Diablo Swing Orchestra: BeatCrave Fav

Diablo Swing Orchestra, formed in 2003, is a band from Sweden, self-described as rock/jazz, although their songs seem to have a distinctly gothic metal edge, thanks to their superb soprano frontwoman.

The origin of the name of the band recounts a historically questionable, though amusing, ancestral story beginning in 16th century Sweden. Supposedly, ancestors of the band members performed orchestral works in defiance of the ruling church at the time. The orchestra was forced to go into hiding, performing in secret, with the assistance of oppressed peasants during the era. After years of performing for the pleasure of these peasants, the story claims that the church put a bounty on the performers lives, and that this bounty was so high that the orchestra knew they would soon be captured, and thus chose to play a spectacular final show before becoming martyred to the church.

I don’t know how true all that is (I’m going to assume none), but I do know that their unusual sound is beautiful, celebratory, and haunting all at the same time. This is a post-modern Queen or ELO. They’ve got a big, full, swing-like sound with elements of hard rock, classical, and jazz music. It’s definitely strange, but not alienating. Stuff you can really snap your fingers and dance to. I highly recommend the tracks “Balrog Boogie” and “Heroines.”

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