Diablo Swing Orchestra: Pandora's Piñata

The (supposed) history behind this band is unfortunately far more intriguing than their product. It basically concerns a group of musicians from the 16th century wherein they performed for all the peasants secular chamber music under the protection of the night in order to rebel against the church, who eventually killed them. If that was true I'd think the current relatives of the old orchestra would be a little more persevering in the creation of their rebellious, fantastical resonance rather than settling for metal plus swing music, but that's essentially why their first two records, while quite fun, weren't thoroughly remarkable; too many tricks (not exactly newfangled either), not enough musical treats, or rather the correct phrase would be lasting compositional prowess.

Then again, maybe that's not their goal. It's entirely possible they exist in the Dionysian purpose of excess and ecstasy. It's not like their dazzle of swing metal from the first two records could wear out....except that with Pandora's Piñata, the band decided to amplify the metal parts in the mix making most of the record homogenous. After numerous listens, there are only three songs that stick out, for the rest of the album retains no rousing instrumentals or vocals but rather unfortunately conventional melodies.

"Aurora," however, is purely classical instrumentation. With its operatic vocals, moreso operatic than usual, and the slowed tempo, the song is an easy highlight as it glides through its playtime through its subtlety in tension and lack of repetition. "Mass Rapture's" choir and eastern tinge meld well as the metal bits aren't forced to the top of the mix; the violin's fervency and the percussion come through as somewhat sensual. The closer notwithstanding, "Justice For Saint Mary" has the same classical, varied leaning as "Aurora" but also a mysterious air that becomes more fantastical once the staccato brass enters. Its eight-minute run is justified once the tempo change hits on the signal of turbulent strings and bombastic, sonorous brass while the metal gets added back, as well as a surprising electronica finish.

Those three tracks show the band is uber-skillful but one must wonder where that flair was on the rest of the record. That's basically what it comes down to; so much potential that feels disregarded. Is it wrong to yearn for something more mystical in alignment with their alleged history?

Track Listing
1. Voodoo Mon Amour
2. Guerrilla Laments
3. Kevlar Sweethearts
4. How To Organize A Lynch Mob
5. Black Box Messiah
6. Exit Strategy Of A Wrecking Ball
7. Aurora
8. Mass Rapture
9. Honey Trap Aftermath
10. Of Kali Ma Calibre
11. Justice For Saint Mary

Added: June 28th 2012
Reviewer: Danny Heater
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 5899
Language: english

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