Norwegian singer Liv Kristine is associated with various musical artists, perhaps the most well-known of which are Leaves Eyes and Theater of Tragedy. But Liv is not only the voice of various bands—she also has a solo career, a career that began with Deus Ex Machina. This album has now been re-released along with a second disc of bonus tracks.
Metalheads looking for something heavy will not find it on Deus Ex Machina. Rather, the album is a pop album with some synth and some gothic elements. While I consider myself a pretty big fan of metal, I also appreciate a well-done pop album. And while Deus Ex Machina is not flawless, it is quite a good pop album. Repeated listens will reveal not only an often catchy and appealing pop record, but one with surprising depth, as well.
The production is fitting for this style of music, allowing the songs to breathe rather than be overwhelming. The musicianship is all quality. The highlight, besides the songwriting, is of course Liv’s vocals. While there are a few places I feel she could use a bit more oomph in her performance, she sings excellently and imbues the songs with even more appeal than they already have.
After a beautiful, haunting intro titled “Requiem,” things get underway with the title track. I’m of something of a split mind on this song. It’s a good song and it actually does not feel that it’s almost ten minutes long. However, that running time is still a bit lengthy for the track, as proven by the bonus versions on disc 2 that are all shorter. The song often sounds like a movie soundtrack and features some exotic sounds. It stays slow and dreamlike throughout its runtime.
Things improve with “In the Heart of Juliet.” A delicate pop song with an irresistible chorus, this song will stick with you after only one listen. This track is definitely worth hearing for pop fans. It’s driven by a compelling drumbeat and lovely, sparse guitar work. Once again, the mood is somewhat dreamlike.
One of the centerpieces on the album is “3 a.m.,” a duet with Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost. We get a dark synth sound, a catchy drumbeat, and appealing guitar work. The chorus is almost ridiculously catchy and will refuse to leave your head for days after spinning it. This is pop music at its finest.
Another album highlight follows in “Waves of Green.” While this song is not as hooky as its predecessor, it is one of the loveliest songs on the album. It’s even haunting in spots.
“Take Good Care” is another irresistibly catchy tune. There’s some great acoustic guitar work on this track, as well. I’d say this song is one of the most immediately appealing on the record.
Another instrumental track follows—“Hulda Part I”—and then we get “Potrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå.” This track is one of the longest on the album. It’s more epic in feel and scope than most of the other songs. We get haunting choral elements, drums and synth here and there, and a structure that ebbs and flows while also building. While this song is solid overall, it’s not one of the most compelling tracks here.
“Good Vibes Bad Vibes” picks up the quality again. We get a pretty intro melody that leads to another very catchy song. The rhythm here is very appealing. This song gives us another highlight for the album.
“Outro” is appropriately named and closes the album proper. Disc 2 gives us bonus tracks. Some of these songs are simply alternate versions of the album tracks, including no less than five alternate versions of “3 a.m.” These tracks are certainly more for the die hard fan, although we do get some songs that are not on the album proper, such as “Sun in the Stream” and “Inamorata.” Because of these inclusions disc 2 is certainly worth a spin for any Liv Kristine fan.
In short, Deus Ex Machina is a very good pop album. Those looking for metal will not find much here, but those who enjoy pop music should find much to tickle their fancy. There are both lovely melodies present—e.g. “Waves of Green”—as well as irresistibly catchy hooks—such as “3 a.m.,” “Take Good Care,” and “Good Vibes Bad Vibes.” Liv sings wonderfully, and while not every song is an unqualified success, those that are will stick in your brain long after you hear the album. I’m very thankful this worthwhile record has been reissued so that more people can hear some great pop tunes.
Curtis’ Rating: 8/10
Preorder links:
Liv’s shop ‣ https://livkristine.net/shop/
Germany/Austria/Switzerland:
https://zyxdance.lnk.to/DeusexMachina
UK and rest of world: http://tinyurl.com/2bmkj6h9
TRACKLISTINGS
*2-CD Digipak*
CD 1
1. Requiem
2. Deus ex Machina
3. In the Heart of Juliet
4. 3 a.m.
5. Waves of Green
6. Take Good Care
7. Huldra Part I
8. Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå
9. Good Vibes Bad Vibes
10. Outro
CD 2
1. In the Heart of Juliet (Forever Mix)
2. Huldra Part II
3. Good Vibes Bad Vibes (Dance on Mix)
4. 3 a.m. (Late Night Version)
5. 3 a.m. (Club Mix)
6. 3 a.m. (Radio Mix)
7. 3 a.m. (Single Edit)
8. 3 a.m. (No Loop Mix)
9. Deus ex Machina (Alternative Remix)
10. Deus ex Machina (Guitar Extended)
11. Deus ex Machina (Remix)
12. Sun in the Stream
13. Sun in the stream (Demo 1999)
14. Inamorata (Live)
15. Inamorata (Demo 1999)
16, Huldra Part III
*Vinyl LP*
A-Side
1. Requiem
2. Deus ex Machina
3. In the Heart of Juliet
4. 3 a.m.
B-Side
1. Waves of Green
2. Take Good Care
3. Huldra Part I
4. Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå
5. Good Vibes Bad Vibes
6. Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå (Darksynth Remix 2023)
7. Outro
MORE INFO:
www.livkristine.net
www.facebook.com/LivKristineOfficial
www.metalville.de
www.facebook.com/metalville
