Deus Ex Machina - Devoto
SKU
Rune 429
“...lyrical, provoking and genre-pushing...one of the most extraordinary bands in the entire music universe.” – AllMusic
“Extremely tight, lots of texture and dynamic shifts and flawless acrobatic vocals...by one of the genre's best...” – Icon
“Everyone in Deus Ex Machina is a virtuoso.” – AllAboutJazz
Mauro Collina – electric and acoustic guitars
Alessandro Bonetti – violin and mandolin
Alessandro Porreca -– bass
Luigi Ricciardiello – Hammond organ, Rhodes piano and synthesizers
Claudio Trotta – drums
Alberto Piras – vocals
Following an eight-year absence, the Italian rock/progressive group Deus Ex Machina bursts back onto the international scene with Devoto. Blazing into contemporary focus with their new album, Deus Ex Machina is poised to transcend the accomplishments of its past.
Devoto retains Deus Ex Machina’s distinctive blend of fiery, complexly designed music, passionate bel canto vocals, virtuosic instrumental performances and analogue-heavy textures. Here as before, DEM’s music combines both the energy and beauty of early Mahavishnu Orchestra and Larks' Tongues in Aspic-era King Crimson; classic 70s hard rock influences from AC/DC, Deep Purple and, most unmistakably, Led Zeppelin; hints of RIO-tinged avant-progressive; and the unmistakable Mediterranean vibe of fellow 'Rock Progressivo Italiano' combos like PFM. But just as each successive album has represented something different yet still unmistakably, unequivocally DEM, Devoto takes a more direct, immediate approach: a more hard-hitting, gut-punching, visceral Deus Ex Machina.
"After Imparis [their 2008 live/studio release], we faced a lack of energy," explains Alberto Piras, one of progressive music's most original and exhilarating vocalists. "We needed to understand where we wanted to go and whether we would be capable of continuing to make DEM music. The recording of Devoto was quite quick, but was the result of a very long, thoughtful process. Our idea was to test different ground than we had before; still being DEM, but with a more straightforward, simple musical language in the context of dense and relevant compositions." Piras continues, "This is what we think rock is about: its simplicity, but also its expressive richness. We tried to compose 'easier' songs, still full of emotion and intensity. We want our fans to feel our blood flowing on this record, which is somewhat in contrast to a tradition that describes us as 'brainy and difficult'. So we wrote and played our songs more from our guts than from our heads."
Devoto may have been a long time coming, but it's been more than worth the wait. Deus Ex Machina continues to prepare even more new material while rehearsing for upcoming live dates. Prepare yourself to revel in the gripping punch and the more direct - yet still compositionally dense and intense - music of Devoto; like every album in its remarkable career, both a consolidation of what has come before...and a clear signpost of things to come.
- LabelCuneiform
- UPC045775042923