Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pandora’s Piñata – Album Review

Caution! This record contains the voice of a professional opera singer. If you feel uncomfortable listing to a female Soprano voice, you probably shouldn’t listen to Diablo Swing Orchestra’s new album.

It was about 4 years ago when I first heard Diablo Swing Orchestra, who were playing at Germany’s Summer Breeze Open Air. I was impressed by their music and their live performance. I fell in love with the band’s debut album, The Butcher’s Ballroom, yet I was really disappointed when follow-up album, Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious, was released 3 years ago. Now the band is back with their brand new album “Pandora’s Piñata” and I’ve had to ask myself ‘Will I be disappointed again?’.

We all know what Pandora’s box is, right? If not: Pandora’s box is an Greek artifact, which contained all the evils of the world. If someone opens this box, all hell breaks loose. What is Pandora’s Piñata supposed to be then? Well, it’s just the same thing as the box, but instead of opening it with your bare hands you should use a spiked baseball bat? According to the cover artwork, which I don’t like at all by the way, it’s something like that.

And what’s inside? Candy or dark and evil things? Well, if we talk about Diablo Swing Orchestra’s Pandora’s Piñata, it will contain something that won’t please anyone.

So, here are my thoughts on the album:

I love how the band uses lots of different instruments – various brass instruments and strings, for example. We also don’t need to argue about the how amazing Annlouice’s vocal range is, because it is.
But this is also what bothers me: her voice is too high pitched for me from time to time.

Compared with the two previous albums, Pandora’s Piñata is a bit heavier, even though it once again features songs that could be described as ballads. ‘Aurora’, for example, could be directly taken from an opera and I love the orchestra in this song, I really do!

I also have to admit that the songs tend to get stuck in your head and the album is well produced, but there’s something missing. Unfortunately I can’t tell you what exactly it is.

There was something magical about the band’s debut and it – whatever it was – somehow has got lost over the years.

Don’t get me wrong, the band have stayed true to themselves: they haven’t changed their style, they still have a thing for extraordinary song titles and I’m sure there will be a lot of people who will like this album. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them.

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