Album Review: Metamorphosis by Dead Southern Tree
By: Rui Alves
Tags: Music Business, Music, Review, Culture, Rock

Music

Album Review: Metamorphosis by Dead Southern Tree

Photo by Anthony Tuil on Unsplash

Dead Southern Tree (DST) treads on the harsh slopes of rock. The band comes from Beja, a city located in the southern plains of Alentejo, Portugal. If you are a fan of Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Mad Season, or Stone Temple Pilots, then you need to listen to Metamorphosis.

About Dead Southern Tree

Back in 2009, several musicians teamed up for a new project. The original lineup consisted of Gonçalo R. (vocals and guitar), Miguel F. (bass guitar), and Rui C. (keyboards). After releasing the band’s demo tape Of Stars and Gravitational Fields in 2010, Rui C. left the band.

Then in December of 2011, the two remaining members released the EP Metamorphosis with seven original tracks and a John Lennon cover. Afterward, Jorge T. closes the band’s lineup as a full-time drummer and percussionist.

Review: ‘Metamorphosis’

The band’s debut EP revisits and transmutes musical environments that I know pretty well. Listening to Metamorphosis, there’s a 90s vibe that seems to flow from the melodic structure of the songs, and that reminds me of Alice in Chains, Mad Season, or Soundgarden.

However, DST musicians feel comfortable taking musical paths that stem from alternative rock but ultimately lead to heavier and more experimental music realms.

Track-by-track analysis

“Eternity’s Reach” is an excellent example of the symbiosis between post-grunge rock and experimental elements that elicit gothic ambiances, namely through the use of ethereal keyboards and the harshness of the guitars riffs.

The opening track suggests a metal resonance; however, the voice soon points in another direction with warm and acidulous tones. I’m caught off guard when I hear a hybrid timbre that falls between Layne Staley and Chris Cornell. Besides, the vocals seem close to the former lead singer from Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell’s unmistakable tone.

The vocal performance, the energetic distortion of the guitars, and the melodic charge introduced by the keyboards make “Eternity’s Reach” one of the most appealing, intense, and dynamic songs on the EP.

“Thresholds” brings cleaner guitar riffs and more subtle percussion work. DST also tries to create songs based on simple but catchy guitar melodies and a voice that seduces and surprises us.

Afterward, “The Emerald Nymph” keeps the tone of the previous track, maintaining a 90s revivalist aura:

Dead Southern Tree — The Emerald Nymph | YouTube

“The Re-Crafting of the Physical Form” adds a dose of experimentalism to the band’s universe, with that deep-toned intro in which the voice seems to emerge from the depths. At the same time, the guitar flies over the musical ambiance, and we’re granted a poignant guitar solo intertwined in dark melodies similar to some forms of avant-garde metal.

Afterward, we find an intimate pearl of a song with the unplugged “Reality’s Affliction,” a moment in which the visceral rawness of the track highlights the quality of the frontman. If I didn’t know best, I would say this track comes from an Alice n’ Chains B-side unplugged.

Minutes before the end, I follow the sound of keyboards as I drift into the Saturnian “Dedication.” A crepuscular tone takes over the vocals as they become whispers of enchantment.

Still mesmerized by the dreamy chords of the previous track, I find myself playing some air guitar as “The Devil Rides South.” Great riffs on the guitar solos! It’s a mesmerizing slow-tempo song with a subtle 70s vibe.

There’s still time to hear “Working Class Hero,” a languid John Lennon cover, with piano keys hammering notes in the background as the vocals entice my mind to fall back into a forlorn musical era.

Final Thoughts

Metamorphosis revealed a band with quality and potential to succeed in the national alternative music scene but still searching for an identity that transcends its musical references.

“The Re-Crafting of the Physical Form” is the most innovative and unique moment of the album, and “Eternity’s Reach” deserves a special note for its energy and contagious melody.