Sweden's Last Tribe performs melodic power metal that serves as a perfect showcase for technically gifted guitarist Magnus Karlsson. Together with ex-Armageddon vocalist Rickard Bengtsson, Karlsson formed Last Tribe in the late '90s, and their partnership soon led to a deal with the Frontiers label, which issued their The Ritual debut in 2001. Second guitarist Lee Day, bassist Par Wallmark, and drummer Kristoffer Andersson also performed on the LP, but follow-up efforts Witch Dance (2002) and The Uncrowned (2003) saw Last Tribe trimmed to a quartet with new arrivals Dick Lowgren (bass) and Jaime Salazar (drums). Incidentally, Lowgren has since hooked up with avant-garde industrialists Meshuggah. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia