Deus Ex Machina - Equilibrismo Da Insofferenza

Year of Release: 1998
Label: Kaliphonia
Catalog Number: KRC-D20
Format: CD
Total Time: 72:35:00

Take a monstrous (and sometimes distracting) vocalist, and a band with chops equally over the top and you have Deus Ex Machina. Extremely complex music that absolutely rocks, heavy guitars and amazing keyboard playing, but wait ? there is more. Horns and violins give this band another area of distinction. This is not what many have come to associate with Italian progressive; lush symphonic music this is not. Fusion is the order of the day, and musically these guys knock my socks off. Piras has a tremendously powerful voice, but I often find him to get in the way of the music.

The first 22 minutes of the disc (2 songs and a 6-second clip) show the band at peak energy. "Amori Difficili" uses only acoustic guitar and fretless bass, and even though the song builds in intensity, it is an enjoyable diversion from the hyperspeed pace. The horn section at times takes the band further into the jazz realm, but they also hold their own during the bands more powerful riffing sections.

The instrumental sections are my favorite parts of the record, and most of the tracks leave plenty of room for the band to tear it up. I would like to hear the violin used more, either in unison with the guitar or on its own. Another oddity is the drum solo that opens the title track, completely unnecessary, adding nothing to the music. The combination of guitar and keyboard in "Dove Non Puo Esserci Contraddizione" just blows me away; these are the moments where your jaw drops, and the head starts to shake. The band moves into a more free form jamming section about 3 minutes in, finding a groove and letting guitarist Maurino Collina noodle over some great organ playing.

If you love your guitars cranked up, and your Fusion packed with plenty of punch, its all here for you. The closing "La Fine Del Mondo" brings out everything the band has for a final finale, as the horns and violins really get to stand out. This track gives you a taste of all the band is capable of, and it is stunning

Tracklisting:
La SinDrome Del Falso Amico (0:05) / Distrazione Infinita (10:32) / Cosmopolitismo Centimetropolitano (10:33) / Amori Difficili (5:20) / Incomunicabilita (11:20) / Equilibrismo Da Insofferenza (7:32) / Dove Non Puo Esserci Contraddizione (7:08) / Trot-tronic (3:13) / La Fine Del Mondo (16:33)

Musicians:
Claudio Trotta - drums
Alessandro Porre Porreca - bass
Maurino Collina - guitar
Alessandro Bonetti - violin
Luigi Riccia Ricciardiello - keyboards
Alberto Piras - vocals

Discography:
Gladium Caeli (1991)
Deus Ex Machina (1993)
De Republica (1995)
Diacronie Metronomiche (1996)
Equilibrismo Da Insofferenza (1998)
Cinque (2002)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin IT

Added: September 19th 2004
Reviewer: Eric Porter

Artist website: www.derepublica.com
Hits: 2482
Language: english