Deus Ex Machina are one of the most extraordinary bands to emerge from the modern Italian progressive scene — a Bologna sextet who, since the mid-1980s, have forged a ferociously complex, jazz-charged prog crowned by one of the most astonishing voices in all of rock. Singing, famously, partly in Latin, and revered by progressive fans worldwide, they are a worthy heir to the boldest spirit of classic RPI.

The short version

Formed in Bologna in 1985, Deus Ex Machina play an intense, uncategorisable music — aggressive jazz-rock fusion shot through with avant-garde edge, complex rhythms and hard-rock muscle, topped by the operatic, multi-octave vocals of Alberto Piras. Across a series of acclaimed albums, and an American deal with Cuneiform Records, they became one of the most respected names in modern progressive rock. Demanding but exhilarating, they are essential for adventurous listeners.

Bologna, 1985: a modern Italian prog band

Deus Ex Machina came together in Bologna in 1985, at a time when the original wave of Italian prog was long past and a new generation was reviving its spirit. The band announced itself with an ambitious rock-opera, built on an original story of the enduring struggle between Man and Nature, which won praise as “unusual”, “powerful” and “extremely elaborate”. From the start, they were a true sextet — vocals, violin, keyboards, guitar, bass and drums — and from the start they were uncategorisable, fusing the energy of rock with the complexity of jazz and the avant-garde.

Jazz-rock fury, RIO edge, and a voice in Latin

Deus Ex Machina’s music is a unique and unequalled blend: aggressive jazz-rock fusion mixed with wickedly complex rhythms, 1970s-style hard-rock guitar, and hints of the avant-garde, Rock In Opposition tradition, with violin and analog keyboards often to the fore. Crowning it all is the voice of Alberto Piras — classically trained, with a five-octave range and a riveting, operatic, often theatrical delivery that has drawn comparisons to Area’s Demetrio Stratos. Perhaps the band’s most famous trait is their use of Latin lyrics, born of a desire to reconcile the melodic beauty of Italian, hard to fit to rock, with the immediacy of English. The result is intense, angular and thrilling — like a heavier Gentle Giant crossed with the fire of Area.

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From Gladium Caeli to international acclaim

Deus Ex Machina’s recorded story began on album with “Gladium Caeli” (1991), followed through the 1990s by further increasingly assured records. Their breakthrough came with “Cinque” (2002), their first album released outside Italy, on the adventurous American label Cuneiform Records — widely considered their finest work, and the record that finally brought them broad international attention, glowing reviews and a reputation as one of the world’s leading avant-progressive bands. With their famously high-energy live shows, they toured Europe and the United States, appearing at festivals such as ProgDay, and their music drew admiring comparisons to the giants of classic RPI. After 2008’s “Imparis”, the band took a long break, returning in 2016 with “Devoto” — which welcomed back original keyboardist Luigi Ricciardiello, leaned harder into their rock roots with more linear songs, and largely set aside the Latin lyrics, while losing none of their fire and intensity.

Album by album

A run of acclaimed albums from one of modern prog’s finest. Tap any title for its guide.

The players

Deus Ex Machina are, famously, a band of virtuosos: singer Alberto Piras, guitarist Mauro Collina, violinist Alessandro Bonetti, bassist Alessandro Porreca, drummer Claudio Trotta and keyboardist Luigi Ricciardiello, with Fabrizio Puglisi handling keyboards through the acclaimed “Cinque” and “Imparis” era. Every member is a formidable player, yet it is Piras’s astonishing voice — by turns a bel canto tenor and a “shrieking human saxophone” — that most often captures the attention, even as the band drive their complex compositions with remarkable precision and power.

Where to start

Begin with “Cinque” (2002), the band’s most celebrated and widely available album, and the perfect introduction to their heady blend of jazz-rock fusion and heavy progressive rock — though, like all their work, it rewards repeated listening. From there, the more rock-oriented “Devoto” (2016) makes an excellent, slightly more approachable companion. Both show a band of rare ambition and skill.

Why they still matter

Deus Ex Machina are proof that the spirit of Italian progressive rock did not die with the 1970s. Carrying the daring of bands like Area into a new era, and adding their own ferocious jazz-rock complexity and the singular voice of Alberto Piras, they have built one of the most distinctive bodies of work in all of modern prog. Demanding, intense and utterly uncompromising — right down to those Latin lyrics — they have earned deep respect among progressive listeners around the world. For anyone drawn to the bold, adventurous edge of Italian prog, old or new, Deus Ex Machina are essential.

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