Band:	Diablo Swing Orchestra
Album:	The Butcher's Ballroom
Style:	Avantgarde metal, Symphonic metal
Release date:	2006

Act #1
01. Balrog Boogie
02. Heroines
03. Poetic Pitbull Revolutions
04. Rag Doll Physics
05. D'Angelo
06. Velvet Embracer

Act #2
07. Gunpowder Chant
08. Infralove
09. Wedding March For A Bullet
10. Qualms Of Conscience
11. Zodiac Virtues
12. Porcelain Judas
13. Pink Noise Waltz

Music like this doesn't come out that often; nowadays, in the metal scene, everyone seems to be doing what bands from the 80's and early 90's already shaped, most metal music kept recycling itself over and over again until we sadly got used to that fact without minding much. When a band like D:S:O suddenly appears and breaks the whole metal scheme with such an original sound and renewed vibe, I just can't help to be utterly impressed as I am right now.

D:S:O successfully combines a rich and meticulous preference for diverse connotations such as Swing, Flamenco, Jazz, Gothic Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal and Orchestral undertones in the whole album (who knows which genres I'm missing here); and in the end we have one of the most interesting albums this year. "The Butchers Ballroom" is an overwhelming experience that generates all kind of feelings from the beginning to the very end, making you want to replay the piece over an over again until your ears feel anesthetized.

I can't even explain how worthwhile this album is; from the overture you'll understand this is like nothing you've ever heard before. Songs like "Heroines", "Pink Noise Waltz", or "Wedding March For A Bullet" are blatant explosions showing the strength and power that D:S:O dwells, but cuts like "D'angelo", "Balrog Boogie" or "Zodiac Virtues" manage to show an astonishing ensemble that perfects the ability of music as a complex art. Musically, "The Butcher's Ballroom" is so complex and intricate that it could take a whole article to analyze the depths of every single track wrapping it; the instrumentation is skilled, the vocals are both beautiful and dominant, the atmospheres are dark in Act#1 but strong in Act#2, so as you can see this album has everything a music fan could wish for.

Production-wise the album is really clean, the layout is very suggestive and the lyrical content is outstanding, to find out more you'll have to buy this album. To sum things up, D:S:O is the most promising band this year; if their debut had such an impact in the audience I can't even imagine how their next albums will sound like.

Highly Recommended!!!

Best Tracks: "Balrog Boogie", "Pink Noise Waltz", "Heroines".