I’ve only heard one of DEAD SOUL TRIBE’s previous releases, the band’s third album, “The January Tree”. It’s been a few years since I’ve heard it, but I remember thinking that it sounded too similar to TOOL for my tastes. I’m not a big fan of TOOL, so I never looked any further into DEAD SOUL TRIBE than that album. So here we are three years and two albums later, and DEAD SOUL TRIBE are back with a new release, “A Lullaby For The Devil”.

These guys, lead by former PSYCHOTIC WALTZ mainman, Devon Graves, may have had some strong TOOL influences in the past, but that phase seems to have passed. Besides being a left-of-center, darker-themed, Progressive Metal band, DEAD SOUL TRIBE no longer sound much like TOOL. In fact, accurately describing “A Lullaby For The Devil” would be quite a chore. Unlike many bands/albums that are crammed into the Progressive Metal genre, DEAD SOUL TRIBE are actually progressive, and sound like nothing else out there. They range from Thrashy parts, to almost MINISTRY-esque rumbling (“Here Comes The Pigs”). They drop from head-pounding heaviness to introspective, thought-provoking soft sections without a moment’s notice. Graves vocals are of great interest simply because he uses so many different voices. Ranging from whispers to screams to aggressive shouts to a smooth clean voice, Graves vocals take the listener on a journey of sorts.

The production is slick as Progressive Metal should be, and the album as a whole just eschews quality. Some of the arrangements can take a bit to get into, as there’s always quite a bit going on in each song, but it’s worth the time to allow the album to open up. Some of the songs are more straightforward (“Lost In You”, for example), which makes it easier to make it through the first few listens as it gives the listener something to hang on to. Overall “A Lullaby For The Devil” is simply quality Progressive Metal with a sound all its own. Recommended.

(Online October 3, 2007)