The Diableros’ debut album You Can't Break the Strings In Our Olympic Hearts was made for less than what you'd pay for a month of rent in their home base of Toronto. The album propelled them to the forefront of the Canadian music scene -- they landed on the cover of Now Magazine, played the main stage at the inaugural V Fest, toured Canada twice and shared the stage with the likes of Art Brut, We Are Scientists, Camera Obscura , Cold War Kids and The Stills. Word spread across the border and the album garnered rave reviews in Pitchfork, Entertainment Weekly, Under The Radar, Pop Matters and the band played 2 sold out shows in New York City.
The Diableros Aren't Ready For The Country; recorded by Paul Aucoin at Halla Music in Toronto over the Spring and Summer of 2007, is a natural progression for a band, a document of a band that have soaked in their collective experiences and matured as both individuals and as a band. Aren't Ready For The Country isn't a departure from the sound that endeared The Diableros to many on their debut, but a growth.
The songs on Aren't Ready For The Country run the gauntlet from anthemic rockers like "Kicking Rocks" to melancholic in the slow burn of “Mist”. The epic “Turning Backwards”, clocking in at over seven minutes could, in itself, be the soundtrack to a David Lynch short film with its intensity quelled only by an eerie whisper which leads to a riveting climax.
The Diableros are known for creating an intense sound, brooding instrumentation rounded out by Carmichael's valiant and honest vocal delivery. The live show mirrors the intensity of their recorded output evident through the blood that often ends up on Jackson's guitar after many of their gigs.
There are only so many words that can entice one to listen to an album. The above prose offers a brief glimpse into a band that prefers that you just listen to their records and come see them play rather than read about their exploits. The Diableros live and breathe music; they are a group of friends, who despite the weight of some of their songs don't take themselves too seriously.
Listen to the album, enjoy it, play it as loud as you can, you'll find that it will suit your sunny Sunday afternoon as much as it does a late Saturday night. Come see them live and be sure to say hi.
All songs written by Pete Carmichael except Telepathic Love written by Greg Sage and No One Wants To Drive, music by Carmichael lyrics by Dave Schoonderbeek