Line Up
- Buddy Lackey
- Brian McAlpin
- Dan Rock
- Phill Cuttino
- Norm Leggio
Track Listing
- Mosquito
- Lovestone Blind
- Haze One
- Shattered Sky
- Cold
- All The Voices
- Dancing In The Ashes
- Only Time
- Locked Down
- Mindsong
- Darkness (hidden track)
The first time i heard of Psychotic Waltz was sometime in early 2005 when i came across a band by the name Dead Soul Tribe. Since being a guitarist myself, i was listening to various prog metal albums and bands and spending countless hours sitting with my guitar and trying to figure out some awesome guitar licks. When i heard Dead Soul Tribe, i was wondering how could this band fit in the Progressive Metal category. coz the music was mid paced to slow, (compared to other show off prog bands), very melodic and the most unique feature of the band was the mesmerizing vocals of one Devon Graves. Progressive or not, i became an instant fan and decided to find more about the band.
I was lucky enough to get a copy of 'Mosquito' from a prog metal fan who told me to " just check them out".
Mosquito is the third studio album of Psychotic Waltz released in 1994, while the band decided to call it quits in 1998 after releasing one more album called "Bleeding" followed by a live album.
For the die hard fans of the band, "Mosquito" remains the weakest album they ever released but for fans of great music, this is a treasure worth its weight in gold.
Although the bands signature complex riffing and technical style guitar playing was not present here in the album, what i loved about it was the 'chilled out' , 'relaxed' feel and the ease of listening without pulling out your hair trying to figure out the solos or time signatures.
Dont get me wrong, the album is still a proper prog metal classic but without the technical wanking.
"Mosquito" starts with a narration of a judge passing an order to a marijuana addict. and is easily the catchiest track on the album. "Haze One" has an amazing psychedelic feel to it while "Lovestone Blind" is another groovy mid paced monster.
"Shattered Sky" truly stands out with its blend of alternative and prog styles and mid paced groove.
The last track "Mindsong" is over 10 minutes long, coz there is a hidden track "Darkness" which starts after a 2 minute silence.
Devon Graves is one of the greatest vocalists ever and this album proves just that.
I thoroughly enjoyed every track in the album and i must add that those who have heard the first 2 albums might not really like this coz the music is a toned down , filtered version of what they used to be. some might label them as sell outs, but i am sure that most of you out there have not even heard of Psychotic Waltz and its a shame coz they should have got all the credit they deserved.
This album is extremely rare to find and the sites that do have them are making a killing with the prices. An excellent album to listen to on a cold rainy day, with just your coffee mug (or shot of whiskey) in hand and with some good time to spare. You wont be disappointed. 16 years later this album is still as strong as it sounded back in 1994.
My Rating
9/10
Listen to the "Shattered Sky" here
