Deus Ex Machina, Italy ***Inactive***

Progressive rock; Hard rock

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Latest release: Devoto (2016)

Deux Ex Machina don't appear to have any new activity since 2018.

Devoto (2016)

Deus Ex Machina go back to their hard rocking roots on Devoto. It's a surprising return to form, especially for a band who had dabbled in more academic avant prog waters for such a long time. Hard rock guitar, crunchy organ, shredding violin, a driving rhythm section, and the Demetrios Stratos-like soaring Italian vocals of Alberto Piras, define this fine album. It's not dumbo hard rock either, but very much the complex sound of the early 70s. Truth be told, classic Italian prog was always more heavy than ever given credit for. Even bands like Area and Arti+Mestieri kicked out the jams once in awhile. If you listen to the early Deus Ex Machina albums, this is the sound you'll find, except now with more vintage gear in tow. Devoto is about as grimy, nasty, and dirty-under-the-fingernails as you'll ever hear on the refined Cuneiform label. My kind of album.

---9/2/16

Cinque (2002)

When this album was released there was an air of disappointment among the prog rock set that I associated with. I can't recall the discussions as to why. Even for myself, I had it the lowest rated of their seven studio albums (as of 2024). This was their first album to be released on Cuneiform, which had a much larger global footprint than the regional Italian label Kaliphonia. Maybe we all wanted too much from it? I'm not sure, but in retrospect, I hear it no different than its predecessor. It's a fine mix of complex prog rock and driving hard rock. I think sometimes the latter was off putting to my peers. It's just this element that has aged well for me. One interesting real-time review from Brazil on RYM states: "Too much American publicity. It's not that good." Maybe that also captured the mood from an international perspective. For bands that I have multiple albums of, I usually can find a few representative works, and ditch the rest. Not sure Deus Ex Machina has any weak spots. At this point, I hear all seven as essential.

---2/5/24

Equilibrismo da Insofferenza (1998)

In 1998, Deus Ex Machina were one of those bands that myself and my running set were tracking real time. Their first three albums were all excellent, and they seemed to improve with each release. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in 1996 and they didn't disappoint there either. So there was much anticipation when Equilibrismo da Insofferenza was released. And boy, did it pack the WOW factor! They had streamlined their sound further, added even more complexity, while bringing forth a more mature songwriting approach. Not to mention a much better, more retro styled production. For 1998, it seemed to be their best effort yet, and one of the finest prog albums for the entire year - a sentiment shared by many at the time. 22 years later, and that impact has diminished somewhat. The music is dense, with tons of stop/start moments while Piras continued to push the boundaries of the Demetrio Stratos styled vocal gymnastics. And now he's singing in his native Italian verse Latin - which remains a plus in my book. Truth be told, I didn't remember much about the album going into revisit. And I don't remember much about it afterward - and it was only three weeks ago! When reflecting on Deus Ex Machina's best songs, it's starting to emerge that their sophomore effort is their most accomplished, and the one album the band relies on more for their live repertoire. The 90s tinny production was more the issue considering that release. There is an exception to everything I said above - and it's very significant: 'Cosmopolitismo Centimetropolitano' may very well be the single finest track (ever) to marry hard rock and avant prog. And it is memorable. It never stops driving forward, with one of the all time great guitar riffs combined with complex rhythms. And Piras has never been better than here. It was this one song that I think propelled it as one of the great albums in my mind. And for 10 and a half minutes, it most certainly is. For the other hour not so much. Is it Deus Ex Machina's best album? It may still very well be. We'll see how the other albums fare on further revisits.

---11/13/20

De Republica (1995)

I bought this album upon release, and played it quite a bit through the time I saw them live in 1996. And I don't think I've heard it since. 22 years later, my opinion remains unchanged, though I recalled little about it as I listen again. The rhythm section along with Alberto Piras' Demetrios Stratus imitation is what really makes it work. Not very melodic, but definitely rocks hard despite the complexity.

---12/20/18

Deus Ex Machina (1993)

I feel sometimes that this album, Deus Ex Machina's second offering, is the forgotten work in their canon. Since much of their live repertoire is taken from this album, it appears to contain their strongest material from a composition standpoint - at least as the band sees it. The execution isn't as crisp, and the sound quality isn't dynamic (a bit of a flat digital sound - typical of early 1990s albums). Singer Alberto Piras demonstrates here what a force he was to become. A very good album that has aged well and I feel a slight improvement on their chaotic and unfocused debut.

---3/13/11

Gladium Caeli (1991)

Deus Ex Machina burst onto the progressive rock scene in 1991 with their debut Gladium Caeli. When me and my running set acquired this CD real time, it was quite the revelation - and not easy to handle honestly. I've often referred to this album as chaotic and unfocused. But it's probably been 25 years since I last heard it, when it was found hiding deep in the collection. And after all that time, my conclusion is...

...it's chaotic and unfocused. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you. Deus Ex Machina draw just as much influence from 70s hard rock as they do from progressive rock. And that's a fine mix as far as I'm concerned. There's some long form guitar jamming here that certainly recall Led Zeppelin or even Deep Purple. The vocals are one of many unique twists - Alberto Piras being one of the marvels of the Italian prog renaissance. His idol was none other than Demetrio Stratos of Area, and to add even more distinction, he sings in Latin! Most of the album was ignored by the band for later stage shows, and it's easy to see why, as they lack the kind of memorable hooks one seeks to hear in a live setting. One exception to this is 'Ignis ab Caelo', sometimes referred to simply as 'Ignis'. For awhile the band played a truncated version of 'Dialeghan' arguably the album's finest track, and most certainly the fieriest. There are no major peaks here, but everything is at least very good. It's a fine first effort, released at a time when progressive rock was just rolling again. It was well received, and they would improve leaps and bounds from here. And yet I find this album just as enjoyable, rough and tumble as it may be.

---5/9/19

Other albums I've heard: Non est ars quae ad effectum casus venit (1997); Imparis (2008)

 

9/2/16 (new entry)