LIV KRISTINE – Deus Ex Machina [2CD remastered re-release] (2024)

“Deus ex Machina“, LIV KRISTINE‘s solo debut from 1998, will be reissued next March completely remastered and including a bonus disc of rarities, remixes, etc. 1995 was the year in which a new star shone in the gothic metal sky with LIV KRISTINE. To this day, the Norwegian singer with her angelic soprano voice is considered an inspiration for numerous subsequent bands and artists.
After globally acclaimed albums and sold-out tours fronting Theatre Of Tragedy, LIV signed a contract with Massacre Records in 1997 to realize her first solo album, Deus ex Machina.
October 27, 1997, was to become a very special date in LIV KRISTINE‘s career. On this day, she met Nick Holmes (Host, Paradise Lost). The chemistry between the two exceptional artists was right from the start, and so the jointly composed, beautiful gothic ballad “3 a.m.” was the first song for the solo album Deus ex Machina, released in 1998. Although both Nick and LIV have a metal background, the fusion of their two voices created something very special.

But the other songs on Deus ex Machina also unfold a great deal of subtlety, magic, and the power of LIV KRISTINE‘s personal charisma. With “Portrait: Ei tulle med øyne blå,” based on a children’s song from 1905, there is even a song in LIV‘s native Norwegian on the album.
In June 2023, a new interpretation of the song was created together with Geir “Gerlioz” Bratland (Dimmu Borgir, God Seed, The Kovenant, Satyricon), which can now be found on this new re-release of Deus ex Machina

For LIV KRISTINE, both as a person and as an artist, authenticity and heart always come first. With the release of Deus ex Machina, she has already proven what a great, independent artist she is and has been inspiring and enchanting people all over the world for over three decades now.

Metalheads looking for something heavy will not find it on ‘Deus Ex Machina’. Rather, the album is a pop-rock album with some synth and some goth elements. And while Deus Ex Machina is not flawless, it is quite a good pop-rock album. Repeated listens will reveal not only an often catchy and appealing contemporary 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. 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 melodic 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.
“Potrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå” is one of the longest tracks 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.

“Good Vibes Bad Vibes” has a radio potential. We get a pretty intro melody that leads to another very catchy song. The rhythm here is very contagious. This song gives us another highlight for the album.
“Outro” is appropriately named and closes the album.

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-rock album. Those who enjoy this genre with elaborated atmospheres 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.
This is a welcomed reissue as the original is long time deleted and many will enjoy this fine piece of work.
Highly Recommended

CD1
01. Requiem (Remastered)
02. Deus ex Machina (Remastered)
03. In the Heart of Juliet (Remastered)
04. 3 a.m. (Remastered)
05. Waves of Green (Remastered)
06. Take Good Care (Remastered)
07. Huldra Part I (Remastered)
08. Portrait: Ei Tulle med Øyne Blå (Remastered)
09. Good Vibes Bad Vibes (Remastered)
10. Outro (Remastered)

CD2
01. In the Heart of Juliet (Forever Mix Remastered)
02. Huldra Part II (Remastered)
03. Good Vibes Bad Vibes (Dance on the Ocean Mix Remastered)
04. 3 a.m. (Late Night Version Remastered)
05. 3 a.m. (Club Mix Remastered)
06. 3 a.m. (Radio Mix Remastered)
07. 3 a.m. (Single Edtion Remastered)
08. 3 a.m. (No Loop Mix Remastered)
09. Deus ex Machina (Alternativ Mix Remastered)
10. Deus ex Machina (Guitar Extended Remastered)
11. Deus ex Machina (Hard Guitar Mix Remastered)
12. Sun in the Stream (Remastered)
13. Sun in the Stream (Demo 1999 Version Remastered)
14. Inamorata (Live Version Remastered)
15. Inamorata (Demo 1999 Version Remastered)
16. Huldra Part III (Remastered)

Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Deus-ex-Machina-Liv-Kristine/dp/B0CM7TMC71