Band Overview: Diablo Swing Orchestra

If you grew up a listening to Heavy Metal in a very religious family and/or community, you probably heard that Heavy Metal (just like Rock n' Roll before it) was "the Devil's music". If you are like me and looked at the Lord of Darkness's character, you most likely imagined that this cunning and mischievous demon was a lot more elegant and sophisticated, which made Jazz music a more fitting musical choice for his character. Personally, I like to imagine that if Lucifer listened to either or both these genres, Diablo Swing Orchestra would be his favorite band. Formed in 2003, Diablo Swing Orchestra (or DSO) is one of the best bands I've heard in the Heavy Metal scene in the new millennium and certainly one of the most interesting. Although having a short 3 album discography, DSO's blend of Opera, Swing, Jazz, and Symphonic Metal are a marvel of a spectacle that never ceases to amaze. In 2016, they announced they would release their 4th album. I truly believe this is quite the underrated band which I think deserve more attention, and with a new album coming up, I believe there is no better time to talk about the wonder of DSO's music.

Diablo Swing Orchestra is Swedish octet that debuted with their first album "Butcher's Ballroom" in 2006. This is a very dark and experimental album which aligns with a fittingly dark mythology about the band's formation. First impressions are important and they nailed theirs with "Balrog Boogie": a perfect blend of Heavy Metal, Swing, and Opera. The song immediately grabs you with a light baseline setting the dark tone and then sucks you in as the trumpets and guitars kick in swinging with all the force and fury of dancing  demons. Annlouice Lögdlund's vocals are mystifying and powerful. Going from soothing to bombastic in true operatic fashion. The song is sung in latin adding to the mysticism of the band's image. On their Sophomore effort, "Sing-along Songs for the Dammed and Delirious" (2009) they upped the ante. "A Tap Dancer's Dilemma" kicks in with a drum riff borrowed from famous Swing musician Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing". DSO took everything that made "Balrog Boogie" and took it to the next level, by incorporating acoustic guitars, brass, a piano solo, and a call-response dynamic from a male lead singer and a female choir. This song is my favorite DSO song by far, and has always reminded me of Tim Burton films ("Corpse's Bride" in particular). This is the perfect blend of strange, dark and playful making you want to swing and dance with the devil under the pale moonlight. This is what makes DSO so great. On their 3rd album "Pandora's Piñata" they perfected this formula in "Voodoo Mon Amour". I decided to use these 3 songs (the first track on their respective albums) to exemplify what they do best: a dark musical cocktail with so many different flavors blended perfectly together. However, Heavy Metal Swing is not the only recipe they have. The biggest problem when talking about what makes DSO so great is that every song has its twist. "Rancid Romance" is a Tango, "Poetic Pitbull Revolutions" has more of a Spanish/Flamenco feel, "Guerrilla Laments" have more of the Latin Poly-rhythms, and "D'angelo" is a straight up opera while other songs like "Memoirs of a Roadkill" are completely experimental and Avant-garde. All of the songs are different but somehow they keep their sound and tone, making each song sound in place. I've showed this band to a lot of people and not one person has disliked them. Anyone who likes good music will like DSO because of their music, unique sound, musicianship, blend of genres, lyrics, mythos, creativity, or all of the above. There is something for everyone.

Sadly, nothing is perfect and DSO has its fair share of problems. DSO may be one of the best bands I've heard in Rock and Metal alike in the new millennium, but I would never call them my favorite band and I doubt a grand majority would. In short, they lose the audience's attention. This problem is most evident in their first album "Butcher's Ballroom". While the first track, "Balrog Boogie", is a killer swing track, the rest of the songs become more experimental, away from the conventional. In a way I like it because it feels like a slow descent into madness, but under this idea, "Sing-along Songs for the Dammed and Delirious" did it a lot better. At some point the songs in "Butcher's Ballroom" start to sound as filler songs whereas in "Sing-along Songs for the Dammed and Delirious" might be strange and experimental but in a way that a common listener can more easily understand and relate. It's hard to explain due to the nature of the band's music and the fact that I'm comparing 2 entirely different sounds to make a point, which is both a pro and a con of DSO. Their music is an experience, it has to be heard to be understood. "Pandora's Piñata" I think it may not be as experimental. Not to say that it is more tailored towards the mainstream or that is less creative, on the contrary. DSO still push their music forward and see what they can do musically and lyrically and what works and what doesn't. The way they do it in "Pandora's Piñata" is, however, more comprehensible to the common listener. Professional musicians can understand all of the musical complexities in the songs but the casual listener doesn't need to understand these complexities to enjoy the music.



Conclusion: Anyone who hasn't listened to or heard about Diablo Swing Orchestra is missing out. With all the mediocrity and boring music circulating on the radio today, we need more bands like Diablo Swing Orchestra in our lives. A band with a high level of trained, experienced, creative, and talented musicians and songwriters delivering unique and strange but fun and enjoyable tunes. What else do you want? While their more experimental/Avant-Garde music tends to lose audiences, that is mostly on "Butcher's Ballroom". DSO learned from their experiences and tried new things and improved on their subsequent albums. That being said, I am extremely excited for their next album  Right now, I'm wondering only one thing: To whom do I have to sell my soul to to get it?

I'd recommed their 3 albums, but here are a few songs to start with:
-Balrog Boogie
- A Tap Dancer's Dillema
-Voodoo Mon Amour
-Justice for Saint Mary

-Bedlam Sticks
-Memoirs of a Roadkill
-Rancid Romance
-Honey Trap Aftermath
-Rag Doll Physics
-Poetic Pitbull Revolutions