it. So the line "I'm not waving to you i'm drowning" is a creative way of saying the same thing. Great pictures as usual from Travis Smith in the liner notes, in particular the massive crow sitting on the top of that big house. I must admit i'm somewhat fascinated by crows after watching a documentary on them many years ago. I appreciate how smart they are and the fact that when they get a mate they stay with that mate for life. I could go on and on but this is a music site(haha). Anyway just a killer record from Devon and the boys.

Sinkadotentree An excellent debut from DEADSOUL TRIBE although i have to say their next three albums are much better in my opinion. There seems to be less of those dark and atmospheric moments on this one compared to the albums that would follow. I like the samples they use early on on the first two tracks, especially on "Powertrip" where we get a clip from "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas". Funny. Travis Smith did the artwork which is great as per usual along with the pictures in the liner notes. The second half of the album is where they start to lose me somewhat with tracks like "Under The Weight Of My Stone", the JETHRO TULL-like "Empty" and "Cry For Tomorrow". Still a good record and it's always good to hear a band's beginnings.

Sinkadotentree This is DEADSOUL TRIBE's fourth album released in 2005. I do prefer the first three to this one but this is still a solid 4 star record as far as i'm concerned. I like the fact that you know what your going to get with each of their albums. Much like Travis Smith's art work on this one which is not only excellent as usual but it suits their sound so well. So we get the usual tribal-like drumming with flute, heaviness, darkness and atmosphere. And of course Devon's poetic lyrics. The album opens with samples of a clock ticking and someone talking and there's also preaching before the music kicks in with the second track "A Flight On An Angel's Wing" with that heavy TOOL-like drumming and sound. Okay maybe not as heavy as TOOL but a good example nonetheleass. And so begins the dark journey provided by DEADSOUL TRIBE. Anyone who's into that dark and atmospheric style with some heaviness can't go wrong with this band.

Sinkadotentree This is DEADSOUL TRIBE's third studio album released in 2004. I must admit i'm somewhat of a fanboy of this band, and my praise would go back even further to Devon Graves earlier band PSYCHOTIC WALTZ. Love the album cover too which suits the dark music here. By the way that's Travis Smith's artwork which isn't surprising if your familiar with his work. What's so cool about this album besides the incredible lyrics by Devon (which he wrote first then set music to them)is the tribal-like drumming and added flute. Yes this can get heavy but it's more about the atmosphere and mood that Graves is trying to set. I'd probably rate this record and "A Murder Of Crows" as my favourite DEADSOUL TRIBE albums. A solid 4 stars.

Negoba Beautiful Metal for the Mature Headbanger

You had to wonder, what were the kids raised on Metallica going to want for music as they grew up? Well, as a guy who was completely immersed in metal culture in late 80's through the mid 90's, it's interesting to see who is stepping up. Two guys my age, with roots back to at least the early 90's, are making truly beautiful music in the metal context. Devin Townsend and Devon Graves (previously called Buddy Lackey in Psychotic Waltz).

Dead Soul Tribe sounds completely different than Psychotic Waltz with the exception of Graves' flute, and his lyrical sense. His voice is more natural now, but is actually more powerful and shows better breadth. Lullaby for the Devil was my first full length DST album, but I've branched out since first immersing myself in this album. From my listens to those other works, I think this album may be the band's best. Graves has developed his melodic sense, and his composition continues to improve as well.

The music seems simple at first, but there are a surprising number of progressive elements that add considerable color to the music. For instance, Goodbye City Life is a mini-epic, clocking in at about 8:25, and evolves from ominous gothic march to gentle dreamy vocal and piano passages to melodic metal to shouted rant. Any Sign At All's rhythm in 11 (3+3+3+2) seems perfectly smooth. The crown jewel of the album, The Gossamer Strand, is a gentle instrumental piece featuring Graves' accomplished flute playing over a bed that progresses from slow keys to frenetic tribal metal. The flute is obviously influenced by Ian Anderson as Graves has repeatedly noted, but I also hear a metal guitarist's scalar and shredding sensibilities as well. The result is a sound that I've heard no where else. In the download age, I think virtually every music fan should have this track in their library, prog fan or not. It's that good.

Other reviews of the classic Murder of Crows complained about lack of melodicism, static guitar grooves without solos, and frankly, a sense of boredom. All of these drawbacks are at least much improved here and in my opinion conquered. The melodies are clear (including the title track's allusion to Metallica's Wherever I May Roam verse, and A Stairway to Nowhere's heavy Porcupine Tree influence) and each song is quite distinct. The guitars sound great, modern tone, tightly played, with some tasty soloing woven in. A few songs could use a little more variation in key and feel, and certainly all of the sounds used here (with the exception of the flute) have been heard before. Influences of Tool, Pain of Salvation, and perhaps Anathema are here but not as blatant as on earlier albums.

All in all, this is an excellent album. It's what I want to hear when I listen to metal these days. Modern, but mature. Intelligent lyrics. Textured, but restrained instrumental work. Not afraid to draw on aggression but exploring a broader range of emotion. In two words, adult metal.