3 Albums I am currently digging...

1) Doomsday Afternoon by Phideaux. This album was raved about by several of my friends last year. Sadly, I tend to give the opposite reaction to hype from what is expected – I run screaming. I have been burned by hype so many times that I just know that I’ll be burned again. Well, I was…but this time it was me burning myself. I finally legally downloaded a copy of this release and checked it out…and now I can’t get the damned thing out of my play list. This album is proof that there is still hope for chamber/symphonic prog to toss some curveballs and sliders into a mostly stale mix. The singing is interesting, the arrangements clever, the playing just right for the songs. Strings, layered vocals, harmonies…what’s not to like? I wish I had taken the dive earlier…but now at least I know I have a catalogue to discover and explore. Must acquire Seven now…and the rest of the back catalogue. My highlight – “Micro Softdeathstar,” a brilliant mini-epic.

2) 4th by DFA. Yeah, I know…it’s another 2008 album. I’ve dug this release ever since it came out, and a year later it’s still allowing me to discover little gems. It’s so enjoyable…a better mix of symphonic Italian prog and fusion I’ve not heard in a very long time. I am particularly enamoured by the album closer “La Ballata De S’isposa ‘E Mannorri,” with lyrics derived from the Sardinian oral tradition and with glorious female vocals courtesy of “Andhira,” three evocative singers telling a tale of romance and blood feuds in the late 1700’s. The band’s playing is as wonderful as ever, with a diverse selection of sounds and arrangements that make each song a different listening experience from the one before or the one after. This is probably one of my favourite Italian albums in my collection, and certainly one of the strongest modern Italian releases in general.

3) Imparis by Deus ex Machina. I decided last year I wanted to buy this when I saw the trailer for the DVD on the big screen at NEARfest. Sadly it wasn’t out at the festival, and I forgot about ordering it until I saw it on a vendor table this year. I still haven’t dug into the DVD much yet, but as for the album proper…wow. This is an impressive slab of edgy, angular Italian prog. Alberto Piras is the closest thing we have to a Demitrio Stratos today…while his range is certainly not as wide as Stratos’ was (let’s fave it…human voices do not come as flexible and amazingly unhuman as his was), he carries on the tradition of voice as instrument wonderfully well. The band is in fine form as well, navigating the complex and sometimes labrythnine arrangements with ease. It’s still a little early for me to select a highlight track on this release…there’s so much music here, and it’s all pretty dense…but that just means I have a lot of very enjoyable exploration to get going on!


Check these places for more info:
http://www.bloodfish.com/
http://www.dutyfreearea.it/
http://www.derepublica.com/

http://www.moonjune.com/
http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/

Deus Ex Machina return with Imparis

A sextet of violin, analog keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and vocals, Deus ex Machina's sound is a unique and unequaled blend of aggressive jazz-rock mixed with complex rhythms, 1970s-style hard-rock guitar and hints of Rock In Opposition-style avant-progressive rock, all topped by the incredible vocals of Alberto Piras, one of the most extraordinary vocalists working in rock today.

For this album, the band wanted to do something different and came up with an idea that presented a fun challenge to themselves. They had never played in France and on the outskirts of Paris, there was a world-class nightclub - Le Triton - that also featured a full recording studio as well as the ability to do a professional video shoot during performances. The band rented Le Triton for 3 days and spent two days recording. They also played a concert which was filmed. The result is Imparis, a double set that comprises a studio album of new material by the band as well as the band's first-ever DVD.

The studio CD contains 45' of new material while the DVD functions as a career overview of their last 10 years, featuring two songs each from their albums Equilibrismo Da Insofferenza, Cinque and Imparis. The concert program of the DVD is 60 minutes of professionally shot and edited live footage of the band performing completely live - there are no 'fixes or sweetening' of the performances and consequently, fans should find it more realistic and representative of a genuine live musical performance by a great, tight band than a typical 'live' DVD.

Also included are extras: interviews (funny and enlightening) + Paris backstage + a short, fascinating, avant-garde, prepared piano performance by Fabrizio of a one of the album's works + excerpts from Chapel Hill [USA 1996] + a totally over the top Italian TV performance [1996] + an charmngly dated music video that the band did in 1993. Total time of DVD is about 2 hours. Since they probably won't be coming to your hometown this week/month/year, this one is a no-brainer for their many fans.

DVD is NTSC, All Regions (Region 0)

http://www.cuneiformrecords.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com
http://www.derepublica.com/