Released by: Independent
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Progressive/Symphonic Rock
Links: http://www.deeexpus.com
Line Up:
Tony Wright (Voice)
Andy Ditchfield (Guitars and Keys)
Michael McCrystal (Guitars)
John Dawson (Bass Guitar)
Henry Rogers (Drums)
Mark Kelly (Keys)
Tracklist:
01. Me And My Downfall (6:49)
02. Maybe September (7:29)
03. Marty And The Magic Moose (4:43)
04. King Of Number 33 (26:42)
Chapter I – Paupers Parade
Chapter II – Accession
Chapter III – The Physician And The Traitor
Chapter IV – The Hunt
Chapter V – Neverending Elysium
Chapter VI – Rex Mortuus Est
05. Memo (7:27)
And here we have something that sounds basically as good as it gets in the world of Progressive/Symphonic Rock today. Every now and then a new album in this genre has got that certain ‘click’, which reminds you how sensational this type of music can sound when it is done as well as on the 2nd album of the British band DEEEXPUS. Basically, this album has got all the ingredients needed to make it a Classic in the Prog genre.
Although no new paths are being taken here, it is definitely a superb album that brings out the best in Progressive Rock available nowadays. The sound is rather massive, including rich keyboards, tight precise guitarwork, a pumping bass and explosive drums, while the lead vocals of singer TONY WRIGHT are quite stunning. Tony has a clean melodic voice that gives the band a warm and accessible approach, in contrary to a lot of other prog bands, where the vocals usually leave something to be desired. Not in this case, because overall this band sounds proggy and very melodic all of the time on the CD, with besides beautiful melodies in the vocal department, some amazing keyboard- and guitarwork by bandleader ANDY DITCHFIELD and MARK KELLY.
Mark is known for being the keyboardplayer of MARILLION since the early 1980s, but as that band left the real Prog/Sympho field somewhere in the late 1980s when FISH left them, he decided to also work with multi-talented musician ANDY DITCHFIELD on this new album of his band/project DEEEXPUS. The 5 included songs show an incredible high level of musicianship that belongs to some of the best prog recorded since the last TRANSATLANTIC release ‘The whirlwind’. In fact, the 26 minutes counting epic titletrack “King of number 33” could well be the finest long epic track recorded since the classic lengthy tracks from both DREAM THEATER and TRANSATLANTIC.
Especially the beautiful vocal melodies, big keyboardsounds and melodic guitarwork are making each second of this epic song a pleasure to listen to over and over again and basically these are the best 30 minutes you may experience on the day you hear it! Closing track “Memo” is a slightly more radiofriendly uptempo melodic rocker that has got a lot of similarities to IT BITES/FROST, while the most surprising fact about this song is that guest vocalist NIK KERSHAW (“Wouldn’t it be good”) is singing it! Concluded, 2012 has just started and we are already looking at what might become the finest progalbum of the year! Make sure to not miss this fabulous album by DEEXPUS!
Written by Gabor
Ratings Gabor 9/10
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