Dead Soul Tribe The January Tree
Inside Out Music
2004
www.deadsoultribe.com/
www.insideoutmusic.com
1 Spiders and Flies
2. Sirens
3 The Love of Hate
4 Why
5 The Coldest Day of Winter
6 Wings of Faith
7 Toy Rockets
8 Waiting for the Answer
9 Just Like a Time Piece
10. The Lady of Rain
The January Tree has been released one year from their previous album, and this marks the third album to be released within a two and a half year period. This album is much darker in songwriting nature though. If you are not familiar with the band, this is really the brainchild from main man, Devon Graves, who also went under the moniker of Buddy Lackey during his days in PSYCHOTIC WALTZ. Now, here is where it gets strange, as DEAD SOUL TRIBE gets labeled as a progressive metal band, yet that only just begins to scratch the surface. They delve into much darker musical structures, with a lot of art rock influences from TOOL. The drums are very tribal in nature, and the guitars flow beautifully from note to note. One thing you have to realize, this is not really a guitar based band, as the quality of the songs play the most major role here. Although, the guitars are heavy when they need to be, and tastefully subdued when needed, they do add that extra layer to the overall project. Any band that can incorporate wind instruments and still make it sound metal, get my vote any day of the week. The star of the whole band is Devon Graves voice, and is used more as an instrument. Devon's voice is both somber and powerful at the same time. It is just one of those voices that is tremendously captivating.
This is really just one of those memorable albums that gets better with every repeated listen. Album opener, "Spiders and Flies" kicks in and pulls you into the album, well, sort of how a spider draws in a fly. Coincidence? I think not. The January Tree does happen to include one of the top contenders for my song of the year. "The Love of Hate" is just one of those songs that is so well-written that it just makes you stand up and take note of it. The chorus will also get stuck in your head. It is just one of those moments of magic that strikes you hard. Another stellar song is "Why", which really stands out as one of the best songs here, and comes right after "The Love of Hate". How is that for a two punch knockout? Such a moody track that is so haunting and beautiful at the same time. Although, the track, "Wings of Faith" does nothing for me, with its faux industrial tinge. The drums just got annoying to me, and play the same damn beat for four minutes. I can almost overlook this, as the other songs make up for this song ten fold. "Just Like A Time Peace" is an epic progressive piece that is actually a reworking of one of the songs that Devon used on one of his solo albums years ago.
The January Tree is a truly mesmerizing album, in every meaning of the word. If you are looking for a somber, yet powerful listen, then I cannot recommend this enough. Devon Graves has truly crafted a masterful release, that it yearns, no make that, begs to be paid attention to. Don't ignore those voices in your head, just listen and enjoy. I have given this album so many repeat listens, I was afraid I would wear it out already. I am unfortunately a late comer to this band, and now kick myself for not getting into them sooner than this. You should seek out music from DEAD SOUL TRIBE, or you might find yourself kicking yourself. This is easily one of the best albums I have heard so far this year.
Rating: 8.7 /10
Evil C.
Inside Out Music
2004
www.deadsoultribe.com/
www.insideoutmusic.com
1 Spiders and Flies
2. Sirens
3 The Love of Hate
4 Why
5 The Coldest Day of Winter
6 Wings of Faith
7 Toy Rockets
8 Waiting for the Answer
9 Just Like a Time Piece
10. The Lady of Rain
The January Tree has been released one year from their previous album, and this marks the third album to be released within a two and a half year period. This album is much darker in songwriting nature though. If you are not familiar with the band, this is really the brainchild from main man, Devon Graves, who also went under the moniker of Buddy Lackey during his days in PSYCHOTIC WALTZ. Now, here is where it gets strange, as DEAD SOUL TRIBE gets labeled as a progressive metal band, yet that only just begins to scratch the surface. They delve into much darker musical structures, with a lot of art rock influences from TOOL. The drums are very tribal in nature, and the guitars flow beautifully from note to note. One thing you have to realize, this is not really a guitar based band, as the quality of the songs play the most major role here. Although, the guitars are heavy when they need to be, and tastefully subdued when needed, they do add that extra layer to the overall project. Any band that can incorporate wind instruments and still make it sound metal, get my vote any day of the week. The star of the whole band is Devon Graves voice, and is used more as an instrument. Devon's voice is both somber and powerful at the same time. It is just one of those voices that is tremendously captivating.
This is really just one of those memorable albums that gets better with every repeated listen. Album opener, "Spiders and Flies" kicks in and pulls you into the album, well, sort of how a spider draws in a fly. Coincidence? I think not. The January Tree does happen to include one of the top contenders for my song of the year. "The Love of Hate" is just one of those songs that is so well-written that it just makes you stand up and take note of it. The chorus will also get stuck in your head. It is just one of those moments of magic that strikes you hard. Another stellar song is "Why", which really stands out as one of the best songs here, and comes right after "The Love of Hate". How is that for a two punch knockout? Such a moody track that is so haunting and beautiful at the same time. Although, the track, "Wings of Faith" does nothing for me, with its faux industrial tinge. The drums just got annoying to me, and play the same damn beat for four minutes. I can almost overlook this, as the other songs make up for this song ten fold. "Just Like A Time Peace" is an epic progressive piece that is actually a reworking of one of the songs that Devon used on one of his solo albums years ago.
The January Tree is a truly mesmerizing album, in every meaning of the word. If you are looking for a somber, yet powerful listen, then I cannot recommend this enough. Devon Graves has truly crafted a masterful release, that it yearns, no make that, begs to be paid attention to. Don't ignore those voices in your head, just listen and enjoy. I have given this album so many repeat listens, I was afraid I would wear it out already. I am unfortunately a late comer to this band, and now kick myself for not getting into them sooner than this. You should seek out music from DEAD SOUL TRIBE, or you might find yourself kicking yourself. This is easily one of the best albums I have heard so far this year.
Rating: 8.7 /10
Evil C.
