DGM – Endless

Italian five-piece DGM are a band that produce consistently good albums. Their new album “Endless” comes hot on the heels of the previous 2023 release ‘Life.’ This is their twelfth studio album, continuing a steady output since their 1997 debut ‘Change Direction.’ In that period there have been multiple line-up changes, and no original members remain. The band name comes from those founder members (Diego Reali, Gianfranco Tassella and Maurizio Pariotti), something I have only just become aware of.

Since 2008, the line-up has been stable, and now they are armed with a full quota of excellent musicians. I first became aware of the band in 2007 when I saw them at the Gods of Metal festival in Milan. They were the opening act on a cracking 8 band line-up that featured among others, Symphony X and Dream Theater. I have seen them several times since at Progpower Europe, PPM Fest and Progpower USA.

As I listen to the opening track ‘Promises’ I can hear some old prog rock influences. The use of a retro sound on the keyboards and a flute result in 2024 shaking hands with the 1970’s. There are still the elements of DGM that I have come to know and love. These include the reliable vocals of Marco Basile and the usual superb guitar work from Simone Mularoni. Those are reassuring but this album definitely has a different feel to it.

Photo Credit – Matteo Ermeti

“Endless” is a concept album telling the story of one man’s imaginative journey to understand the choices that shaped his life. The early part of the tale covers the self-reflection by the subject on his current circumstances. What might have been, and paths not travelled, which is something I’m sure we all ponder occasionally. The aptly named ‘The Great Unknown’ is more like the DGM I’m familiar with, concentrating on power and pace and a great solo from Simone. They still manage to slip in some flute at the end though.

I’m not sure where the first section of the story ends, and the middle section starts. Anyway, with the clarity of hindsight, the character imagines alternative timelines conjured up from hypotheticals. Again, something we may have all done. The move from one part to another presumably happens at some point during ‘The Wake’, ‘Solitude’ and ‘From Ashes.’

‘The Wake’ starts in an ominous retro style, soon to be replaced with a complex riff and powerful vocals. It’s bombastic and catchy, and just what you would expect from DGM. ‘Solitude’ is more subdued, starting with acoustic guitar, vocals and flute. Each time the electric instruments kick in, the song’s energy moves up a few notches and really explodes with a short guitar solo.

‘From Ashes’ switches up a few gears, and the pace is relentless from start to finish. There’s also a guitar/keyboard battle with some scorching contributions from Simone and Emanuele Casali. I would hazard a guess that ‘Final Call’ is where the story crosses into the last stage. This is where the character is older and wiser but still puzzles over the meaning of life.

The last twenty minutes are taken up with both the shortest and longest tracks. The shortest being ‘Blank Pages’ which is a strong ballad that increases in intensity before finishing as it started with soft electric piano.  Then comes the finale which is 14:21 in length, and the multi-faceted ‘…Of Endless Echoes’ is an epic number. What can I say, it’s not endless but you kind of want it to be. There’s plenty of everything that DGM is good at and more. Somewhere in the album there is saxophone and violin, maybe/probably in this amazing piece. There’s an odd little hissing sound at the end for about 40 seconds. I think it’s the sound of the recording studio cooling down.

I thought this was going to be just another solid DGM album. It is DGM at their best with a few extra ingredients thrown in to spice things up. I have a few albums by them, but this is a fantastic addition. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long before the next offering and who knows what else is in store.

Track-list:

1. Promises
   2.    The Great Unknown
   3.    The Wake
   4.    Solitude
   5.    From Ashes
   6.    Final Call
   7.    Blank Pages
   8.    …Of Endless Echoes