Deus Ex Machina - Cinque

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Cuneiform Records
Catalog Number: Rune 159
Format: CD
Total Time: 70:33:00

I enormously like Italian prog because in a very unique way this music offers you such a huge collection of atmospheres and melodies. Over the years, the Italian output has attained such gigantic proportions, it's almost impossible to get to know all of these bands, whilst as we speak more and more new bands are added to the endless list. The nicest thing is when the music becomes pollinated with melody and complexity all at the same time. It gets even more interesting when an authentic violin is added. And it becomes an all-time high when a prog equivalent of the world famous Pavarotti is introduced, an incredible talent, who to make things even more interesting, sings in Latin! Sadly this illustrious diamond is not known by everyone, whilst in most cases this band is more approved by the jazz society than the prog community. Maybe that's why the American Cuneiform label can count itself lucky to have scored this incredible fifth CD by Deus Ex Machina. On Cinque, it's as if the band relives the seventies, although their result is more daring, more adventurous. The tension is created by putting electric and acoustic guitars back to back whilst beautiful violin sounds bring back memories of the pure Italian school as well as reminding us of both Kansas and Jean-Luc Ponty. When you top all of this with the incredible vocal skills of Roberto Piras you get an Italian dish filled with tons of taste and creativity.

Another important element in the music of Deus Ex Machina has to be the authentic sound of the Hammond organ. In "Rhinoceros" this Hammond is played in a percussive way whereby the result sounds a little like an alternative, progressive Santana! Magrino Collina's guitar can sound crystal clear, intimate, and extremely loud, as well as bluesy, as we can witness during "Uomo Del Futuro Passato." That very same track evolves towards the jazzy surroundings of the Canterbury scene, even if it was to bring to the fore that wonderful sound of the electric Fender Rhodes piano. Soundwise Collina's acoustic guitar can be found in between that of Juan Bibiloni and Chris Whitley. It's all these extremely varied sounds which, in combination with the wayward nature of the other musicians, delivers the label Deus Ex Machina. In a way you could compare the band's output with classical music. You have the kind of classical music you get for free when you buy yourself a kilo of freshly ground coffee and you have the kind of classical music which sports the quality label Deutsche Grammophon. The music as delivered by Deus Ex Machina is of the latter brand. Enjoy the daring, the talented, the complex. And for once do enjoy without limits!

Tracklisting:
Convolutus (7:18) / Rhinoceros (8:19) / Uomo Del Futuro Passato (8:42) / Olim Sol Rogavit Terram I (5:04) / Il Pensiero Che Porta Alle Cose Importanti (7:28) / Luce (6:19) / De Ordinis Ratione (6:55) / Olim Sol Rogavit Terram II (8:10) ? plus hidden track (20:23)

Musicians:
Alberto Piras ? vocals
Maurino Collina - guitars
Alessandro Bonetti ? violin
Fabricio Puglisi ? keyboards
Alessandro Porreca ?bass
Claudio Trotta ? drums

Guest musicians: Bonez Buonetti ? violin
Luigi Savino ?bass
Fabio Cocchi ? violin Nicola ? viola
Enrico Guerzoni - cello

Discography:
Gladium Caeli (1990)
Deus Ex Machina (1992)
Diacronie Metronomiche (199?)
De Republica (1995)
Hiperesesia (199?)
Diacronie Metronomiche (1996)
Equilibrismo Da Insofferenza (1998)
Cinque (2002)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin IT

Added: August 8th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.derepublica.com
Hits: 2493
Language: english