How many of you let yourselves sink deep into your favorite artists' thoughts? How many of you pursue a deeper meaning in music other than just tunes? How many of you use music as means to filter your inmost thoughts through a song's lyrics? Though I know that many people choose that way of meditation, how many bands do you think exist out there that can be your vessel for your mind's troubleshooting? I certainly don't know the exact answer to that but I do know one thing though. I know that Deadsoul Tribe is among the bands whose music will make me sink into my comfy armchair, with a glass of whiskey in my hand and have me floating inside my head, surrounded by my most enigmatic thoughts...about everything. And I don't dislike that state of mind caused by the band's music, at all!
Deadsoul Tribe's singer, composer, guitarist (and more...), Devon Graves, is no stranger to us. He was one of the basic elements which once formed the musically-grandiose hyper (and dream traveling) band called Psychotic Waltz. Though it's been quite some time since P.W. split and Buddy Lackey is now Devon Graves (they're all artistic nicknames), Deadsoul Tribe is no less of a thrilling mind-dazzling voyage through weird dimensions.
January Tree is D.S.T.'s third full length album, after last year's A Murder Of Crows and their debut, self-titled Dead Soul Tribe (2002). Both the previous album and the debut album were no disappointment to all those who had already boarded Devon's train ride though the musical paths that he had (and has) chosen. Devon Graves is certainly not an artist who remains static inside his head and in his music, he's a musician who's always in motion, who always sort of seeks ways to let his thoughts progress.
No track on January Tree is quite the same like any other on the album. The only thing that remains the same is the mood. The mood to set your thoughts on a course out of turmoil. Yes, you could say that the album's sort of gray, sort of depressing but that's only because we tend to feel that way every time something troubles our minds really hard, whenever we're in need of answers. Even the roughest track on January Tree, Wings Of Faith, is no smurf-like happy song.
As usual, things that have influenced Devon Graves and are quite evident here as on every other work he's done are the musical streams Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull had created with their ever to be loved masterpieces. One can really notice that on tracks like Just Like A Time Piece (my fave track) where Devon blows you away with his flute, his voice, his entire compositions! Copying bands like Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull is one thing and using your musical influences in a uniquely creative way is another. Devon Graves surely goes by the second clause  of the previous sentence and I'm sure he'll continue on creating deep musical concepts.
Closing this review I'd just like to say that I'm glad troubled yet talented Rock/Metal artists like Graves exist  because they give us the chance to think what may lie under the surface (or outside the shell). If you're a Psychotic Waltz fan or if you liked D.S.T.'s first two albums you're surely going to like January Tree. If you don't know anything about P.W. or D.S.T. then just scroll back and read my review one more time, then stop and think...are you a deep thinking person?
- Album Highlights: Just Like A Time Piece, Why, Wings Of Faith, Toy Rockets, Lady Of Rain, Spiders And Flies