Byron Metcalf

“The Shaman’s Heart provides a kind of spacious, soft, inviting container for inner exploration. A kind of gently moving carriage for shamanic journeys into other worlds, and deeper dimensions of this world. Like walking quietly and contemplatively through the forests of mind.”

“In THE SHAMAN'S HEART, virtuoso percussionist and soundscape sculptor Byron Metcalf takes us on a potent journey into the archetypal depths of shamanic awakening.”

"It's the way [The Shaman's Heart] all fits together - like one organic breathing entity, enveloping you so completely that this is like taking a literal voyage up the Amazon. Seldom do I endorse an album this thoroughly, but honestly, if you have ever enjoyed ethno-tribal music even to a moderate degree, The Shaman's Heart is, well, indispensable and essential. You have to hear this CD! The Shaman's Heart is a perfect recording. . . it is as close to a magical experience committed to the recording medium as you're likely to hear any time soon. My mind boggles at the idea this was created in a studio, as it almost feels like it emerged newborn from the very heart of the jungle itself. There's little else to say except Wow!"

Bringing ambient-wunderkind Steve Roach and percussionist/drummer extraordinaire Byron Metcalf together always results in an explosion of primal power married to darkly sensual soundscapes. On Dream Tracker, the duo is joined by didgeridoo/tabla/hapi-drum player Dashmesh Khalsa, and the assembled trio conjures up a musical exploration of ancient mystery, haunting memory, and shadowy visions. I once described Metcalf’s earlier CD, The Shaman’s Heart, as “a trip way up river into the heart of a … rainforest.” Dream Tracker goes even further, leaving the boat behind and continuing the journey on foot, heading into an uncharted jungle landscape where the native peoples still practice the “old ways,” surrounded by the Earth Mother’s exotic flora and fauna. 

Bill Binkelman, New Age Retailer