Search - Dead Soul Tribe :: A Murder of Crows

Not just a simple name change... but a change of attitude!

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 05/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Devon Graves was previously known as Buddy Lackey in his former band Psychotic Waltz. It was a shame when Psychotic Waltz broke up and everyone in the band went their own way.I heard that Devon released a solo album but never had the chance to track it down and check it out. I, however, made sure I picked up both Dead Soul Tribe discs and have been spinning them on and off for a long time. The first DST disc didn't really grab me right away being a huge change of style from Psychotic Waltz. With the release of A Murder of Crows, however, the music on their debut speaks much better to me now as well. It's just a matter of time for this band to grow on you. A Murder of Crows is a semi-concept album in the way that some tunes are linked with each other and deal with themes like the isolation of the individual in the society. Although there's a underlying concept running through the album, all songs can be listened and enjoyed independently. On a thematic level the album makes a philosophical statement about crows carrying the souls of dead people and Devon questions the ones that cannot make it to the beyond. The album aims to produce more questions to think about instead of offering pseudo-intellectual artistic messages. The lyrics are very poetic and a bit surreal but they never lose their touch with the listener and become too sterile to take seriously.Devon has mixed and produced this album and the sonic quality of it is really amazing. Unlike the self-titled debut, the involvement of the other band members seems more prevalant. I am particularly impressed by Adel Moustafa's drumming, both his tone and the way he chose to express himself. His technique is combined with a strange kind of creativity that is hard to explain. The comparisons to Tool and their drummers are being made quite a lot, but I personally don't hear it all that much, except the fact that I agree both bands' drummers are godly. That said, I've never been a Tool fan, but I do respect their talent and ambition. Moreover I haven't listened to them too much either so I can't really comment on the so-called similarities.The album puts less emphasis on keyboards but borrows elements from folk music and incorporates some beautiful flute parts as well. The rhythm guitars (also played by Devon Graves) are more eminent and together with the powerful and fluid rhythm section consisting of drummer Moustafa and bassist Roland Ivenz make this disc more of a band effort and definitely a more aggressive output. The occasional guitar solos fit the flow of this disc perfectly and push the album into more unexplored directions.I've been listening to the upcoming Ayreon album The Human Equation a lot recently and Devon Graves' amazing performance on it tempted me to revisit my DST discs. This guy has an amazing voice with a personality all his own. It should be in your best interest to check out both Psychotic Waltz and Dead Soul Tribe as well as the new Ayreon which may end up being my favourite of the year."

A more streamlined effort than Devon's first release.

meh | 07/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A Murder of Crows, the second album from Dead Soul Tribe (basically Devon Graves), sees Devon recruiting an amazing drummer to complement his amazing voice. Alread with that addition, AMoC has an advantage over his first album. It is also much more structured, while the S/T album sounded like an odd mishmash of Ministry, Tool, and Jethro Tull, A Murder of Crows gives Dead Soul Tribe a more refined sound. Comparison's to Tool can be drawn instantly - Devon, like Maynard, has an amazing voice; both bands play dark music; the drumming is similar and both bands can orchestrate amazing build ups that are spine chilling.



That being said, Dead Soul Tribe and Tool have one key difference - the main emotion being used. While Tool are mostly angry, Dead Soul Tribe are either hopeful or bleak. Devon's few attempts at anger on this album come off rather weak, but the way he changes his voice to suit every other emotion works perfectly.



Overall a good album that fans of Tool, rock, or prog should check out... or just check it out to listen to Devon's amazing voice."

Cohesive, subtle progressive metal.

D. Knouse | vancouver, washington United States | 02/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard their eponymous debut and immediately thought that this band was very original. Their myriad influences include "Alice in Chains"(particularly their debut), "Tool"(yes, but these guys are a different animal), and perhaps even a little "Queensryche"(a touch of Progressive Power Metal) for starters. It's really hard to nail these guys down, and that is what makes them worth hearing. The arrangements here are what makes this especially memorable; the production also shines. I got both of their albums at the same time and it is immediately obvious that this album will be getting more of my attention. There is no filler here, either, making this a must for progressive metal fans. I keep returning to this CD because it has everything a great album should: excellent musicianship, memorable songwriting, ambition, energy, emotion, superb arrangements, and stellar production. This is a great experience. Later."