DGM
Change Direction

I believe it's been quite some time since I've heard a Progressive album in the true sense of the word. It was probably back when I was listening to Genesis's "Selling England By The Pound" at full blast or the self-titled album of our very own Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso. Then, as we know, people switch bands and genres, often rejecting the groups they were obsessed with just a couple of years prior. After some time, however, be it due to the monotony of listening to so-called "new" bands—not so much because of musical quality but due to the endless repetition of pieces we know by heart—there's a need to either explore new genres or return mentally and aurally to those bands we left behind.

In my specific case, I did both. I went back to listening to a few bands I had abandoned years ago, and at the same time, I discovered others about which I'd never read a single line, but whose music spoke for itself. Specifically, I'm talking about DGM, an Italian Progressive Metal band with Power influences, founded by Diego Reali (guitar), Gianfranco Tassella (drums), and Maurizio Pariotti on keyboards. Marco Marchiori later joined them on bass, as did Luciano Regoli on vocals.

In 1997, this promising band, following their self-produced EP “Acces Random Zone”, released their first full-length album “Change Direction”. Introduced by a cover in the style of Stratovarius, the album gathers many musical influences while consistently maintaining a clearly defined personality.

This is the case with the opening track “Brainstorming”, which starts with an excellent tight riff and soon releases Regoli's voice, immediately reminiscent of a certain Geoff Tate, especially in the lower tones. Coincidentally enough, what is immediately noticeable is the great influence of early Queensryche felt in these tracks, as if albums like “Rage For Order” and “Operation: Mindcrime” were well assimilated and reproduced ten years later in an album that pays them just tribute, as can be heard on “Lonely Nights”. Another absolutely noteworthy factor is the masterful use of keyboards by Pariotti, as in the central part of “Anthem”, reminiscent in part of Dream Theater's “Awake”, yet never slipping into copy and paste but always adding a touch of character. Unfortunately, not everything is rosy; specifically, the title track, despite its good potential, gets lost in too many tempo changes and solutions that don't mesh well. Regoli's voice, excellent as previously mentioned, in my opinion, starts to lose points when approaching very high tones, as in “Do What You Want”, a classic track that passes by without you even noticing you've heard it. “Flyin’ Fantasy” is yet another excellent showcase of Pariotti’s ability to keep up with Reali's almost Malmsteen-esque solos. The production should be praised, especially considering the period of the album's release when great records were coming out but often with rather subpar productions.

“Change Direction” is thus an album that identifies itself with an excellent display of musicianship and vocal performance, but perhaps suffers from too many excesses and parts that, if trimmed, would have rendered the listening experience more fluid and engaging. Nevertheless, it is a product not to be ignored, especially for lovers of experimental '80s sounds revisited in a modern key.