Pandora's Piñata

Pandora's Piñata
Studio album by Diablo Swing Orchestra
Released

May 14, 2012 (Europe)

May 22, 2012 (North America)

Genre Avant-garde metal, progressive metal, swing revival, symphonic metal
Length 51:46
Label Candlelight Records
Producer Roberto Laghi
Diablo Swing Orchestra chronology
Sing Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious
(2009)
Pandora's Piñata
(2012)

Pandora's Piñata is the third studio album by Swedish avant-garde metal band Diablo Swing Orchestra. It was released on May 14, 2012 in Europe through Candlelight Records and on May 22, 2012 in North America through Sensory Records.[1]

It is the last album with singer AnnLouice Lögdlund, and the only album to feature Petter Karlsson on drums; he left the band prior to the release in 2011, to focus on his new project Holocoaster. It is also the first album to feature trombonist Daniel Hedin and trompeter Martin Isaksson as full-time members, with Pandora's Piñata becoming the first album with the band being an octet.

The band's first single, "Voodoo Mon Amour", was released prior to the release. An official video for "Black Box Messiah" was also released. All songs are credited to Diablo Swing Orchestra.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[2]
Allmusic[3]
Dangerdog.com[4]
Heavy Blog... Is Heavy[5]
Lords of Metal[6]
Metal Blast[7]
Metalunderground.com[8]
Rock n Reel Reviews[9]
Sputnikmusic[10]

Pandora's Piñata was acclaimed by critics. Sputnikmusic gave the album a "superb" rating of 4.5 out of 5 (same as the two previous albums), calling it "A sprawling tour de force that moves seamlessly between metallic technicality and full-throttle symphonic grandeur". Heavy Blog... Is Heavy gave Pandora's Pinata the maximum rating, praising "the variation that this album provides" and stating "No track sounds the same, because each track shows off a different side of DSO".

About.com called it "Wickedly catchy, breathtakingly original and downright good clean". Dangerdog.com stated "Pandora's Pinata is immensely creative and devastatingly entertaining", and gave the album a 5 out of 5.

On a less positive review, Metalunderground.com stated that the band "Continues their off-beat avant-garde metal style, fantastic female vocals, oozes creativity", but criticized the "Lack of prominent male/female vocal interplay, not as heavy or catchy as their last album". The reviewer gave to the album a rating of 3.5 out of 5, stating "Slightly less compelling than their previous albums, but still a rousing interpretation of avant-garde metal".

Track listing

All tracks written by Diablo Swing Orchestra. 

No.TitleLength
1."Voodoo Mon Amour"  4:31
2."Guerrilla Laments"  4:55
3."Kevlar Sweethearts"  4:24
4."How to Organize a Lynch Mob"  0:53
5."Black Box Messiah"  2:57
6."Exit Strategy of a Wrecking Ball"  6:01
7."Aurora"  5:05
8."Mass Rapture"  6:03
9."Honey Trap Aftermath"  4:15
10."Of Kali ma Calibre"  4:25
11."Justice for Saint Mary"  8:17

Personnel

Band members

Teaser image of the album.

Session musicians

Production

References

  1. "Diablo Swing Orchestra announces new album Pandora's Piñata North American release". Metal Underground. April 25, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  2. Monger, James Christopher Pandora's Pinata review. Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 5 May 2015
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