The Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing Along Songs For The Damned And Delirious 2009, Sensory Music

1 A Tap Dancer's Dilemma - 5:12
2 A Rancid Romance - 4:27
3 Lucy Fears the Morning Star - 6:34
4 Bedlam Sticks - 3:29
5 New World Widows - 5:56
6 Siberian Love Affaris - 0:58
7 Vodka Inferno - 4:08
8 Memoirs of a Roadkill - 3:30
9 Ricerca Dell'Anima - 5:34
10 Stratosphere Serenade - 8:25
www.diabloswing.com
www.myspace.com/diabloswingorchestra

The Diablo Swing Orchestra

Sing Along Songs For The Damned And Delirious

If you think you’ve heard everything, think again! The Diablo Swing Orchestra can easily be described as a metal-swing fusion as they blend instruments typical of the metal genre with a swing rhythm and operatic male/female vocals, a horn section, string section, with a dash of original style and quirkiness that is unique only to the Diablo Swing Orchestra.

The DSO hail from Sweden, one of the only countries in the world whose largest export is music. Though, don’t let their nationality confuse you, there are many different instruments and rhythms on the album which are influenced from a European music background and in some cases even South American (calypso), Russian (waltz), and North American (surf guitar). By now, you’re probably asking yourself, how could a band blend metal, classical, and international tastes into one album? The answer is simple: naturally.

Throughout “Sing Along Songs for the Damned and Delirious” we’re bombarded by a sonic attack of distorted guitars and heavy bass riffs which work to compliment the assortment of horns, strings, piano and operatic male/female vocals employed by the DSO. At times the transition from mosh pit to swing dance seems abrupt but palm muted guitar riffs, and piano or string solos make the sonic transition easier on us as the overlap between metal and operatic idioms seem natural, almost second nature. So natural that we ask ourselves “why didn’t somebody think of this earlier?”

The albums opens with “A Tap Dancers Dilemma”, a chugging salute to the style of swing, complete with horns, ragtime piano playing and heavily danceable rhythm. The vocals are split between the operatic styles of the female lead, and the sing/talk approach of the male signer, whose call and response style lend themselves well to avant-garde lyrics.

“Lucy Fears the Morning” is a perfect example of a dynamic instrumental approach that is unique to the DSO. The song begins with an imperial march as if to mimic a marching band reminiscent of a Cold War soundtrack, before introducing a picked guitar and operatic vocals, only to be smashed to bits when the distorted guitars enter at the chorus. Eventually the song builds momentum to a crunchy South American samba rhythm (not unlike Brazilian metal band Sepultura) accompanied by a horn section and of course distorted guitars for the metal vibe. On this track we get a glimpse of some of the multinational artistry of the DSO as they reach for a Latino feel with a backbone of metal to keep the heads banging.

Other songs provide an international feel, but not in the manner that one would expect from a metal band. “Siberian Love Affairs” is a song written to mimic a love song sung by drunken soviets while on shore leave. The song is immediately followed by “Vodka Inferno” which sounds more like old time dancing music conceived in an East European town square than a metal song. As the cello and guitar trade riffs we’re reminded that you can dance gracefully and mosh at the same time.

DSO’s avant-garde attitude comes through perfectly in “Memoirs of a Roadkill” which begins with a bouncing one-two beat and playful guitar riffs which leads to a soft vocal requiem from the female signer and a classical guitar solo. “Memoirs” provides a soft introduction to “Ricerca Dell’Anima” which demonstrates a strong influence of American surf guitar with a strong presence of the stereotypical Dick Dale sound. “Ricerca Dell’ Anima” eventually deteriorates into a soft vocal solo only to be followed by crushing guitars and even an Oboe solo. Strangely, the oboe is the most “metal” aspect of this whole song and works well with distorted guitars.

With their inventive combination of musical genres, and instruments, the Diablo Swing Orchestra will surprise even the most casual listener as a sonic force to be reckoned with. Though the high female singing style may turn some audiences away, the male voice provides a good counter to the sometimes glass shattering operatic vocals. With a large palette of sounds and styles to choose from, “Sing Along Songs for the Damned and Delirious” has something for everybody, and will quickly become a feather in any music lovers cap.

Review by Zack Brenneman

Global Entertainment Mag