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Puto Diablo

Turning Points And Respirators EP

Written by: PP on 17/02/2008 22:02:53

So you've heard Trusted Few and want more from the Danish emo/screamo scene? I hear you, and give you Puto Diablo, an exciting Copenhagen outfit who combine elements of pop punk, emocore, screamo and nu-metal on their latest EP "Turning Points And Respirators", where the band shows that it in fact is possible to put the said genres together and still make it sound great, against all odds.

The album opens up with a Boys Night Out-esque relaxed guitar introduction to "Killing My Modern Heart Disease", bringing some violin in, before breaking it down into an electrifying guitar riff that could just as well be from LoveHateHero's debut album "Just Breathe". The band has two vocalists who battle against each other line by line, one occasionally screaming, the other rapping, and both clean singing from time to time, and they deliver it with absolute conviction. The amount of energy these two vibrant vocalists have managed to put on even in the recording studio is impressive, and is the very reason why the unusual rap/emo combination works. Because lets be honest here, when you hear those two genres in combination the first thing you probably think is Limp Bizkit, the next thing Hawthorne Heights, followed by intense feeling of nausea.

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

Puto Diablo aren't interested in re-creating Limp Bizkit's rapcore that was approaching idiocy already in its infancy, nor do they want to write about blacking their eyes and slitting their wrists. To use the word 'rap' in conjunction with their music is pushing it a little in my opinion, because although some of the vocal verses do have certain qualities you might remember from the nu-metal years, for the most part it just comes across as bouncy and energetic, given the frenzied pace most of the guitars run throughout the four songs. Think complex lead guitar lines supported by power chords in the background, again demanding the LoveHateHero parallel to be used here. "Girls Night Out" opens with a funky bass line before vocalists Marco & Danni jump into yet another vocal duel, which bursts into a heart scraping screamo session soon after.

More importantly though, "Turning Point And Respirators" EP demonstrates Puto Diablo's ability to recognize and write good choruses. Each of the four songs has a distinct chorus, ranging from the breakdown-ish "Can't Stop Smiling (When It Bleeds)" to the pop punk-ish "Another Summer Spent Chasing A Girl". Especially the latter has a chorus which I'm inclined to call one of the catchiest written by a Danish band to date.

After power listening to "Turning Points And Respirators EP" for the better part of the last couple of weeks, only one question remains: why isn't Puto Diablo more known in Denmark? Perhaps people are scared of the emo/rap tag on their Myspace page (which they shouldn't be). The EP is well-produced, the songs are convincing and very original, and their live shows are powerful and energetic. All the ingredients seem to be there, so the only thing that seems to be missing is coverage on prominent Danish magazines. Here's a start!

Download: Another Summer Spent Chasing A Girl
For the fans of: Trusted Few, LoveHateHero, Zebrahead
Listen: Myspace

Release date 01.02.2007
UNSIGNED BAND