Reviewing and rating an Asian metal band is always a challenge because in the subconscious there’s always a realization about extra-efforts gone into recording and processing an independent release in this part of the world. And to add to it, band’s daunting task of not sounding like westerns from their genre.

Deux ex Machina (Singapore) have formation roots scaled to 2004.Their debut ‘The war inside’ didn’t receive much attention. Recent release ‘I human’ has 1 vocalist unlike the previous album this significantly gives a new direction of uniform aggression.DEM’s influences range from Martyr, Carcass, Death, Meshuggah to Iron maiden. Such a spectrum of influences makes the reader wonder whether the band is able to translate all that into their sound? Answer to this is!.Metal world is such; either a band confides in its influencer’s music or does a U-turn by doing something completely different. DEM row somewhere mid-stream thrash & melody narrating a story about future cloning, its usage.legality, implications and a world full of them fighting for their own identity. Foundation of this conceptualization is based upon Issac Asimov’s I, Robot and the film 6th day The theme is quite an extraction from the fields of originality!

Vocal attack is lynchpin in accordance to thrash mode, whereas the guitar tone isn’t meaty enough. Drumming is scalar and fuller, but more vectorization had done better justice. Nonetheless, most of the songs start with an old school thrash intro, where the pace builds up after an initial flag off. Single chord playing during the initial phrases on each of the songs lessens the character and solidarity. Music as a whole is methodical yet traditional. Lead guitar playing is hurricane to the core, with a non-compromising & ravishing character, but suffering creeps in observing the misplaced arrangement & abrupt disappearance (when it’s required most).On the other hand,breakover lead interludes are dignified and add strength and freshness, was wondering why they aren’t in plenty? Only tracks satisfying me to the bone are track 7 ‘The Omega Directive’ & track 8 ‘Ascent/Dissent’.

Time for quick judgment without utilizing further web space. Attempt is good, effort is decent, recording is satisfactory, music is ordinary & album purchase is a detriment. Asian effort not reaping many dividends.