Thursday, May 9, 2019

Deus Ex Machina - Gladium Caeli. 1991 Italy


Deus Ex Machina burst onto the progressive rock scene in 1991 with their debut Gladium Caeli. When me and my running set acquired this CD real time, it was quite the revelation - and not easy to handle honestly. I've often referred to this album as chaotic and unfocused. But it's probably been 25 years since I last heard it, when it was found hiding deep in the collection. And after all that time, my conclusion is...

...it's chaotic and unfocused. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you. Deus Ex Machina draw just as much influence from 70s hard rock as they do from progressive rock. And that's a fine mix as far as I'm concerned. There's some long form guitar jamming here that certainly recall Led Zeppelin or even Deep Purple. The vocals are one of many unique twists - Alberto Piras being one of the marvels of the Italian prog renaissance. His idol was none other than Demetrio Stratos of Area, and to add even more distinction, he sings in Latin! Most of the album was ignored by the band for later stage shows, and it's easy to see why, as they lack the kind of memorable hooks one seeks to hear in a live setting. One exception to this is 'Ignis ab Caelo', sometimes referred to simply as 'Ignis'. For awhile the band played a truncated version of 'Dialeghan' arguably the album's finest track, and most certainly the fieriest. There are no major peaks here, but everything is at least very good. It's a fine first effort, released at a time when progressive rock was just rolling again. It was well received, and they would improve leaps and bounds from here. And yet I find this album just as enjoyable, rough and tumble as it may be.

Ownership: CD: 1991 Drums Edizioni Musicali. Jewel case.

1992; 5/9/19 (new entry)

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