 | Equilibrismo da Insofferenza (1998)Genres: progressive rock, jazz rock, fusion |
review by daniel
Deus ex Machina is an Italian band that has been praised a lot in progressive rock circles. They play jazzy progressive with strong hints of fusion. The musicians are very skilful and the singer is technically accomplished. That is something he demonstrates throughout the album by eschewing conventional singing for a semi-operatic style (think Area, not Banco). He actually manages to hit the same spot as the 80s guitar heroes with his high pitched and vibrato-heavy voice: I can’t stand a guitar solo from Eddie van Halen and I can’t stand this guy’s voice. By the way I can’t stand the horns either. They have that slick sound that you often find in fusion and that is not the way to please me. I definitely prefer the quirky honking of David Jackson or Didier Malherbe.
Because of these rather serious complaints I have not listened to this record as many times as I usually do before I dismiss something. That said, I am still positive that I will never enjoy it. The point is that you should listen before you buy anything with Deus ex Machina. They are not for everybody, particularly not for me, but if you like the voice of the singer it could be worthwhile to check them out.
