DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA
Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious
Ascendance 2009



Love the name of the band, love the title of the record, love the booted and suited look. But do I like the music?

Well, yes and no. See, when I'm not being all metallic, I'm writing for a blues magazine and presenting a weekly Rockin' The Blues radio show on GRTR Radio. And I love jump blues and swing, just love it. So you'd think that mixing up the two would be right up my street.

And it is. Nearly. Some of the music is absolutely outstanding. Tunes like 'A Tapdancers Dilemma', 'Bedlam Sticks' and 'Vodka Inferno' are amazing. But it's the vocals that give me problems.

On the one hand, you've got the overpowering, operatic female vocals, and on the other, gruff male metal vocals. Ally that to the musical fusion of blues, swing, metal, folk, polka(!) and jazz, and it just all gets a bit too crazy.

Which means it's a bit much to take at one sitting. Although everytime I play a couple of tracks in isolation, I think I want more, only to find that my palate can't take such an excess fusion of flavours. Maybe, I'm just not cultured enough for such a smorgasbord. Or maybe I'm right.

:twisted :twisted :twisted 1/2 / 3.5 out of 5
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