DEUS EX MACHINA

Following on from the release of the band's previous album, 2008's 'Imparis', they lost much of their momentum and energy, which was caused in some ways by the departure of long-term keyboard player Fabrizio Puglisi. This led to a period of introspection, and to decide what they wanted to do and in what direction musically they should be heading. Given they have been creating waves in the Italian progressive scene since the Eighties this was never going to be a quick decision, but the return of keyboard player Luigi Riccia Ricciardiello (who played on the band's first five studio albums) certainly helped. This meant that the 2016 line-up was almost identical to the one which recorded 1991's debut, 'Gladium Caeli', with just the drummer being different.

Violin and keyboards are often the lead instrument (the use of a guest brass section has also had a major impact), with the guitar often providing delicate support although there are times when Mauro Collina does allow himself to rock out just a little. There is no doubt that while the music is complex, multi-layered and highly arranged and structured, it is lead singer Alberto Piras who really stands out. He can sing in multiple styles, coming across quite theatrical in nature at times, and with the songs in Italian it is possible to treat his performance as another musical thread given, I have no idea what he is saying. In many ways they are jazz rock fusion, yet there are also plenty of RPI and deep Seventies influences while I would venture that early Twelfth Night fans would also find much on here to enjoy. There are some wonderfully dated keyboard sounds at times, which normally one would associate with Rick Wakeman, and they also add a certain feel to the music. There is little truly progressive in this in that it is looking deeply into the past for inspiration, but sometimes that is all a proghead needs. This is currently their most recent album, but given it is only seven years since this was released it is quite possible there will be a new one coming soon. One for progheads of the old school.

Deus ex Machina is my kryptonite: were it not for the wide universe of prog, I would give every one of their albums 5 stars. Musically and compositionally, they are in the top pantheon. In my sometimes not-humble-enough opinion, they simply can do no wrong.

As part of my regimen for maintaining my sanity while sheltering in place here in NYC, I have been going through all my progressive rock albums alphabetically by group, and chronologically within each group. When I completed listening to the entire DeM oeuvre, I had forgotten how much of a prog "jam" band they were at the beginning. They then...progressed (matured) through their next two albums and ramped up the progressive dial to 11 to arrive at what is almost certainly their peak - Equilibrismo da Insofferenza, one of the greatest albums in any subgenre of progressive rock. With their next effort, Cinque - on which they got rid of some of their most bombastic (radically progressive, which is not a bad thing) tendencies - they produced a more mature, thoughtful album. On Imparis they fine-tuned even a little more. (As an side, I believe Cinque is much better than it has been reviewed. In fact, if Equilibrismo is their Sgt. Pepper, then De Republica is their Revolver, and Cinque is their Magical Mystery Tour. I do tend to think of things relative to the Beatles.)

With Devoto, they have almost come full circle. Actually, Devoto is basically a compilation of all of their various "styles" over the years, though the overall sound is somewhat more "rock and roll" than almost anything since their first album. (In this regard, I agree with Sean Trane's comment that "There's quite a strong Led Zeppelin vibe that pops up at times, especially from the 'Houses Of The Holy' period," except that I don't hear it quite as strongly as he does. There IS definitely a "rawer" rock sound to some of the material here, but I would say they are also wearing other early influences on their sleeve, including Zappa and Gentle Giant.) There is something for everyone here, from the "rawer," "jammier" sound of their first two albums, to the slightly more progressive sound of De Republica, to the radical sound of Equilibrismo, to the maturer sound of Cinque and Imparis. And although many of the compositions are "simpler" than some of their more overtly progressive ones, they are no less thoughtful and deliberative, and the album also contains some of leader/singer Alberto Piras' best, most interesting and complex melodies and rhythms.

I will not go through the album song by song, except the say that the three stand-outs here are Distratto Da Me (the most overtly progressive of the songs), Piu Uguale (progressive with a strong rock and roll heart), and Multiverso, though everything here is worthwhile.

I had great fun listening to their oeuvre, which I have not done in years. My only regret after re-listening to Devoto was that there were no more albums to listen to. I hope they are hard at work on their next one, whatever it may bring.

Alberto Piras(vocalist) related how the band had run out of steam after the release of "Imparis" some 8 years ago. So they took a long break and decided to make music that was less ambitious shall we say. And they succeeded in making a more straight forward record but that fire and emotion is still front and center. Piras says "We tried to compose easier songs, still full of emotion and intensity. We want our fans to feel our blood flowing on this record..." and you will. I find the music here to be so mysterious and I'm really drawn to the emotion and adventure that is on display here. There's quite a strong LED ZEPPELIN vibe that pops up at times, especially from the "Houses Of The Holy" period. Four guests help out mainly with horns.

"Devoted" has this cool little keyboard melody that's joined by a powerful and complex soundscape. Vocals follow. So good! Some strong organ runs come and go. This is actually catchy after 2 minutes. Violin before 3 1/2 minutes as the vocals step aside. How good is this! "Subterfuge" is only 1 1/2 minutes long but man I like the melancholy as the strings drone. Some crazy keyboard stuff here as well then back to the strings. "Multiverse" is uptempo and full of depth. The violin comes in over top and it will come and go. Love the calm before a minute, very LED ZEPPELIN-like as the vocals join in. How about that instrumental break from before 2 minutes to after 3 minutes. Man this is good. Check out the guitar before 5 minutes.

"Distracted By Me" sounds incredible at first, love that opening mood then the violin comes in followed by horns. Vocals and guitar take over as it settles before it builds with blasting horns, organ and more. It settles again as themes are repeated. A change before 4 minutes as a driving rhythm kicks in with some nasty organ. The vocals are back after 5 1/2 minutes followed by a guitar solo then blasting horns, bass, drums and synths. "Eternal Return" is uptempo with intricate guitar and violin mainly before vocals, violin and picked guitar take over quickly. Eventually we get more sounds, mandolin too. The guitar and violin take the spotlight after 2 1/2 minutes.

"More Equal" has a nice heavy guitar led start as the organ joins in then the tempo picks up and the vocals arrive. The vocals and organ stand out here. Powerful stuff. An instrumental break starts before 3 minutes and it includes some excellent guitar. Violin joins in around 4 minutes then the guitar led theme returns. It turns all instrumental, almost funky then organ comes to the fore before 7 minutes. A spacey section takes over including some electronics before the drums kick in along with some nasty synths before 9 minutes. "Transition" hits the ground running, lots of organ here. A LED ZEPPELIN vibe comes in before a minute then back to the organ but contrasts will continue. It settles some with vocals 2 minutes in then the violin starts to come and go. Another LED ZEPPELIN moment then the vocals turn passionate before 5 minutes before they step aside and the guitar solos. Ripping guitar from around 6 minutes to the end.

"Author Of The Future" features guitar expressions that echo as they come and go. The vocals arrive before a minute and they are relaxed, piano too. The vocals and sound become more powerful as the violin joins in. Themes are repeated. A real LED ZEPPELIN inspired section arrives just before 4 1/2 minutes then the vocals return as they rock hard until 5 minutes in when it calms right down. Some female vocals late. "Sons" has a really good drum intro then the horns, vocals and more join in. Some fast paced vocals will come and go. A violin solo starts before 3 minutes and check out the guitar/ drum section before 4 minutes. The violin follows lighting it up then the vocals return before 5 minutes. Some interesting guitar ends it. "Four Small Hands" is pretty much guitar throughout and it is impressive. The man can play!

This is such an adventerous band. They can let it rip with the best of them yet they always have great ideas. And it doesn't hurt having a vocalist like Alberto. Welcome back boys! I've read many opinions on this one and a lot of people feel this might be the best album they have ever done.

Devoto is a different album to what we are accustomed from Deus Ex Machina. Apparently easier. A quiet CD, less cumbersome and more affordable that others before. Your listening leaves a residue of "savoir-faire". Latin language has been abandoned, the structures are more linear and the Piras' voice is far less "sharp". Along with Imparis, posiblmente is his most mature album. But not in quality, but in the sense of taking things calmly and reveling. There is a special tendency to polish the edges, but not eliminate them.

Musically the group looks back. Towards their first two albums. But, in this case, in a completely voluntary way. Not in the way of "in search-of-a-sound". There are fewer jazz, the same quantity of rock and more jazz-rock. In many moments they lie in that middle ground between Mahavishnu, Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. But beware, without losing a dot of his personality. I think it is Colina who has taken the reins in the aspect of composition, and with him, the album oozes blues, zydeco, Brazilian rhythms and other American roots sounds. It is not an obvious influence, but the strength of this album is basically in the details. Details as, in the past, were made to Ligeti, the funky and the Downtown (closest musics to the former keyboardist Fabrizio Puglisi).

And it should also keep in mind the recovery of a more progressive and electronic musician as Ricardello instead of Fabrizio, a jazzman. This significantly changes the sonic palette.

One more time confirmed, DexM is a unique and unrepeatable group. They do things with patience (more than one would say with "vagrancy"), but each disk evolve, and this is, to me, a sign of authenticity.

Fantastic playing, but Jazz-Rock/Fusion it isn't . Closer to Eclectic with a touch of Canterbury. Really, no need to salivate over a long lost masterpiece of that genre. There are some jazzy elements, but a violin played (at times) along with a few dissonant cords doesn't make it sound like Mahavishnu Orchestra with Jerry Goodman. Just like a flute player doesn't make a band sound like Jethro Tull. Far from it, but the music is great anyway, very close to a 5 star recommendation..

...till the vocals come in and practically ruin the enjoyment. The singer has a reasonably strong voice, but a voice that doesn't really belong on top of this otherwise excellent piece. Mixing coffee with salt comes to mind. I'd rather avoid that.

Mixing credible Hammond work, alongside pleasing guitar and violins with a very commendable rhythms section would please me enormously. Unfortunately, the vocals don't belong here and do severely detract from my enjoyment. I have no choice, but to drop my rating to 3 as a result. I wish that I had access to the master tapes to separate the instruments from the vocals. The former would be treasured, whereas the latter may serve better in a different context. .

Highly technical Italian Prog/Fusion sextet from Bologna, formed in 1985 with Marco Matteuzzi (drums), Alessandro Porreca (bass), Maurino Collina (guitar), Alessandro Bonetti (violin), Fabrizio Puglisi (keyboards) and Alberto Piras (vocals).They performed an original rock-opera for years in several gigs, based on a story about the endless battle between humans and nature.The band gained fastly some growing fame, which led them to sign a contract with the Milanese label Kaliphonia.Finally this work would be released in 1991 under the title ''Gladium Caeli''.

From semi-long to very long tracks, Deus Ex Machina's official entrance in the music world was quite a shock.Not only the music was extremely technical, quirky and frenetic all the way, but the most impressive thing was that singer Alberto Piras abandonded the Italian language for the Latin lyrics and their unique flavor.The album was recorded in studio in just two days and the band itself admits that the album has some evident technical flaws, still the music is highly intricate and offered between deep but complicated arrangements and semi-loose sections.The main influences seem to be acts such as AREA, the more jazzy side of P.F.M. and BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and WEATHER REPORT, while Piras' voice has a strong theatrical twist ala DEMETRIO STRATOS, despite being over the top at some moments.Musically the album offers very technical Progressive/Fusion with constantly different themes, ranging from improvised parts to technical performances to powerful and rich grooves with strong use of organs/pianos and endless violin workouts.An accurate and solid rhythm section and a sharp guitarist complete this great Italian group.Massive interplays with keyboards and violins in the forefront, furious and frenetic paces, alternation between 70's sounding organs, edgy synths and jazzy piano parts and a singer all over the place are the main components of this work, which often seem to much to handle.

Impressive debut to say the least.Not fully conveincing, as the technique seems often a priority compared to more tight arrangements, but the result is an album full of energy and postive feelings.Recommended and even more for fans of all the aforementioned bands...3.5 stars.

This first album by DEUS EX MACHINA really does sound like a band trying to find an identity and not succeeding. Sure all the ingredients are here and it's still Alberto Piras singing but even Alberto sounds like someone without direction just showing his stuff. This is very much a Rock record that is often quite abrasive and too long.

"Expergi" opens with atmosphere then it kicks in after a minute and vocals follow as he screams several times. He does start to sing though. Check out the drumming 3 minutes in and the ripping guitar after 5 1/2 minutes. It settles after 7 minutes with vocals and organ before kicking in one more time. "Arbor" opens with gentle guitar and we don't get vocals until before 3 1/2 minutes as it gets fuller. It kicks in after 5 minutes when the vocals stop. It continues to shift. It's chaotic 10 1/2 minutes in with vocal expressions. "Gladiva Caeli" has a solid beat with violin and more. The guitar then starts to lead followed by a calm then the vocals join in. Violin is back as it picks up. Vocal melodies after 5 1/2 minutes. A guitar solo before 7 minutes and the organ follows. Ripping guitar before 8 1/2 minutes then it settles late with vocals as atmosphere ends it.

"Ignis Ab Caelo" opens with some impressive instrumental work then the vocals come in after 1 1/2 minutes when it settles some. Back to that instrumental work to end it. "Se Ipse Loquitur" is heavy with organ then it settles when the vocals arrive as contrasts continue. "Dialeghen" is led by the drums early then organ before we get a calm before 3 minutes as the vocals come in. It kicks back in before 5 minutes then it settles with vocals before 7 minutes. It builds then another calm 11 minutes in. Great sound when it kicks back in. "Omnia Evolvitur Sed Potest Mutari" opens with guitar and drums then the violin joins in. Vocals 3 minutes in but they are brief. More instrumental madness follows then the vocals return after 5 1/2 minutes. A guitar solo a minute later followed by violin. Vocals end it.

A good album but maybe one that i'd call immature. The next album shows the band becoming more focussed and then after that they become complex and insane but always within a framework.

DEUS EX MACHINA's second album might not be as complex, innovative or insane ( it's still all of those things though) as what would follow but this is one of my favs from them. Just a killer album that reminds me of only one other band, and that is AREA. Alberto is his usual passionate self on vocals as we get lots of violin, guitar and keyboards along with the outstanding rhythm section. These guys are amazing players.

"Ad Montem" is quiet at first with the violin soloing away as it builds. Silence after 2 1/2 minutes then it kicks in after 3 minutes. Organ too. Vocals before 4 minutes as it settles back some. Another calm 5 minutes in. Ripping guitar late. "Vacuum" has intricate guitar melodies to start. Nice. Vocal melodies come in then it picks up after 1 1/2 minutes with vocals. This is good. The guitar is great 4 minutes in during this instrumental section. Violin follows. Vocals around 5 minutes to end it. "M.A." is a short piece with acoustic guitar melodies. "Hostis" is heavy with guitar then violin. Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes. It settles after 3 1/2 minutes but not for long. The guitar is really good 5 minutes in after the vocals stop.

"Cor Mio" sounds amazing when it picks up 1 1/2 minutes in. How good is this ! The guitar solos late. The rhythm section sounds great early on in "Si Tu Bene Valeas Ego Bene Valeo". Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes as it settles some. Contrasts continue. The last 2 minutes are incredible, very intense. "Lo Stato Delle Cose" opens with acoustic guitar then the sound gets fuller with vocals. Nice Zeuhl-like rhythm 2 1/2 minutes in. Fantastic intrumental section after 5 minutes. Vocals are back then more instrumental insanity follows. "Deus Ex Machina" is my favourite. It's laid back to start as vocals join in. It kicks in with some steller drum and bass work. So good ! Passionate vocal melodies before 4 minutes and some killer organ a minute later. Then the guitar lights it up and more impressive drumming follows. "Omega" is a short but powerful instrumental to end it.

Easily 4 stars and an album i'll be spinning often.

The relative popularity of this fifth studio album by the deluxe Fusion sextet of Deus Ex Machina (currently boasting the highest score in their discography here at Prog Archives, and with twice the number of reviews as the runner up) is really just a consequence of its wider exposure. The album marks their first (and so far only) effort to be distributed in the United States, by the good folks at Cuneiform Records, bless their hearts.

And yet the music itself is hardly more accessible. If anything it's the band's most difficult and challenging album to date, with an even higher proportion of the edgy, angular (and some might say irritating) eclecticism that marks their style. The song "Convolutus" is an attractive curtain raiser, with a catchier than usual melody and chorus. But after that the weirdness only escalates, in the avant-rock "Rhinoceros": all clashing solos in unfamiliar tunings, and with the bel canto tenor shrieking of Alberto Piras in peak form.

His unique vocal styling can have the same memorable effect as fingernails on a chalkboard, alleviated somewhat by the novelty of singing in Latin. The choice of language supposedly made the songwriting smoother. But I would challenge listeners to follow along with the enclosed lyrics to see exactly how each verse was twisted and bent to accommodate the music (English translations are included, and unlike most lyrics are worth reading for their own sake).

In retrospect the album is hardly the best I've heard from this band, but even at its most abstruse it's never less than fascinating. Some highlights worth mentioning: the constipated funk of "Il Pensiero che Porta Alle Cose Importanti" (yes, some of the tunes are in actual Italian); the uneasy instrumental calm of "Luce" (an - almost - unplugged guitar and violin duet, beautifully rendered); and the two-part, eco-friendly "Olim Sol Rogavit Terram", which exemplifies the band's shift away from traditional forms of Jazz Rock Fusion toward something more aligned with 20th century classical avant-garde. (Never mind the long, 'hidden' bonus track, by the way: a bootleg quality, barely audible verité-style rehearsal, caught on an open studio microphone and brutally spliced together.)

Compared to the uninhibited mania of earlier Deus Ex Machina albums the energy level is notably muted here. A sign of maturity, perhaps, but punches were definitely (and deliberately) pulled in the recording process.

The debut album by Italy's Deus Ex Machina is, unlike later efforts, more obviously Rock than Fusion, offering an easier point of entry for intrepid newcomers to the band's unique, kinetic style. But that's a relative observation: nothing about Deus Ex Machina is entirely easy. Their music is complex and incredibly busy, played with breathless energy and a sometimes reckless momentum (imagine an Italian MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA after an all-night orgy of amphetamines).

And the operatic shrieking of lead singer Alberto Piras is an acquired taste, to say the least, at times sounding not unlike a warped hybrid of PETER HAMILL and Cedric Bixler-Zavala from THE MARS VOLTA (singing in Latin, which oddly enough gives the band more universal appeal than would have been possible in their native tongue). His glass-shattering entrance in the overture of "Expergi" functions like a challenge drawn in the sand for unwary listeners, daring you to cross at your peril.

Once there, you can thrill to the epic riffing of "Arbor" and "Dialeghen" (together clocking in at 30-plus minutes), or the manic convolutions of "Omnia Evolvitur Sed Potest Mulan", building to a series of alternating high-voltage solos on guitar, synthesizer and electric violin over a heavy but swinging 3/4 rhythm.

Elsewhere the stately title track comes within shouting distance (literally, with a singer like Piras) of classic '70s Rock Progressivo Italiano, before moving into yet another absolutely furious jam by guitarist Mauro Collina. And the all-too brief "Se Ipse Loquitur" ends in a typically goofy orgasm of tortured moaning and wailing: business as usual, in other words.

Later albums would exhibit more polish and finesse. But the raw energy on display in this first effort is hard to resist, if approached with a clear head and a pair of open ears.