Liv Kristine never quite ‘clicked’ with the RMR Review Desk until now. She undoubtedly has been a force to reckon with once she appeared on our feed as the lead for Leaves’ Eyes. That was when Symphonic Metal was en vogue and kicking and she was one of the most prominent female metal vocalists out here. And yet, apart from King of Kings, not many of her – or more precisely – her band’s offerings could truly convince us for some reason. And that confused the heck out of us because Cradle of Filth’s video for Nymphetamine Fix – for example – was only that good because of her.
To the point that she once famously appeared on my feed directly and challenged good ol’ RMR himself if there was anything we would possibly like of what she had in store. True story, and one that I’ll forever remember.1 The RMR crew was forever pained later once she was let go from Leaves’ Eyes and set adrift. And methinks it took her a while to get back to the living after that one.
I heard of her 1998 solo record Deus Ex Machina and the often enthusiastic reviews and shout-outs that came with the piece. Only, that one was so much water under the bridge and we never quite got around to looking at that particular album. So, luckily the folks over at Metalville came around with an extensive 2024 re-release2 and we finally decided to give an age-old solo album a closer look. And we’re glad we did.
Liv Kristine was mostly famous for her involvement in Theater of Tragedy back in 1998. A band she participated in until 2003, the same year that Leaves’ Eyes – incidentally – saw the light of day. Yet, on Deus ex Machina, she explored a bunch of ideas devoid of the constraints of the metal universe. The album is thus an interesting journey into the mental backyard of an artist. A platform where free-flowing ideas can blossom without interference of feisty metalheads on a mission.
And I find it interesting how those solo pieces always sound different than the chosen vocation of those metal singers. Anneke Van Giersbergen – for instance – today sings a totally different tune than she did with The Gathering.3 Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) astonished us to no end with her solo project My Indigo in 2018. And here Liv Kristine already made a strong point with Deus ex Machina back in the last millenium. A record that did not shy away from its fair share of experimentation and raw ideas. And you won’t find one shred of metal on this here record, we promise.
It already starts with Deus ex Machina, the title track. An almost ambient goth pop piece that flows forth fueled by Liv‘s angelic voice, barebone synth elements, strings, and subdued drums. And already I started to hear patterns that formed part of the early Symphonic Metal pieces. Remember, Within Temptation just launched Enter back in ’97 with Mother Earth in the offing for the year 2000. So, low and behold, the latter record started to contain similar patterns. These are no like-for-like comparisons, though, only hints that are often eerily on point. The RMR crew also marveled at the smooth groove of In The Heart of Juliet. Soft rock in general but well chiseled out with a certain dreamy quality. And also somewhat similar to what we got to hear from Sharon den Adel later in her foray into solo country.
Now, the track that really takes the cake is 3 a.m. A joint endeavor with none other than Nick Holmes. Yes, the one from Paradise Lost that just went full Gothic Metal on Draconian Times in 1995. So, all of that fits together – somewhat. But instead of darkly wallowing in gothic tableaux, they produced a club-ready song between themselves that astonished the hell out of the RMR Review Desk. If anything, you get a track that shines with masterful geekery. Rock-solid proof that Synth Pop and Pop Rock are excellent for generating trve expressions of art. None of that tasteless blend of Disco atrocities will appear here. Only the real thing, made by real artists who wield the synthesizer like a weapon of choice. A track, made by two metal artists and that got the attention of many a remixer with sometimes excellent results.
But Deus ex Machina also contains a darkly cheeky side of it. Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå – the kid’s ditty – got a darkly gothic overhaul fit for The Exorcist. Gregorian chants served on synth waves with a choir from hell in the background. And then Liv Kristine‘s pristine and crystal clear voice chimes in. And this again made me return to the future. Because this song cheekily delivers a portent of what Myrkur would do much later on Folkesange and Spine.
So, holy moly, where that this all leave us? Ultimately, Deus ex Machina is true, authentic, vulnerable, and – in a way – without guardrails. A shining example of what fresh and undiluted creativity can achieve in some 46 minutes of airtime. A record that hinted at the path to success of Symphonic Metal, the perpetuation of Gothic Metal, and beyond. And a piece that made the remixers go berserk with ever newly-twitched versions of songs taken from this record. What better proof of quality could an artist ever ask for?
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Metalville / Massacre | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 1 March 2024 / 2 March 1998