EUPHORIA REVIEWS

HELLRIDE MUSIC (US)
http://www.hellridemusic.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=18844
(Nov, 2008)

I have been listening to Dead Man’s Euphoria album religiously since early summer. Somehow a review has eluded my grasp until now. The Swedes in Dead Man hover nebulously in a quadrant between Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Captain Beyond’s underrated Sufficiently Breathless masterpiece, Aphrodite’s Child, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pure Prairie League and Witchcraft but with a unique atmosphere filled with lush, folk-inspired instrumentation that gives them their own special touch when compared to their influences.

After a particularly rough day, I find my weary hands reaching for this album. It holds a captivating power to calm and suppress any feelings of disdain for a day gone awry. Rich acoustic guitars give way to living, breathing organic melodies which operate in close quarters with grooving bass riffs. There’s a bit of electrified crunch here and there for good measure but mostly this music weaves in and out of dancing, unplugged guitar licks nailed to a steadfast beat with distorted soloing enriching the backdrop.

Vocals are breathy but with gusto. Not sure who is the lead set of pipes here but they’ve got a special approach, riding these cloud soaring jams with finesse. Plenty of mood-lifting background vocals enter the mix, only adding to the flavor but I swear there’s more than one culprit handling lead duties as the voice on “Today” sounds almost entirely different than the one on say “I must be Blind”, so you get a lot of variety in the verbal department as well.

Speaking of “Today” it is the opening excursion and one of the album’s strongest moments. Best described as Witchcraft meeting Captain Beyond (Sufficiently Breathless era for the 70’s smoked, Latin tinged second half) on a mountaintop; raining down peace, love and hypnotic grooves on the masses. The clean guitars strum out beautiful lines with some killer electric plucking giving additional firepower to see that DM stay bunkered on the high ground, not allowing lesser acts to even have a chance at charging on their position. As mentioned earlier, the second half of this song trades the band’s swaggering 70s persona in for a boogie enhanced Latin rhythmic shuffle (mostly made apparent by the percussion). Although it doesn’t take long for them to drop back into a more traditional swing introduced by a deafening, distorted Sabbath riff and ending with the plaintive calm that DM push so well.

Fans of Witchcraft’s, “Mr. Haze” on the Firewood album will feel right at home all throughout the immediately following “High or Low”. Both the vocals and the nimble 70’s swirl fit like an old familiar glove but DM still manages to make the sound their own. The verses are alive with a more traditional 70’s crunch completed by a vibrant, classic doom touch that elevates itself out of the gutter of booze and drugs to capture a majestic groove, beaming out hope and light in every direction. Acoustic guitar overtakes the distortion in the mid-section giving way to a heart-wrenching spectacle of emotional lead axe slinging that sticks with the listener; lingering long after the album stops playing.

Violin sweeps through the hypnotic “Footsteps” adding additional support to the entwining guitar melodies and the “blink and you’ll miss it” trickiness displayed by drummer Marcus Allard. He shatters the calm beauty of the song by filling in the dark spaces with superb fills and rolling strikes; shaking up the melody with a bit of fancy hand/foot work that is not to be sniffed at. A memorable chorus is etched into memory with solid vocal harmonies, giving the song the legs to carry itself into the upper echelon of newer bands in a similar vein.

By far my favorite: “I must be Blind” has hooks for days on end and a silky smooth slide guitar accompaniment. This track brings in an honest to goodness country rock or even Lynyrd Skynyrd vibe as it stands on a plateau of bouncing 70’s swing ala Captain Beyond and Witchcraft. The chorus is knockout no matter what you compare it to; supremely addicting and with wild-eyed, bewildering lyrics giving it depth. When DM drop an anvil heavy blast of riffage on your ass along with vocals buried beneath a layer of distortion, Witchcraft comes gleaming through undeniably but other than that brief foray, this song is as laidback as it gets. I dare you to evict this lofty groove from your memory. You won’t be able to do it even if you pay a brain surgeon to remove the part of your memory bank that it is stored in.

Elsewhere DM continues to dazzle the senses with an eclectic balance of sounds, best showcased on the 8+ minute colossus “Rest in Peace”. They juke and jive between careening Sabbath grooves filled with stellar guitar/bass interplay which really knows how to lockdown a groove and suddenly they find themselves wandering from Sweden into the sands of the Sahara with an Egyptian boogie so unexpected that I almost shit my pants. Did I say almost? I think I actually did! There’s some tasteful flute blowing going on as well making for a mirage of sounds that goes far beyond any set of traditions or standards held in modern heavy music.

Other notables include the acoustic intro, “From a Window” and the space-noise rock n’ roll of its counterpart “Light Vast Corridors” which balances all sorts of squealing, hallucinatory sound effects with 70’s doom plod and vocals which teeter on the edge of near aggression and wafting delicacy, the 9+ minutes of groove n’ shake of the decidedly Sabbath vs. Tull “The Wheel” (the flute makes an appearance and everything) and the country-fried, chorus oriented open plains of “A Pinch of Salt”.

DM is a hodgepodge of just about everything I’ve ever loved from the 70’s with a nod to the modern purveyors of similar sound waves. I can hear about a hundred different influences at work throughout Euphoria but DM makes sure they contort their efforts into something completely unique. This isn’t a metal album but it does have its heavy moments. Instead of metal you get an enrapturing vintage sound populated with instrumentation and singing you’ll be absorbing for months to come. Every time I listen to this record, something sticks out that hadn’t noticed in my previous sessions; truly the mark of a fabulous disc. Anyone even casually interested in the classic sound of the days of yore would be wise to get savvy to Dead Man. Their sound is anything but a dried-up cadaver ready for the boneyard. On the contrary, this particular Dead Man is alive, well and worth paying damn close attention to. Stunning…simply stunning.

Reviewed by: Jay Snyder

METAL REVIEW (US) - Rate: 6/6/6

http://www.metalreview.com/4415/Dead-Man-Euphoria.aspx

(April, 2008)

Pssst! C'mere, I have a little secret...

Not all hippie music is bad.

No, I don't own any Grateful Dead albums, and I'd rather eat a box full of rotted tacks than subject my ears to Phish (or many of the other popular "jam bands"), but, as is often the case with any particular genre, there are some true gems to be discovered once you dive well-below the mainstream.

Now, take a look at the album cover for Euphoria over there. That's right, you're seeing a silhouette of dandelion fuzz being gently blown away by a breeze. As you can likely gather, that doesn't exactly equate to HEAVY. Nope, no amount of umlauts could make Dead Man metal, but their brand of folky/hippie retro-rock is put together so smartly, I'd go so far as to call this record fucking brilliant; certainly my current non-metal favorite of 2008, hands down.

And what the hell's in Sweden's water that's causing all these retro-rock outfits to crop up so healthily? Witchcraft, Burning Saviours and Graveyard: all Swedish bands that have made a nice little name for themselves amongst open-minded metal fans and those with a strong interest in the roots of heavy rock and proto-doom material. But to simply call Dead Man a retro-rock band is honestly not that accurate. Yes, there are plenty of moments where you'll hear that warm, familiar proto-doom guitar tone in the riffing and soloing (hell, 4:15 into "Rest In Peace" is mapped directly from olden Black Sabbath blueprints), but Dead Man pull a wealth of intriguing cards from their sleeve to really help stamp a unique footprint in this now well-traveled path; and that footprint is swirled and surrounded by a mood that's chiefly breezy and blithe, thanks to Dead Man's copious use of feel-good folk. Honestly, what's made a band like the Grateful Dead so unappealing to me over the years (apart from the aggravating freeloader fans tripping balls and freeloving their way to the unemployment line) has a lot to do with the fact that much of their feel-good folk seems to be draped over tunes that could just as easily find themselves on a friggin' children's record. Dead Man, on the other hand, take that jaunty, sunny folk and build it around a structure that's more focused towards psych/prog/doom-rock, which makes the formula work much better for me, and gives Dead Man a pretty unique sound when compared to their Swedish peers.

Euphoria isn't quite all throwback airy good times, however. Some of these tunes take a more modern approach to the breezy core. Album opener, "Today", and the upbeat "I Must Be Blind" have an interesting Beck-like flavor to their approach, and "Light Vast Corridors" also sports a fresh indie-ish feel to further mix things up. In addition, Dead Man infuse healthy measures of darkness into the heart of a few songs, which is nicely amplified by their generous use of traditional fiddle and flute: the excellent "Footsteps", the wicked 9-minute opus, "The Wheel", and the ever-bending and winding "Rest In Piece", for example. But again, the true core of this record -- the selling point, if you will -- is its insistence on turning listeners' frowns upside-down; a welcome change for those of us who spend a wealth of our time listening to extreme music of a more negative vibe.

So, yeah, a perfect score, huh? I know our regular readers have seen a few trip-6's in these parts recently, but truth is, I haven't dropped one since early last year, so ease back on firing those torches. Plus, I honestly feel it's warranted with this release; Euphoria will be an essential part of my rotation as the carefree days of summer approach. Every tune presented is strong enough to stand on its own, and the production is clear enough to pick out a wealth of enjoyable nuances as this fine work slowly begins to set root in your marrow. Be careful, though, your girlfriend/wife/significant other might begin to realize there's a softer side to you if you crank this album as much as I have the last couple weeks. I admit I'm pretty addicted. BUT, I can assure you, I will still never -- even after 10,000 years and 10,000 beers -- be caught sporting sandals of any sort and kicking a hacky sack around with my "bro's" in a park. That shit's strictly for the hippies. Euphoria, on the other hand, is something we can definitely agree on. It ain't metal, but I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by: Michael Wuensch


STONERROCK.COM

http://www.stonerrock.com/forums2/allposts.asp?summary=1&Forum=ap809241559&ID=41195&access=2&status=1&StartAt=0&subject=Dead+Man+%2D+Euphoria

(April, 2008)

I had never heard of these guys until discovering this album at ATH and checking out the sampled MP3, “Today.” I thought the track was good enough and took a chance on the album. I’ve now been listening to this album for over a week and getting a handle on it and the band. They are a little different than much of what I find at ATH, so that has definitely made this an interesting discovery. Nothing really heavy about them and they even have a folky vibe to some of their songs, an aspect which I don't care for all that much personally. Overall, though, I have found plenty to like in this album and having figured out what on this album works for me and what doesn't, Euphoria has definitely been hitting the right spots with me.

Dead Man seems like they share some surface similarities to bands like Witchcraft, only instead of being influenced by Black Sabbath and Pentagram, they're influenced more from the '70's rock side of things. (Not familiar enough with those '70's type bands to make any direct comparisons, sorry.) They write a lot more textured songs than Witchcraft (at least in regards to The Alchemist). There is a lot going on within each song, though much is quite subtle. It's been one of those albums for me where on each listen I catch something I hadn't noticed before. The various layers to the songs really pushes this album up a notch, as it really fills the songs out.

Like I mentioned, I definitely prefer the rock oriented tracks on this album. “Today” is definitely my favorite track on this album and it's quickly become one of my favorite songs of '08. “The Wheel” and “Rest In Peace" are two extended type tracks from them that both last over eight minutes and have also really grown on me. I guess you could say they are proggy in structure, as there are number of parts/sections within each song. There are about three or four more rock oriented songs on this cd that support the album well enough, but probably don't stand out with me on their own.

The more folky types songs aren't really my bag. “I Must Be Blind" is the best of the bunch though, and I do enjoy this one. It helps that it's set in between two of the rock type songs (not including a brief instrumental interlude). The final couple tracks are strong on the folk side of things and don’t really do anything for me, I tend to skip over these.

Overall, I have been enjoying this one and I am really glad I took the gamble on it. Even with those few tracks that I do skip over, I feel like it is a fulfilling listen and it does not come off as being light in content. It won’t be a Best of ’08 candidate but that certainly shouldn’t take away from what it is, which is a good album with some very good material on it. And for those that do enjoy folkier types of music, you might be able to bump it up a level in the rankings.

Reviewed by: Adam Hillman

GROOVE (SE) - Rate: 4/5

http://www.groove.se/site/recension.asp?recId=2472&mediumId=1

(Aug, 2008)

Jag tycker Dead Man har utvecklats sedan debuten som kom för två år sedan, musiken känns lättare nu, mer självsäker och de vågar experimentera mer. Psykedelisk folkrock kanske vi kan kalla det och jag hör influenser både från Jefferson Airplane och Quicksilver Messenger Service. Om kollegorna i Witchcraft befinner sig någonstans runt 1972 så skulle jag nog placera örebroarna i Dead Man något tidigare, kanske 1969.

Jag är kluven till vibratosång men Kristoffer Sjödahl kommer undan med det eftersom han gör det så jäkla snyggt och det passar in klockrent i musiken. Ljudbilden är imponerande retroluftig och Dead Man har ett fantastiskt skönt flyt i sin musik och låtupplägg. Det är svårt att välja ut några favoriter eftersom man är så nöjd med allt, men Footsteps framkallar rysningar, liksaså The wheel. Fullpoängaren ligger nära för Dead Man och bara lite mindre flöjt och uttjatade Sabbath-riff nästa gång så är det klart.

Reviewed by: Jonas Elgemark

COSMIC LAVA

http://www.cosmiclava.com/

I'm surprised again and again, how much bands have arisen out of the ash of Norrsken. There's Witchcraft, the most popular, then Graveyard and DEAD MAN whose sole common denominator to the other two bands is their love for the 60's and 70's, but that's all. You won't hear a lot of distorted guitars on 'Euphoria', because DEAD MAN is more at home in the territory of psychedelic folk rock. This is their second album, that has been released in 2008 through the Swedish label Crusher Records. When I listen to the album for the first time, I didn't like it so much, but in the meantime my opinion has completely changed and now I really like it. It's very astounding how much effort the band made with their detailed compostions. The instrumentation is comprehensive and so one can hear alongside guitar, bass, drums and vocals also mandolin, lap steel, organ, flute and violin. All arrangements and the execution is flawless, whereas DEAD MAN is always successful in creating a great spirit that contains very often melancholic undertones. Especially this slight darkness is something I like about 'Euphoria', although this could be the perfect soundtrack for the summer 2008, too.

But this album would also fit to the next autumnal walk in your forest. As a result of the varied tracks the album remains always a diverting enjoyment. Here's 'From A Window', a short acoustic interlude, before DEAD MAN strike more psychedelic and heavier tones in 'Light Vast Corridors'. 'The Wheel' begins very quiet and grows slowly until the unique vibrato-vocals comes into the song. This is one of the few moments, where DEAD MAN use distorted guitars and become heavy. Because of the flute this track reminds to early Jethro Tull and it's an outstanding song. Another one I really like is the progressive 'Rest In Peace', that starts jazzy before it changes more towards early Black Sabbath and shortly after there are a lot of psychedelic and oriental elements. The song closes with its primary musical subject and also here the band prove their keen sense for dynamics and dramatic art. Due to the authentic production one could think that this is an obscure gem from 1968, and finally it should be made clear that this is an excellent album. Everyone who loves good music should have a listen.

Reviewed by: Klaus Kleinowski

METAL HAMMER (GR)
(June 2008, Issue #282)

The big time for Dead Man’s new output “Euphoria” has come. This record houses deep inspiration and dynamics of artistic genius. This quartet from Orebro, Sweden doesn’t play metal, be forewarned, not even hard rock, still “Euphoria” reveals some truly heavy moments! Two are the main pillars of DM’s sonic empire: psychedelia and folk. Whoever can imagine a hedonic mixture of Grateful Dead in their acid country era, of H.P Lovecraft, Byrds, Jethro Tull when heavy, of Quciksilver Messenger Service and Traffic…well he/she is then capable of a closer anticipation of this group’s magic. A group so unique! Comparing their debut with this offering, a tedious mission, we would focus on Euphoria’s progressive structures, even on the tracks that seem simpler. The apotheosis of their progressive aesthetics is the epic “Rest in Peace”, where melodies of Sabbath’s “Vol.4” echo distantly, as well as contemporary bands like Witchcraft or Troubled Horse.

Dead Man dare to not repeat their splendid first record and to invest in more experimental, freak tunes, i.e. “Light Vast Corridors” and “A Pinch of Salt”… at the same time not avoiding their dreamy folk melodies. It seems to me that this album is deeper, more personal and rich in expression and feelings. The bans regales on its obsessions and preferences, thus sounding more immediate and closer to the listener’s psyche. Their polyphonic is an unmistakable trademark which the band follows with brilliant results. All members sing, making it really hard to distinguish who sings what, and they gently caress the lucky listeners’ soul. On their debut I wrote that Roger Chapman of Family fame is the catalyst of their influences when singing. Nowadays I tend to believe that this role is taken by Demis Roussos! Not many bands of our times compose songs that flirt with the evergreen…Dead Man surely belongs to that elite. I am personally amused to watch them being neglected by the majority of the mainstream rock press, while Wooden Shjips are being highly acclaimed. I just hope that by this review, justice has been paid to their phenomenal essence. I urge you all, with every cell of my body and soul, to listen to this absolutely brilliant underground group.

Reviewed by: © Vasilis Zaharopoulos (progster75@hotmail), for METAL HAMMER GREECE.

SLUG MAGAZINE (US)

http://www.slugmag.com/article.php?id=1323&PHPSESSID=a201d211d6a703acd3009372a2e1a609

(June, 2008. Issue #234)

I will be playing this album a lot this summer. I’m very impressed with this sophomore release by a band who endures the cold of Sweden. Released in Europe by Crusher Records, the cover image is a stylized dandelion blowin’ apart in the wind. Perfect music for warm weather when you just want to relax with a drink in your hand. Maybe a green smoke in the other. Psychedelic folk-pop by a stoner metal band is the exact theme for this summer’s playlist. They are not so much pop as more bluesy than their label proclaims this "dark" album to be. Dead Man is still rooted in heavy rocker psychedelic, with Sabbath-esque guitar riffs ("The Wheel") and Led Zepplin-like vocals/guitar ("Rest In Peace") played by musicians with experience: former members of The Strollers and Norrsken. Song messages may be darker (squeezing livers til they ooze and being possessed by ghosts of your lurid past), but they’re Euphoric, too. "I’ve had my share of hardships, but I’ve seen some good times." Well, let the good times roll!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Nielsen

PREFIX MAGAZINE (US) - Rate: 7/10

http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/dead-man/euphoria/19145/

(June, 2008)

Though there’s nary a crunchy riff or occult reference to be found on Dead Man’s second album, Euphoria, it’s bound to be embraced by retro-minded metal fans. Not the white-hightopped neo-thrash kids or Maiden-worshipping 40-somethings, mind you -- we’re talking the dudes that dig deep into metal’s prehistoric commingling with blues-rock and prog and think Black Sabbath peaked with their debut.

Like Swedish brethren Witchcraft (also from Örebro) and Graveyard, Dead Man look to the hard rockin’ proto-doom of the late '60s and early '70s for inspiration. They stop short of calling bullshit on the hippie dream, though, which was a necessary step in the development of metal -- flower-child idealism still courses through “I Must Be Blind” and “Pinch of Salt,” both shambling Grateful Dead jams replete with lap steel, acoustic guitars, ragged harmonies and flutes. In the fiddle-aided folk and sweet refrain (“The softness in a smile/ Casts the sunlight on my bitter frown”) of “Footsteps,” the Örebro Ren Fair has found its anthem.

Dead Man hit their stride when they turn their backs on the light, especially on the creepy “Electric Funeral” motif that opens “The Wheel,” or the tritone-based riff in “Rest in Peace” that casts a dark pall on the surrounding pagan jazz. While not metal-grade heavy, it’s during these moments that Euphoria’s folk-prog-rock patchwork threatens to burst apart and lurch away from pastiche toward something darker and more vital. Dead Man’s shivering lead vocalists stay just this side of evil, though, and their textures always return to pastoral psychedelia.

If the fruitiness of Euphoria’s plentiful Rusted Root moments is a little disarming, Dead Man’s earnestness in re-creating the range of untrendy genres that they do saves the album. From the analog warmth of the recording to the totally bitchin’, vintage tom sound, Euphoria doesn’t just sound inspired by the more adventurous folk-rock of the late 60s -- it sounds like it could have been released back then, too, and unearthed four decades later to remind us of a time when flutes and riffs could coexist and there was no such thing as irony.

Reviewed by: Etan Rosenbloom

METAL REVOLUTION (US) - Rate: 71/100

http://www.metal-revolution.com/plugins/content/content.php?content.1418

(June, 2008)

Another release from Meteorcity that has landed on my doorstep this month is the upcoming new release by Dead Man, a retro-rock band from Sweden. The music Dead Man is playing on this 11-songs long CD is psychedelic and atmospheric, much in the vein of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead. It is actually a very nostalgic trip for an old(er) hard rocker like me, so I enjoyed listening to this album most of the time. When I say most of the time, then I must say that towards the end it kind of tends to get a bit boring and repetitive, if you know what I mean?!

Each of these 11 tracks could more or less stand on its own, being a good story alone. You really get in a good old mood while listening to this material. It is almost always upbeat and much varied tempo, but never gets too high/loud, so it is enjoyable listening where you can understand every lyric. Songs like “Footsteps” and “A Pinch of Salt” bring this melancholic feeling into my black soul.

When it comes to the musical ability of these guys I must say that vocals are just average, I mean they are not bad but nothing that really differ it from the rest. On the other hand guitar and drum work is just amazing, esp. when played this hippie and groovy atmospheric parts. Cover artwork and production wise I think they’ve got a decent job, even though I prefer to have more pages in the booklet with more additional info about the band and even printed lyrics. But these are the minor things lacking here, in general I must say that it is yet another interesting release from American based Meteorcity and I’m looking very much forward to hear the new opus from Dead Man

Reviewed by: Bato

ROCK & ROLL & MEANDERING NONSENSE (US)

http://www.rnrnonsense.com/2008/06/review-dead-man-euphoria.html

(June, 2008)

For outsiders, prog rock really seems like a limited genre full of musicians whose musical narcisism takes center stage, relegating things like hooks, emotion and all things rock n roll to the background. That may be true to some extent, but prog has also expanded rock's palette in many ways. A band like Emerson, Lake and Palmer is heavy on the classical, while King Crimson incorporates angular jazz and Mahavishnu Orchestra is as much a fusion band as a rock band. Jethro Tull stamps their prog with a heavy gothic brand. Voi Vod puts prog in a fast and heavy format and the Mars Volta even approaches their music from a hardcore background. The really great thing about Dead Man's Euphoria is that it brings many of the things these bands did individually into a single package (okay, not the hardcore bit) and even add touches of hard rock and jam band folk (a lá the Grateful Dead). They are thoroughly a prog band, yet it is difficult to pin down just one or two influences.

The album is a dynamic ride with surprises around each corner. Occasionally, those surprises aren't so great (like when "Footsteps" had me thinking about fairies and wizards), but generally they keep the album out of the stagnation that plagues so many complex, technical bands. As a matter of fact, the playing on Euphoria is often quite understated, letting the music stand on its own rather than as a vehicle to show off the bandmembers' chops. The vocals, by prog standards at least, are flat at times, but it gives the album an earthiness that escapes many of its genre-mates. None of this makes the music any less grand. In fact, it comes across nearly as big as the classics of the genre. Dead Man doesn't transcend prog itself, nor do they extend its boundaries (except perhaps on the very country, yet very fitting "A Pinch of Salt"), but they do manage to add another album to the must have list of the world's thousands of prog rock fans. While it might be hiding behind many of the musical turns on the album, Euphoria does manage to put the rock in prog rock.

Reviewed by: Bob Lange

THE METAL OBSERVER (CA)

http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=14447

(June, 2008)

DEAD MAN sounds like the name of a Punk or a Hardcore band, or perhaps a Death Metal outfit that has run out of ideas for a band name. But a Psychadelic Rock outfit that worships the entire 70s Prog Rock scene? Whodathunkit?

This band openly worships JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, GENESIS, THE GRATEFUL DEAD, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD and JETHRO TULL. These guys wear their influences on their sleeves proudly, and as each song goes on, you can play the “match the main influence” game. The irony of this album is how fresh it is, considering this sounds like it was some forgotten classic from the 70s.

The opening track evokes feeling of psychedelia, with the low key vocals, warm guitar sound, the dreamy bass lines and the subtle synthesizers. It also sounds like the musicians are coming up with some of their ideas on the spot, like they are working with a set framework and building ideas on it, so it has the feeling like the band is jamming together on the song.

The rest of the album has this looseness to the music, which works wonderfully. Some other influences pop up on the record, like the inclusion of a Folk-y fiddle on “Footsteps”, the BLACK SABBATH influenced interlude on “I Must Be Blind” (well, REALLY stoned SABBATH) and “A Pinch of Salt” is essentially a Country song, full of chicken picking and a lap steel.

It’s not without its faults, though. Whenever DEAD MAN takes the foray into Country it just comes off a tad clichéd, like they discovered “Writing Country 101”, and there is a vocal effect on “I Must Be Blind” and “Euphoria” which sounds like…….well, it sounds like the tape on which the vocals were recorded on was put into a tape deck that chewed it up, tried to spit it back out and wound up choking on itself in the process. It puts the focus and the attention on the vocal part, but not in that good way.

Back to the good bits about the record. The biggest indicator of how this is a “jam band” is how the songs build in intensity and volume as they go on. Most of the songs start off subdued, yet they pick up near the end, just to give you that sense of a journey into the mind of a THC-laced hippie which, for a tiny moment, starts panicking.

The two best songs on the album are the longest two, being “The Wheel” and “Rest In Peace”. Both are very Progressive in their song structure, featuring many changes, parts, moods, and melodies, yet the way it is put together makes the length hardly noticeable.

Those vocals effects bug me, but the album is great enough that I can ignore them. This is an album to be played on a hot summer day on a beach, drinking my seventh bottle of beer while passing out in the sun.

Great record

P.S. There isn’t a shred of anything Metal to be found here, unless you count the brief interludes that sound like BLACK SABBATH.

Reviewed by: Armen Janjanian

LOWCUT (DK) – Rate: 5/5 Masterpiece
http://www.lowcut.dk/joomla/index.php?view=article&catid=29%3Aalbum-reviews&id=177%3Adead-man-euphoria&option=com_content&Itemid=54
(May, 2008)

The Örebro based Swedish retro rockers are back with a follow up to their debut CD. The band continue the late 60’s west coast vibe but also throw in a few more heavy (early Sabbath) riffs and get a bit more psychedelic at times. 11 tracks in 50 minutes… The CD starts with the track Today. This takes you back to the late 60’s and features some lap steel guitar and a very laid back vibe and more psychedelic than the bands previous material and a bit more jammy as well. High or Low has a bass beat a bit like the classic “Mona” to start off the track but it then changes but still bluesy. The singer reminds me a bit of QSM (Quicksilver Messenger Service) in the way he sings. The band beautifully combine acoustic and electric guitar on all the tracks with some occasional organ or synthesizer. Footsteps might remind some people a bit of Witchcraft. A very moody piece with some violin as well. I must be Blind has a bit of a country feel to it with the pedal steel guitar but a really happy spirit and again takes you straight back to New Riders of the Purple Sage…. From a Window is a short 1 min acoustic guitar track that leads into Light Vast Corridors. This is a short piece that starts off quite psychedelic with synths and a strange vibe but then they come back to reality and then takes off again. A totally different track with some strange panning and very tripped out at the end. The Wheel is a great 9 min piece that shows a lot of different sides of the band and gives the band plenty of space to do their thing. After a little over a minute of just spaced out winds the Withccraft-early Sabbath-Pentagram guitar riff floats in and the track slowly gets going. Some beautiful acoustic guitar is going on in the background. A fantastic song! Rest in Peace is another long track, nearly 9 minutes and really takes me back to 1968 or so with that psychedelic 60’s vibe. In the middle of this track a guitar riff splits open the earth and you go back to the very first Black Sabbath record. Cool stuff.. A Pinch of Salt is one of those happy summer music songs with everyone dancing and some mandolin as well. The title track, Euphoria, will make the Grateful Dead fans smile. The CD ends with July, a short track that just seems it is getting going when it ends after a little over a minute…. What’s the idea?? Anyway, this band keep getting better and better.. Cool stuff…

Reviewed by: Scott

THE CUTTING EDGE (US)

http://www.cuttingedgerocks.com/sister_r.html

(May, 2008. Issue #65)

Euphoria is the second installment of Dead Man’s gnarled reach into the decaying abyss of late sixties-early seventies stoned out hippydom. Much like their self-titled debut, they bask in the warm glow of ambient doom-guitar, creative interplay and laid-back percussion. Curved Air comes to mind with the gentle build of the nine-minute “The Wheel” while a heavy Tull influence collides with Amboy Dukes in “Rest In Peace” including the lyric lift, “journey to the center of your mind.” A generous dose of folk/country rock allows the disc’s eleven tracks to be steadied by a throbbing bass and stitched together with crisp solos runs and flute melodies. Singer Rotifer Sjödahl’s warbling falsetto is gingerly poetic, almost on the verge of lunacy. His country take on “I Must Be Blind” and “A Pinch of Salt,” is pure Bronco with traces of Greenslade. Guitarist Johan Rydholm is a master of guitar tones hailing down a volley of riffs then shifting to quiet interludes. Amid the cosmic “Today” and jovial “July” there are some catchy ditties including the toe-tapping “High or Low” and the title cut “Euphoria.” It must be noted while on holiday in Africa, bassist Joakim Dimberg claims to have found the spirit of pop music during a drinking frenzy with some voodoo witchdoctors.

Reviewed by: Cutting Edge

YTSEJAM.COM (US)
http://www.ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1392
(May, 2008)

When it comes to dark rock, you think of droning guitars, thick distortion, keyboard soundscapes, slow tempos…the spectrum goes on and on whether it be Sabbath clones or ‘atmospheric’ prog bands, but here is band that truly is innovative when it comes to dark hard rock. Treading the line between indie rock and modern hard rock, Dead Man offers up slow-to-mid-tempo rockers that have elements of Hendrix, Santana, Sabbath, & the Incredible String Band, morphing Nuggets style garage rock & psychedelic blues into their own breed of ear candy.

The band uses acoustic/nylon string guitars, thick brooding riffs, occasional world rhythms, and the atmosphere of groove laden rock to create the melodic backbone of their sound. The high groove of “I Must be Blind,” the sub-Latin elements of “High or Low,” the schizophrenic jam session of “Light Vast Corridors,” and the alt.country of “A Pinch of Salt” are examples of the vast musical sonics that Dead Man executes. And it’s musical sonics, not experimentation that encompasses Euphoria; sure you have spacey moments and so on, but the music stays within the accessible realm rather than going into some wild tangent or lingering within the sleepy scheme of things, and again, thankfully there is diversity here within each song - for Dead Man offers up an exquisite musical journey that is just upon what the title of the record says it is, but without any dreary connotations.

Reviewed by: Tommy Hash


THE RIPPLE EFFECT
http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/

(May, 2008)

Despite the death metal sounding name, DEAD MAN’s Euphoria is actually an album of spaced-out, psychedelic prog rock courtesy of a bunch of hairy, bearded guys from Sweden. Rocking on as if punk rock never happened, Euphoria alternates between mid-tempo, 1970's space jams and down-home, bluegrass-style guitar picking, The boys aren’t wanting for influences, and they throw everything into their mix, including Damnation-era Opeth, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead, along with a heaping helping of Swedish mushrooms which clearly have never been cultivated on American soil.

The first two tracks, “Today,” and “High or Low,” are the high-marks, with some gorgeous guitar playing, synthesizer undertones and delicate vocal interplay. These compositions are so loosely constructed, you get the feeling the guys just set up in a barn some place, turned on the recorder and started playing, allowing the songs to wander off wherever the marijuana smoke billowed. The tunes don’t end so much as drift away as each individual member leaves the jam to go to the bathroom or get some munchies.

"Footsteps," is a haunting, ethereal number that brings in a whole 'nother batch of Dead Man influences, most notably Nursery Crime and Foxtrot era Genesis. Again, gentle guitars lilt around and about the vocals, leading to the slightly off-key chorus. "I Must Be Blind," may be one of the best Grateful Dead songs never recorded by that band. With breathy, falsetto vocals floating high in the mix, country-picking guitar and slide dance around the gentle groove. Midway through the guys bust out with a raucous (for them) bridge riff, leading into the most searing guitar lead on the album, giving a hint as to what they could do if they ever decided to let loose and metalize their sound. But, with the weed smoke hanging this thickly in the air, it's kinda hard to maintain that much aggression, and quickly the boys jump back into the bluegrass vibe of the opening moments.

Strains of early-Genesis come rushing back for the moderately bizarre "Light Vast Corridors," again even hinting at times at more aggressive moments for the band. Must've been the lingering effects of a bad bunch of mushrooms as the song swirls in and out of space rock passages, feedback, three-chord riffs and finally an outro where the guys simply forgot that they were supposed to keep on playing.

Other than the first two tracks, "The Wheel," is the most mesmerizing. Playing over a macabre ascending bass-line, the tracks drifts through moods of despair and hopelessness, before being reborn in a simple groove that seems to harken the birth of a new day. The vocal falsetto is particularly effective here, tripping across the melody as the stabs of guitar leads snake through. I gotta say, I have no idea what the song is about, but the lyric, "A brighter day/will come your way" hints at the hope left lingering at the end.

In the end, Euphoria is an oddly enthralling listen, that like a fine wine somehow gets better with time. For weeks, I've had the damnedest time trying to get this disc out of my CD player, even when I didn't really care for it at first. But with repeated listens, I'm entranced, and without a doubt, it's a keeper. That's not to say it's perfect. Many of the songs meander on long past their expiration date as if the boys were flooded with musical ideas and had no idea how to set up an effective filter to stave the songs down. Still, there’s no denying that these guys have talent. Fans of psychedelic prog shouldn't let this one slip by, and I for one, will be watching closely to see where the boys take their sound from here.

Euphoria isn't the right album for all moods and times, or mental states for that matter, but once it gets it's THC-laced fingers into your soul, it never lets go.

Reviewed by: Racer


KERRANG! (UK)
(April 12, Issue 1205, 2008)

There’s something to be said for a combination of wistful folk and blues-based psychedelia. Unfortunately, that thing is generally: ‘Get away from me hippie nonsense, or I’ll kill you with fire’. Where, say, The Mars Volta’s musical headfuck sounds like it couldn’t have come from any other band at any other time, Dead Man is very precisely dated; specifically to the early ‘70s and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. These are second-hand trips and sedate at that – listen carefully and you’ll swear you can hear the scrape of stools in among the infrequent Sabs-heavy riffs, making this one for deadheads only.

FOR FANS OF: Black Sabbath, The Grateful Dead.

Reviewed by: Paul Travers


GASPECT (US) – Rate: A = Outstanding
http://www.gaspetc.com/Trax_Spring08.html

(April, 2008)

Sweden's Dead Man is one of those bands that transports you to a timeless age in music, when Led Zeppelin could play folk music one moment and rock you're fucking nuts off the next and the Incredible String Band could connect you to mother nature by their lyrics and world music instruments and Deep Purple could make you feel like a "Child In Time". Dead Man has definitely held meetings in the Court of the Crimson King and eaten from a Saucerful of Secrets and listened to the Minstrel in the Gallery once or twice. "I Must Be Blind" with it's pedal steel guitar sounds like a lost track from Led Zeppelin 3 and "Light Vast Corridors" with it's analog synth sounds sounds like a lost Hawkwind, or Soft Machine/Kevin Ayers song.

For the first minute and a half of "The Wheel" you can barely hear the slowly swelling sound that climaxes into mellow acoustic guitar and leads us on a 9 plus minute sonic journey only early 70's Floyd could have attempted to take us on. "Rest In Peace" is by far the heaviest (by guitar sound standards) on the album and clocking in at almost 9 minutes is also the second epic on the album. It starts off in a Van Morrison-esque way complete with tasteful flutes that eventually lead to a Black Sabbath-type guitar riff for the second half of the song that blends in a Santana-esque jam. "A Pinch Of Salt" is one of those songs that you just want to play in your car when your heading out on a long road trip with it's pedal steel/mandolin sound and would get a crowd full of deadheads dancing in the aisles or grass. "Euphoria" starts off with a nice little jam of flutes and guitar that sounds like a summer morning when you don't have to get up for work and you can just take the day as it comes. "July" ends the album on a nice little instrumental number that will have you feeling good for the rest of the day.

The vocals on the album are a sort of vibrato folk sound and only can be described as Robert Plant meets Nick Drake and the guitars sound like Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi had a love child together. The drums and bass are very tasteful and really fill out the overall sound.

I could easily see Dead Man playing a concert with Devendra Banhart, Jethro Tull, or KIng Crimson. This album is definitely one of my favorite releases of 2008!

Reviewed by: Matt Smith


METAL DISTRICT (DE) – Rate: 8,5/10
http://www.metaldistrict.de/cdkritik-4418-dead_man-euphoria.html

(April, 2008)

Aus dem Land der Schweden erheben sich in letzter Zeit immer mehr junge, talentierte Bands, die Musik aus längst vergangener Zeit neu entdeckt und auf charmante Art und Weise neu interpretiert haben. WITCHCRAFT oder GRAVEYARD seien an dieser Stelle nur beispielhaft genannt.
Auch die aus Örebro stammende Formation DEAD MAN lässt sich in die Reihe der aktuellen ‚Retro-Bands’ einordnen, hat sie doch mit ihrem Zweitwerk ein wirklich durch und durch schönes Album abgeliefert, an dem der Freund von alten Klängen sicherlich lange seine Freude haben wird.

Die vier Schweden entführen den Hörer mit „Euphoria“ auf einen psychedelischen Folktrip, der bereits von Beginn des rockigen Openers „Today“ an fruchtet und zu gefallen weiß. Zeitlose Melodien, experimentell anmutende Passagen und der sanfte Gesang versprühen mit insgesamt elf Songs viel Atmosphäre und eine außerordentlich angenehme Ruhe und Gelassenheit. Gedämpfte Akustikgitarren, viel Percussion und sporadisch eingesetzte Synthesizer harmonieren perfekt miteinander und schaffen eine stimmungsvolle, leicht düstere Klanglandschaft, die erahnen lässt, welch großes Potential in den Nordmännern steckt.

„Euphoria“ ist eines der Alben, bei denen sich bei jedem Hören ein anderes kleines Detail offenbart, das einem zuvor entgangen ist. Das macht die Musik der vier Schweden nicht nur besonders liebenswert sondern auch interessant und abwechslungsreich.
Vielleicht hätte man stellenweise noch etwas am Songwriting feilen können, aber bis auf kleinere Schwächen diesbezüglich gibt es eigentlich nichts zu meckern. Dem einen mag „Euphoria“ zu eintönig und soft sein, dem anderen wiederum wird genau dieses Gemächliche und Sanfte gefallen.
DEAD MAN bieten geschmackvolle Hippie-Musik, die jenseits von jeglicher Massentauglichkeit sicherlich ihre Anhänger finden wird. Großes Kino!

Reviewed by: Kath

ANCIENT SPIRIT (DE) - Rate: 10,5/12

http://www.ancientspirit.de/set2.htm

Holt die Duftkerzen und Lavalampen raus, Batiktücher und fein süßlich riechende Rauchwaren: DEAD MAN sind der Soundtrack eurer nächsten Partys. Dabei vor allem dann zuständig für die späteren Stunden, wo es nicht mehr so sehr um den Stimmungs- und Party-Faktor geht, sondern darum, grüblerisch, melancholisch und nostalgisch im Pre-Delirium dazuliegen und dies für den intensivsten und wichtigsten Moment der Menschheitsgeschichte zu halten. Leute, die Schweden zelebrieren auf ihrem zweiten Album 'Euphoria' den psychedelischen Hard/Folk Rock der Siebziger dermaßen großartig, daß man gar nicht glauben kann/mag, daß die Überperlen wie 'Today', 'I Must Be Blind', 'From A Window' oder die Göttergaben 'Light Vast Corridors' und vor allem 'The Wheel', eben nicht original aus den Siebzigern, sondern aus der Gegenwart stammen. Krasse Scheiße!!! Hier treffen die GRATEFUL DEAD auf BLACK SABBATH ('Rest In Peace'), hier wird gelegentlich geproggt dazu geboogiet und natürlich vornehmlich psychedelisch gerockt, mit Querflöte JETHRO TULL gehuldigt, NEIL YOUNG zitiert, genau wie HAWKWIND und etliche andere Zeitzeugen...Einen Schuß Tom Jones nicht zu vergessen...Calypso-Feeling inklusive ('Euphoria')! TOLL!!!

Reviewed by: Hage

ROCK HARD (IT) – Rate: 8,5/10
(April, 2008)

C’era grande attesa intorno al nuovo lavoro dei Dead Man, combo svedese che aveva strabiliato tutti in occasione del debutto eponimo. Allora si trattava di un album di hard rock d’antan che suonava come l’abbraccio vigoroso tra la psichedelia free dei Grateful Dead, quella folk dei Jefferson Airplane e quella esuberante e super-elettrica di Jimi Hendrix. A sorpresa, i Dead Man di “Euphoria” scelgono di cimentarsi con un repertorio meno heavy, ma altrettanto entusiasmante. “Today” adagia un canto sognante su un tappeto di chitarre slide, per poi aggrovigliarsi in una cavalcata country-folk dalle parti dei Dead di “American Beauty” o dei New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Accade lo stesso nella struggente “I Must Be Blind” e nella divertente “A Pinch Of Salt”, mentre “High Or Low” alza il tiro suonando accordi potentemente blues con una chitarra acustica. Dall’altro capo del disco ci sono “Euphoria”, pop lisergico e orchestrale alla maniera dei Love, e “July”, breve chiosa che profuma d’estate. In mezzo, ballate suadenti e malinconiche (“Footsteps”), melodie ariose e arrangiamenti sopraffini (“Light Vast Corridors”) al servizio di una scrittura di assoluta classe. Dei Dead Man oscuri e nervosi dell’esordio resta traccia solo in “The Wheel” e nell’eco sabbathiana di “Rest In Peace”, che comincia come un soul-jazz flautato alla maniera del Van Morrison di “Astral Weeks” e si conclude con un bel crescendo di percussioni. È l’apice di un disco che rasenta il capolavoro.

Reviewed by: Luciano Gaglio


SHINDIG! (UK)
(March, 2008)

I’ve said it once before and, I no doubt, will say it again. When the Swedes fall in love with a certain era they grasp all the nuances and affectations that made the original bands so special. Dead Man’s second album has all of the ’69-’74 trappings you could wish for – the hair, the denim, and the riffs, all permeated with that smoky back to the country vibe. It has the kind of straggled and weathered tone that fashionable pretenders could not hope to achieve: there are no inappropriate guitar solos or post-rock basslines showing up here. The occasional wavering falsetto Plant impressions may be reminiscent of recent rock stars The White Stripes and Wolfmother, but then neither of those acts were trying to reinvent the wheel either and unashamedly wear their influences on their denim shirts! Dead Man are valid and furthermore heartfelt! To behold these longhaired players now and 10 years ago in their garage and beat days when members played in such hip young wildmen as The Roadrunners gives a clue as to how they’ve developed. And that 10 year progression is certainly mirrored in their appearance, playing and music… but don’t let me get started on that ’65 to ’75 evolutionary spiel. I don’t think they’d really like to be considered a nostalgia fest. The Darkness they ain’t! Dead Man sit alongside fellow countrymen The Soundtrack Of Our Lives and Dungen. What they do may be viewed as old, but it is most certainly not tired or uninspired!

Although Dead Man get pushed into the stoner rock corner their varied moods go way beyond the one Black Sabbath riff cliché. In fact, Dead Man are not a stoner rock band at all, full stop. Their template may often be based around searing duelling guitars and stoned and lost vocals but they also go in for a fine line in Swedish prog folk vibes blending and bending the pastoral with the American hippy country rock style of Workingman’s Dead (with that markedly non-stoner addition of fine fiddle work and on the woodland folk numbers nicely positioned flute). The influences jump around the album like a small bouncy ball rebounding off a wall, and I particularly like the strong cop of Spirit’s ‘Water Woman’ on ‘I Must Be Blind’. It must be said though that the all out dementia, strategic out of key wailing, oscillation and heavy riffing on ‘Light Vast Corridors’ is pretty much their own monster. Like Dungen Dead Man make sweaty and demanding 40 year old rock sound as fresh as a daisy! ‘The Wheel’ maintains a shambling blues swagger before it hits a Focus-like flute-led middle-eight then rides out on the Grand Funk Railroad. Infectious, cool and for real!

Reviewed by: Jon 'Mojo' Mills


NERIKES ALLEHANDA (SE)
http://www.na.se/meny/recension.asp?page=1&id=0&nr=15868
(March, 2008)

Skivrecensionen för ett år sedan stod Dead Man på Backstage och spelade de låtar som jag antar nu hamnat på andra skivan ”Euphoria”. Det var en sådan där magisk spelning där högsta betyg låg i luften. Nu är skivan här och det är lite samma läge igen. Det här är så bra! Som jag konstaterade i recensionen av debutskivan så ligger bandet mellan garagerocken och den retrohårdrock som till exempel Witchcraft spelar. På något lustigt sätt summerar Dead Man allt det som Örebros 60-/70-talsinfluerade band hållit på med de senaste 10-15 åren. Alla pusselbitar faller på rätt plats i kvartettens händer.

Jag är mycket imponerad av låtskriveriet som bara kan härledas till en stor gemensam talang och ett genuint intresse för musik gjord av riktiga musiker. Låtarna färgas så snyggt av små detaljer som bidrar till en helhet som är helt magisk faktiskt. Dessutom är produktionen helt perfekt. Det finns inte ett enda fel i den.

Man kan säga att Dead Man har allt det jag älskar med ”äldre” musik – experimentlustan som fanns innan allt hade gjorts och förmågan att hitta det lättillgängliga i det annorlunda.
Därför är de just nu Örebros bästa band.

Reviewed by: Anders Jakobson

HOME OF ROCK (DE)

http://www.home-of-rock.de/CD-Reviews/Dead_Man/Euphoria.html
(March, 2008)

Hörtipp für ältere Leser: I Must Be Blind. Nach diesem Song versteht der Veteran, um was es den Schweden DEAD MAN auf ihrem zweiten Album geht. Wer sich bei dieser Nummer an FAMILY und Roger Chapman erinnert fühlt, liegt aber so was von richtig. Und wer Light Vast Corridors für ein verschollenes Stück von FLOYDs Syd Barrett hält, hat zwar Unrecht, kommt der Sache aber ganz nah.

Nach dem hübschen Debut von 2005 bringt das umtriebige Label Crusher Records (u. a. THE MAHARAJAS) nun auch die zweite Komplett-CD der DEAD MAN auf den Markt, und vielleicht fragt sich der eine oder andere Musikfan, wie es denn sein kann, dass solche pure Underground-Mucke überhaupt noch gemacht wird. Die Antwort: Schallplatten wie "Euphoria" retten zwar nicht die Welt, fassen aber generationen- und stilübergreifend ein paar der wichtigsten Grundsätze des Rock &, Roll zusammen und machen aufgrund der Jugend und Frische der Darsteller gehörig Spaß.

Zum Beispiel der Song Rest In Peace. Hat man BLACK SABBATH jemals mit akustischer Leadgitarre gehört? Oder A Pinch Of Salt und der Titelsong Euphoria (sowieso ein wunderbarer Konterpart zum Bandnamen). Wann haben GRATEFUL DEAD zuletzt so spannend geklungen?

Ja, die untoten Männer von DEAD MAN sind wohl unverbesserliche Hippies des 21. Jahrhunderts, aber für 50 Minuten schöne Musik reicht es allemal. Das bezaubernd eindimensionale Gitarrensolo im Eröffnungslied Today beweist es.

Wer sich eine Mischung aus Psychedelic, Country-Folk und Stoner Rock vorstellen kann, wer keine Angst vor einer vereinzelten Lap Steel, Geige oder Flöte hat, greift bei den jungen Schweden bitteschön zu.

Reviewed by: Fred Schmidtlein