Deus (band)

Formed in 1991, dEUS began their career as a covers band, but soon began writing their own material. Their musical influences range from folk and punk to jazz and progressive rock. They first came to attention in Humo's Rock Rally of 1992, and after the release of the four-track EP "Zea", they were offered a recording contract with Island Records. They became the first Belgian indie act ever to sign to a major international label.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/deus-mn0000250416/biography|title=dEUS | Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}

File:Chris Whitley and Alan Geveart.jpg on guitar with Alan Gevaert of dEUS in the late 1990s in New York City]]

dEUS's debut album Worst Case Scenario drew influences from Frank Zappa, Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart and was released on 16 September 1994 to critical acclaim.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/worst-case-scenario-mw0000120074|title=Worst Case Scenario - dEUS | Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic}} Shortly after followed the release of a highly experimental mail-order-only album entitled My Sister = My Clock, consisting of thirteen songs contained on one physical track. The follow-up album In a Bar, Under the Sea followed two years later, similar in style to its predecessor.

Their next album The Ideal Crash (1999) saw the manic eccentricity channelled into a more accessible guitar-driven package.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2300-pocket-revolution/|title=dEUS: Pocket Revolution|website=Pitchfork.com}} Altogether, the band's first three albums (discounting My Sister = My Clock) sold over 750,000 copies worldwide and gathered them a cult following.{{cite web|url=http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=VE1QV7KN|title=1.000.000|work=De Standaard|date=19 April 2008 }}

Meanwhile, dEUS had been subject to various line-up changes. After touring for Worst Case Scenario, guitarist Rudy Trouvé grew disillusioned with the band and the touring commitments and left to focus on his own projects{{Citation |title=dEUS - Time is the state of my jeans | date=13 March 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xvVQoGFxh8 |access-date=2024-01-13 |language=en}} including Kiss My Jazz, Dead Man Ray and The Love Substitutes. By the time In a Bar, Under the Sea came out, bassist Stef Kamil Carlens had also left the band to focus on his own side-project A Beatband (that became Moondog Jr then Zita Swoon). They were replaced by Craig Ward and Danny Mommens respectively. Eventually, the line-up was completed by touring guitarist Tim Vanhamel (Evil Superstars, Millionaire, Eagles of Death Metal).{{Cite web|url=http://muziekcentrum.kunsten.be/page.php?ID=108|title=Kunstenpunt | Muziek|website=Muziekcentrum.kunsten.be}}

After the tour in support of The Ideal Crash, the band took an extended hiatus that allowed the individual members to pursue different interests. Barman directed a film, Any Way the Wind Blows, in 2003, and teamed up with techno record producer CJ Bolland to form Magnus in 2004.[http://degrootstebelg.canvas.be/dgb_master/100belgen/dgb_barman_tom/index.shtml Canvas – De Grootste Belg: Tom Barman] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625195259/http://degrootstebelg.canvas.be/dgb_master/100belgen/dgb_barman_tom/index.shtml |date=25 June 2009 }}, retrieved on 17 February 2010 In June 2002, dEUS did however play six concerts in Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium, supporting the CD and DVD release of their singles collection, No More Loud Music.

In mid-2004, with new drummer Stéphane Misseghers, they began recording new material and playing live across Europe, and in August the download-only single "If You Don't Get What You Want" was released. During the recording of the album both Craig Ward and Danny Mommens left to be replaced by Alan Gevaert and Mauro Pawlowski (also from Evil Superstars) respectively. On 12 September 2005 the album Pocket Revolution was released. The release of the new album was supported by a world tour of over 130 concerts. The final concert of the 2005/2006 Pocket Revolution tour took place on 1 October in dEUS's hometown of Antwerp, Belgium. dEUS performed that day as part of the 0110 Festival for Tolerance. This free festival, an initiative of lead singer Tom Barman, saw possibly the largest number of Belgian artists ever assembled perform that day in Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels and Charleroi in support of Tolerance and to oppose extremism and violence.

After finishing their Pocket Revolution tour, the band began rehearsals for the writing and recording process of their next album. In 2007 dEUS built their own studio in Antwerp to continue work on their next album, Vantage Point, which was released in April 2008.

Keep You Close was released in September 2011, featuring Greg Dulli.{{cite web|url=http://pocketrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/01/keep-you-close-round-up.html|title=Pocket Revolution: Keep You Close: a round-up|website=Pocketrevolution.blogspot.com}} The title track of the album was premiered on 16 June 2011 on "C'est Lenoir", a show on radio France Inter, presented by Bernard Lenoir.{{cite web|url=http://sites.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/em/cestlenoir/playlists.php|title=Radio France : Accueil|website=Sites.radiofrance.fr}} The first single off the new record, "Constant Now", was released on 19 September 2011.Keep You Close received rave reviews: Q rewarded the record with 4 out of 5 stars, saying "The Belgian Elbow hit new heights on sixth effort". Sputnikmusic gave the album 5 out of 5, describing the record as "a real grower album" and "Keep you Close may not be the best dEUS album ever, but it's still certainly one of the finest albums to have come out this year and one of the finest albums in the band's entire career."{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/45525/dEUS-Keep-You-Close/ |title=Deus – Keep You Close (album review) |website=Sputnikmusic.com |date=12 September 2011 |access-date=1 April 2012}} In October 2011 the band won the "Best Belgian Act" award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.{{cite web|title=Deus élu 'Best Belgian Act' à l'occasion des '2011 MTV EMA'|url=http://www.mtvnetworks.be/fr/press/articles/?id=68|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425112719/http://www.mtvnetworks.be/fr/press/articles/?id=68|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 April 2012|publisher=MTV Networks|access-date=27 October 2011|language=fr|date=19 October 2011}}

In June 2012, they released Following Sea. It received glowing reviews from the Belgian and European press.{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/news/4145026 |title=Tom Barman's track-by-track guide to Deus' new album Following Sea |publisher=Drowned In Sound |author=Sean Adams |date=1 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708155347/http://drownedinsound.com/news/4145026title=Album |archive-date=8 July 2019 |access-date=13 June 2012 }}

In October 2016, they announced through Facebook that Mauro Pawlowski would leave the band after a final concert in Antwerp the following February. On 6 February 2018, they announced through Facebook that Bruno De Groote will be the new guitar player of the band.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/dEUSmusic/|title=dEUS|website=Facebook.com}}

In August 2021 it was announced that Bruno De Groote had suffered a stroke the year before and was leaving the band to take care of his health.{{Cite web|last=Cornand|first=Bart|date=2021-08-17|title=Waarom Bruno De Groote dEUS verlaat: 'Ik heb weleens gedacht: ik zal nooit meer gitaarspelen'|url=https://focus.knack.be/entertainment/muziek/waarom-bruno-de-groote-deus-verlaat-ik-heb-weleens-gedacht-ik-zal-nooit-meer-gitaarspelen/article-longread-1768165.html|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Site-KnackFocus-NL|language=nl}} Later the same month the band confirmed that Mauro Pawlowski would rejoin the group to replace De Groote in their upcoming shows, and then on 13 June 2022, during a show at Athens, Tom Barman announced to the audience (and the rest of the band) that Pawlowski would be rejoining full-time. He also commented that they had recorded an eighth album{{Citation |title=dEUS - Guess who's back? {{!}} By dEUS {{!}} Guess who's back? |url=https://www.facebook.com/dEUSmusic/videos/guess-whos-back/2064254737081361/ |language=en |access-date=2022-07-07}} that was subsequently released as How to Replace It on 17 February 2023.

{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize=width:800 height:auto barincrement:22

PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:0 right:10

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1991 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}}

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =

id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals

id:violin value:drabgreen legend:Violin

id:cello value:darkblue legend:Cello

id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar

id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards

id:bass value:blue legend:Bass

id:drums value:orange legend:Drums

id:lines value:black legend:Studio_albums

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1991

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1991

LineData =

at:16/09/1994 color:black layer:back

at:14/09/1996 color:black layer:back

at:16/03/1999 color:black layer:back

at:12/09/2005 color:black layer:back

at:18/04/2008 color:black layer:back

at:17/09/2011 color:black layer:back

at:01/06/2012 color:black layer:back

at:17/02/2023 color:black layer:back

BarData =

bar:Tom text:"Tom Barman"

bar:Klaas text:"Klaas Janzoons"

bar:Vinciane text:"Vinciane Quintard"

bar:Mark text:"Mark Meyers"

bar:Rudy text:"Rudy Trouvé"

bar:Craig text:"Craig Ward"

bar:Tim text:"Tim Vanhamel"

bar:Mauro text:"Mauro Pawlowski"

bar:Bruno text:"Bruno De Groote"

bar:Piet text:"Piet Jorens"

bar:Stef text:"Stef Kamil Carlens"

bar:Danny text:"Danny Mommens"

bar:Alan text:"Alan Gevaert"

bar:Jules text:"Jules de Borgher"

bar:Stephane text:"Stéphane Misseghers"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

bar:Tom from:01/01/1991 till:end color:vocals

bar:Tom from:01/01/1991 till:end color:guitar width:3

bar:Klaas from:01/01/1991 till:end color:violin

bar:Klaas from:01/01/1991 till:end color:keys width:3

bar:Stef from:01/01/1991 till:31/08/1996 color:bass

bar:Mark from:01/01/1991 till:31/03/1993 color:guitar

bar:Vinciane from:12/02/1996 till:01/09/1997 color:cello

bar:Rudy from:01/04/1993 till:31/08/1995 color:guitar

bar:Jules from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/2004 color:drums

bar:Craig from:01/09/1995 till:31/10/2004 color:guitar

bar:Danny from:01/09/1996 till:31/10/2004 color:bass

bar:Tim from:01/01/1999 till:31/12/1999 color:guitar

bar:Piet from: 01/09/1997 till:30/09/1998 color:keys

bar:Bruno from:01/01/2018 till:17/08/2021 color:guitar

bar:Alan from:31/10/2004 till:end color:bass

bar:Mauro from:31/10/2004 till:10/02/2017 color:guitar

bar:Mauro from:17/08/2021 till:end color:guitar

bar:Stephane from:01/01/2004 till:end color:drums }}

{{Main|Deus discography}}

• Worst Case Scenario (1994)
• In a Bar, Under the Sea (1996)
• The Ideal Crash (1999)
• Pocket Revolution (2005)
• Vantage Point (2008){{cite book

| first= Martin C.

| last= Strong

| year= 2000

| title= The Great Rock Discography

| edition= 5th

| publisher= Mojo Books

| location= Edinburgh

| page= 263

| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}

• Keep You Close (2011)
• Following Sea (2012)
• How to Replace It (2023)

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.deusmusic.be/ Official website]
• [https://www.myspace.com/Deusbe Official MySpace]
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/Deusbe Official YouTube channel]
• [http://www.last.fm/music/Deus Deus at Last.fm]
• [http://www.neformat.com.ua/forum/rock/12154-deus.html Deus at Neformat.com.ua]

{{Deus}}

{{MTV Europe Music Award for Best Belgian Act}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Belgian indie rock groups

Category:Belgian alternative rock groups

Category:Experimental musical groups

Category:Belgian experimental rock groups

Category:English-language musical groups from Belgium

Category:Musical groups established in 1991

Category:V2 Records artists

Category:PIAS Recordings artists

Category:1991 establishments in Belgium

Category:MTV Europe Music Award winners