1) This song is not my favorite song of all time because is by Mägo de Oz. Mägo de Oz is my favorite band of all time BECAUSE of this song. I will go into detail as to why this song is a masterpiece in this review, but for now let's make it clear that I'm not blinded by my "fanboy" mind.
2) If I am to be a critic, I MUST remain 100% objective when looking at any piece of work, regardless of who is it by. In fact, the arguments I despise the most are the ones defending a piece of work just because is made by this one renowned artist, like it has been the case with "Baby Driver" where the biggest argument in favor of it has been that it was made by Edgar Wright. "Baby Driver" is a terrible movie because it's a terrible movie and Edgar Wright has nothing to do with how good or bad this movie turned out to be.
3) I will admit when something is not good. Mägo de Oz is not perfect and they have made a lot of terrible music alongside great songs. In fact, there are bands I have more consistently praised like Wagakki-Band and Diablo Swing Orchestra than I have Mägo de Oz (to the point when people are surprised when I tell them that Mägo de Oz is indeed my favorite band).
4) This is mostly a disclaimer: "La Cantata del Diablo" has a lot of religious imagery and the song brutally attacks the Catholic Church (it even ends with a perversion of the Pater Noster prayer that serves as a giant middle finger to the church) so it'll be undoubtedly controversial. When talking about the lyrics, I will explain the context and how it's not really about religion at all but if you're getting offended just by reading this, then you should probably stop reading this. My suggestion would be keep an open mind and check the song out but if that's not what you want, you're free to do as you please.
"La Cantata del Diablo" was released in 2005 as the album closer for the second album in the Gaia Trilogy "Gaia II: La Voz Dormida". This is a monster of a song to review as it is 21 minutes and 11 seconds in length. Furthermore, I would call this song a "One Act Musical". Musically speaking, it has 3 lead singers, 3 guitars (acoustic and electric), 1 bass, 1 keyboard, 1 drummer, 1 lead violin and one lead flute, a band of bagpipes, and orchestra, and a choir. Wikipedia is also telling me the song also has a Caxixi, a Bodhrán, a Piccolo, and a Tamboril and although it's not listed, I can also hear a Rainstick. As far as I know, this song has only been performed live once and understandably so. "La Cantata del Diablo" doesn't have all these instruments just because. Mägo de Oz uses each one to create a mood and varying sonic textures to create a song with a wide dynamic range while shifting in tone and musical genre. "La Cantata del Diablo" is a masterpiece and it is 21 minutes because that's how long the song needed to be to give the music time to fully unravel and be displayed at its full potential. The song is also divided in movements/chapters and they each sound different, allowing the song to never become tiresome or boring.
On a general level, the music is beautifully composed and the symphonic aspects of the piece and the Heavy Metal aspects of the piece are not only handled wonderfully, but the relation between the two is fully taken advantage of. For instance, when the song starts (after the a big choir singing in latin), it starts with an acoustic guitar playing a sweet yet dark arpeggio (in D minor) while the flute and violin play the melody. It's a beautiful sound but it keeps an air of mystery and dread. Once the character of the inquisitor enters the stage, the heavy distorted guitars and the heavy beating drums come in changing the mood entirely from a dark eerie calm to a violent confrontation. It elevates to "base level" intensity which is more typical of what you'd expect from a power metal song, but never losing the theatricality as the characters sing back in forth to each other. When it comes back down, it returns to the calm but it's not eerie anymore. While still in D minor, the way the guitar is strummed (not fingerpicked) plus the addition of instruments like the Rainstick create a soothing tone (fitting as it is when the character supposedly dies and meets his god). On an individual level, the song has what you expect from top level musicians. While it is not Prog Rock solos, the solos in "La Cantata del Diablo" are superb, and everyone is forced to play. There are multiple guitar and keyboard solos but there is also a bass solo, bagpipes solo, and multiple flute and violin solos. Everyone gets to show off and it is so top notch that when they played it Live, many of the solos were changed (most of the musicians who played in this song were gone by the time they played it live). This was just a sample of what listening to "La Cantata del Diablo" is like. It is truly an experience that I cannot fully describe in a concise manner. Speaking of that only live version of the song, I can understand why. While, if I'm honest, it's not a complex Progressive Metal song with multiple strange time signatures and Jazz chords, it is a hard song to pull off AND to pull of well. When Mägo de Oz decided to play it live it was because they had the right amount of musicians, budget, coordination, and rehearsal time to pull it off. This goes to show how good of a song this is that the band didn't even attempt to play it live unless they knew they had everything they needed to recreate the experience "La Cantata del Diablo" provides when you listen to the studio version.
"La Cantata del Diablo" uses satanic imagery (the whole album does, actually) and it attacks very harshly the catholic church. The song doesn't wait any time by starting with a choir singing in latin "In the name of the devil and Belial, Satan, Lucifer, Astaroth, and Yahweh". As mentioned in the disclaimer, this in itself might be controversial and offensive to many, but bare in mind the following: The religious imagery used in the song is a metaphor for the greater issue at hand. Mägo de Oz is not a band of Satan Worshippers criticizing Catholicism but attacking the idea of Religion and how people have corrupted it to benefit their own needs and control the masses. Why from a perspective of Satanism? Well, the simple answer is "they're a metal band". However, while there is Satanic imagery, the main character doesn't worship Satan in actuality, but Gaia. In fact, the story of "La Cantata del Diablo" is about an Aztec named Azaak who is captured by the sent to burn to death by the Inquisition for refusing to convert and be baptized. Satanism doesn't play a direct part on the narrative or the content of the song, but I do believe it plays a part on the theme of the song (and the band as a whole). In my research on Satanism, one of the things that jumped out to me were the values of Independence, Respect, and Education and Knowledge which is almost one to one with the philosophy of Mägo de Oz in general. If I could sum up the creed of the song and the band with one line it would be "In the name of Freedom, Faith in Oneself, and Peace, burn down the flags and say 'no' to religion. And may your god be a song written from the heart, and may your country be wherever your feet take you". Despite "La Cantata del Diablo" being a direct attack on the church and Catholicism, the song can and almost begs to be interpreted in a grander umbrella. The song is about freedom from the shackles of religion, politics, and a cry to break down the barriers that keep us divided as human beings. Although, on the note of giving the Catholic Church a giant middle finger, the song ends with a perversion of the Pater Noster called "El Salmo de los Desheredados" (translated as "Psalm of the Disinherited") which is just a brutal critique on Catholicism with lines like "It doesn't matter if you are a triune. With one willing to help would be enough" and "Our daily bread are rapes, gender violence, pederasty, dictatorships, and climate change". In short, its a showcase of everything religion has promised contrasted with what we actually have. However, they way it is written says that is not just a "I hate religion, and god, because it makes me angry" kind of criticism, but a call to action to bind together. The prayer starts "Our Father, of All of Us, of the poor, of the homeless, of the disinherited and those without protection. Of those who follow you and those who worship you no longer". We are ALL the disinherited, abandoned by this "Fatherly God". The prayer reinforces this notion by asking "What is thy Kingdom? The Vatican? The Banks? The high politics? Our kingdom is Nigeria, Ethiopia, Colombia, Hiroshima". It is harsh, gripping, and inspiring, to be honest. It's not destructive to be destructive. It is not dark for the sake of being dark and edgy. It is a psalm to break down the walls that have separated us for far too long.
"La Cantata del Diablo" by Mägo de Oz is a monster of a song and well worth your time. I encourage you to give it a listen and not let the language barrier stop you from giving this song a chance. I understand this song is not for everyone due to its length, genre, and sure, political, social, and religious points of view. However there's no denying the level of artistry Mägo de Oz has achieved with this song with well written lyrics, well composed and arranged music, and thought provoking message. "La Cantata del Diablo" is in the end a song of Freedom and Unity. When Mägo de Oz played this song live in Mexico, not only was everyone singing and cheering the entire song but when the "Psalm of the Disinherited" came up, the cheering stopped. The claps and screams stopped. Everyone began praying. Line by Line, every single line of the psalm resonated through the arena. 22 thousand people with their heads held up high as they scream to the heavens "Our Father, of all of us. Why have you forgotten us? Our Father, Blind, Deaf, and with nothing to do, why have you abandoned us" was awe inspiring to me. This to me is what the song wanted to achieve: a community of brothers and sisters. Music is said to bring people together of different backgrounds, ethnicities, creeds, and nationalities. This has certainly been echoed with bands like BABYMETAL where I have gone to a concert with undeniable hardcore metalheads and people how don't even like metal at all, or Miyavi who practices this philosophy and uses it to further humanitarian efforts. "La Cantata del Diablo" is the song, to me, that actively tries to achieve this through its powerful and enticing music.
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