Dead Soul Tribe

Dead Soul Tribe’s A Murder of Crows could be a really good prog metal record if it wasn’t marred by a few seemingly minor but very annoying flaws. Showcasing a broad range of emotion and sonic beauty, songs like “Some Things You Can’t Return” really suggest the band’s full potential. Dead Soul Tribe switch gears from loud and heavy to soft and folky or into virtuosic soloing so smoothly you hardly notice the shift, and all flows powerfully towards a common end. But a too frequent barrage of layered voices, singing in unison only occasionally break into harmony — it’s an ’80s hard rock revival that grates on the nerves. Plus — though this could be merely coincidence — the main piano riff on “Regret” disturbingly echoes Edge of Sanity’s “Sacrificed” and “Angels in Vertigo” sounds alarmingly like a song by a band called Noisefloor. Still, if the musical allusions and retro vocal style don’t turn you off, A Murder of Crows could be a rich and rewarding listen.