Album of the Day

Diacronie Metronomiche, by Deux ex Machina (1996): Italian proggers Deux ex Machina have a hyperactive, complex style that can be daunting to the unfamiliar. On top of explosive guitar/keys/violin interplay, you've got vocalist Alberto Piras howling away (in Latin, no less) with the confidence of a cross between Queensryche's Geoff Tate and Area's Demetrio Stratos. Imagine all that and, in the words of Nigel Tufnel, turning it up to 11. That's what you get on this live album, drawn from the band's first three studio albums. All that makes it sound impenetrable and unlistenable, which isn't true. In fact, it's a lot of fun - although I'm not sure I'd want to listen to it all day!