You might know Devon Graves from the Alt-Metal band Deadsoul Tribe - or you might be more
familiar with his real name, Buddy Lackey. He spent 11 years working as front man, singer-flute
player for one of the original Prog-Metal bands, Psychotic Waltz.
After leaving Psychotic Waltz in 1997 he began to compose in solitude. Basically he shut himself in a
room for months with a multi track recorder and a lot of instruments. The music he created and
subsequent record release from InsideOut spawned the need for a live band, which he formed with
local friends who had the right hair. They began to tour and support the albums of Deadsoul Tribe
which he continued to compose and record alone.
Throughout the journeys of touring Devon met many musicians who really stood above the crowd.
One day he began to wonder: "What would it be like to play in a band made of the very finest
players I have met along the way?” This question first came to Devon’s mind when Deadsoul Tribe
was supported by a local German prog-thrash metal band Complex 7.
Arne Schuppner was their guitarist. His playing really shook Devon. Massive, fierce and original. His
performance was exceptionally heartfelt which is the important thing that many prog metalists are
missing. Some of the finest players on record don’t have the heart or passion on the stage. Arne had
it all, and would be receiving a phone call from Devon.
Later in that year, Devon had the unique pleasure of recording and producing the band Dial,
recently formed by Kris Gildenlöw with his lovely wife, Liselotte right after his leaving his long stand
with Pain of Salvation. During the recordings, Devon was impressed over and over again with Kris’
bass playing, and especially his precision with a fretless bass. Devon was equally impressed with
Kris’ ability to play piano and acoustic guitar, and with his composition skills in general. Also a fine
vocalist indeed, seeing him as the perfect choice tempted Devon to extend an offer to Kris to join
Devon’s new band. He also accepted.
The next time Devon got the same feeling was supporting Threshold. Johanne James is easily one of
the most captivating drummers he has ever seen. Johanne’s powerful yet impeccable playing was
matched only by his mesmerizing stage presence. After the tour, Devon contacted him about
working together. At the time Johanne was actually too busy and turned down his offer. Thankfully,
a few years has passed since the idea of this band and the reality. Devon decided to approach him
again. This time Johanne said YES.
The final question had haunted Devon during all this time. Does he want a keyboard player, or not?
This question answered itself in an email from a "fan of Deadsoul Tribe, and especially Psychotic
Waltz”. It read: "… I am Demi Scott, a keyboardist, full time professional musician from Greece. I
am so fed up with the music business that I am about to just quit this bullsh*t. Since I have so much
admired your work over the years, I decided to ask for your advice.” Devon asked him to send him
some music of his, so he could tell him what he thought. A few days later came a home burned CD
in the mail. Devon listened into his music for about 10-15 minutes. "I was so blown away by what I
heard, I could not just sit there a second longer. I immediately sent him an e mail which read: ‘I
have listened to your music and so here is my advice. You should come to Vienna and we should
make a band together!’”
…so like Dr Frankenstein did, by sewing the greatest, strongest pieces of the greatest strongest men
and then added a sick and demented brain to create his monster, so it is the same with Devon’s
creation of his monster THE SHADOW THEORY.
Four years in the making, THE SHADOW THEORY will be releasing their first studio album on Devon’s
long time home InsideOut Music. "Behind the Black Veil” is a sinister roller-coaster ride of sound
and lyrical imagery combining elements of Thrash, Psychedelic and Symphonic Metal fused with Folk
and Prog-Rock undertones. Devon’s first "concept album” ever, tells a horror story of a man who
wakes from one nightmare into another, into another until he can no longer tell where the dream
ends and reality begins… Or if he was ever dreaming at all.
Please check out the preface of "Behind The Black Veil” written by Devon Graves:
A rock star, at the height of his career, lost in the maze of a life of drug addiction and pursuit of
all the carnal vices of fame and stardom, falls asleep late at night, in front of the television,
heroin needle still in his arm. As he flutters on the fringe of consciousness, his eyes are in and out
of focus on a train ticket lying on the coffee table. He tries to remember where he had to go in the
morning, but the drug euphoria was too strong to even hold a thought let alone manifest a
memory. He only knew it was something big. He finally drifts off into sleep into a netherworld of
dream and nightmare. All night it carried on. He would wake startled from a dream. Briefly
feeling the relief of waking up safe at home, but that comfort would forsake him again and again
as the reality in his waking moments began to twist into what could only be, still a dream.
Impossible things. Waking from one nightmare to the next, he no longer knew whether he was
dreaming or awake. There was only one thing that remained constant. Her. She was always there.
A knock on the window, a footstep in the hall, a voice in the dark. She was in every dream.
This album is a ghost story. The song lyrics are written much in a metaphorical poetic style, so not
everything in the story is written directly in the lyrical text. I will write notes by certain song title
headers or in the lyrics in italics to fill you in on any missing details so you know what is happening
in the story. So turn down the lights. Light a candle and some incense. Sit in a comfortable chair.
Turn it up loud, and prepare for our first rock cinema, "Behind the Black Veil”.
THE SHADOW THEORY’s "Behind the Black Veil”, both frightening and compelling is sure to be a
standout amongst the vast myriad of music releases this year. THE SHADOW THEORY will be a
touring band and is already looking into possible touring in early 2011.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6049 ***
Devon Graves, the illustrious vocalist of Deadsoul Tribe and Psychotic Waltz, has embarked on a new musical journey. With his newly formed band The Shadow Theory he has produced an album that is certain to leave an impression.
Behind the Black Veil is the first concept album that Graves has ever made and I must say: it is a good one. It takes you on a trip through a… bad trip actually. It tells the story of a man taking drugs. During his trip, he wakes from one nightmare into another until he can no longer tell where dream ends and reality begins. It is a true horror story that is best listened to like reading a book. Therein lays the strength of the album and at the same time, its weakness.
The stronger songs on Behind The Black Veil are potent enough to be heard outside the lyrical concept of the album. The Sound Of Flies is good example of that. Others compositions, like Sleepwalking for instance, really depend on the atmosphere of the album and the drift that you catch listening to the whole record. That isn’t a bad thing really, if you are in to it. Then it’s a really cool ride.
Ultimately, Behind the Black Veil has become a very heavy and sinister album that combines trash, psychedelic and symphonic metal and fuses it with folk and prog. You can even add doom metal to this list, because some parts reminded me of Candlemass.
With The Shadow Theory, Devon Graves has founded a formidable band. Demi Scott on keyboards, Arne Schuppner on guitars, Kristoff Gildenlöw on bass guitar and Johanne James on drums are perfectly able to tell the story. If Graves manages to keep up this level of songwriting and storytelling,The Shadow theory is here to stay.
