Draft:Saint Diablo

Saint Diablo is an American metal band originating in Virginia with a style heavily influenced by Latin music. Originally formed in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1993 by Tito Quinones (vocals), John Piedel (drums), Kevin Sherman (bass), and Jason Kontour (keys), shortly thereafter, adding Justin Adams on guitar. The band has grown far beyond their roots and have seen multiple lineup changes, with Tito and Justin remaining from the original band

Signed to Eclipse Records, Saint Diablo’s first major release was a self-titled national debut in 2012, followed by their second major release entitled, ‘Devil Horns and Halos’ in 2015. The band is currently in the studio recording a soon-to-be released EP called The Reckoning, showcasing their musical evolution while still maintaining the well-known Saint Diablo sound.

The band has released numerous music videos, the latest being Voice on the Phone on May 14, 2024. Other singles that have a music video released are (in order of release date), Watch Me Kill, Devil Horns and Halos , Ancient Astronauts , and ‘Odio’

History
Background

Saint Diablo was formed by Tito Quiones (vocals) and Justin Adams (guitar) in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1993, establishing a Latin infused heavy metal sound from the very beginning. The name Saint Diablo signifies the dichotomy of society’s behavior and how worlds of good and bad collide on a daily basis. As vocalist Tito Quinones said in Heavy Metal Music in Latin America: Perspectives from the Distorted South, “When we say Saint Diablo, we’re saying the struggle of being a talking monkey meat sock. The potential of good that we’re capable of doing and the potential of bad that we’re capable of doing. And all the compromises we make in between those choices just to find salvage from sufferance.”

Album History:

My Enemies Friend (LP) (1995)


 * 1) Twin Keys
 * 2) Ground Zero
 * 3) Ten Percent
 * 4) Midnight Mass
 * 5) Ecstasy
 * 6) Clackrack
 * 7) Dance with Fleas
 * 8) Tenth Planet
 * 9) Sins
 * 10) Outro

Requiem (LP) (1997)

Saint Diablo (EP) (1999)
 * 1) Tease
 * 2) Artificial
 * 3) Evol
 * 4) 524
 * 5) Wicka
 * 6) Black Meadow Road
 * 7) Ebola
 * 8) My Enemies Friend

Thanatos (LP) (2000)
 * 1) Stronger Still
 * 2) Down My Halo
 * 3) Saved
 * 4) Red Hairs
 * 5) Phly
 * 6) Ma-cheen


 * 1) Laso
 * 2) Al Simmons
 * 3) 1.8 Seconds
 * 4) Boricua Brothers
 * 5) Face
 * 6) B4U
 * 7) Tease
 * 8) Sci-fi
 * 9) Phileo
 * 10) Monstros

Independent Regional Release – Saint Diablo (Self-Titled) (2003)

The band’s first regional release came out in 2003, with the self-titled Saint Diablo album showcasing the evolution of the band and what they could do in the studio with professional equipment and producers. As noted in The Free Lance-Star, this is the album that provided Saint Diablo with the opportunity to play even bigger shows and start opening for major acts such as Slayer, Drowning Pool, Chimaira, Hatebreed, DevilDriver, Soulfly, Fear Factory, Mushroomhead, GWAR, Flaw, Busta Rhymes, and many others.

This album featured Grammy-nominated artist Anousheh Khalili on ‘Why Now?’. With the success of other singles such as ‘Senoria Paranoia’ and ‘Renaissance’ drawing attention, the band obtained a spot on stage for the 2003 Eat’M Showcase in Las Vegas and Salem Or-be Tour featuring Busta Rhymes in New York.

This would also be the first album which was eventually uploaded to YouTube, with many tracks, such as ‘Leche’, still receiving traffic as of the time of this writing in 2024.

The track listing for this album is as follows:
 * 1) Leche
 * 2) Senoria Paranoia
 * 3) Righteous
 * 4) Loathe You
 * 5) Kevlar
 * 6) You Lose
 * 7) Renaissance
 * 8) Big Bang
 * 9) Wicked Wand
 * 10) Day of the Dead
 * 11) King of the Neighborhood
 * 12) Why Now?
 * 13) Reckless

Independent Regional Release – Republica (2007)

In 2007, the band released Republica through 925 Records. Immediately after this release, the band went on tour with the likes of Silent Civilian, Smile Empty Soul, Powerman 5000 and Mushroomhead.

The track listing for this album is as follows:


 * 1) T.I.N.A.
 * 2) 750
 * 3) U.N.A.
 * 4) Lotion
 * 5) Republica
 * 6) Sundae Skool
 * 7) Lumberg (Hidden Verses)
 * 8) 1…2…Many
 * 9) (The New) Macheen
 * 10) Lumberg
 * 11) Rancheros
 * 12) Muevete
 * 13) Paradise

National Release – Saint Diablo (Self-Titled) (2012)

Released in 2012, Saint Diablo’s first collaboration with Eclipse Records resulted in an aggressive styled self-titled debut on the national stage.

On this album, Saint Diablo blended elements of metal, hardcore, and Latino influence, forming a sound unique to the band. It was at this time that they opened in support slots for bands such as Slayer, Devil Driver, Hatebreed, Fear Factory, Lamb of God and GWAR, along with providing support on tours for In This Moment and Hed PE.

Said vocalist Tito Quinones, “We have always done bilingual music and blended multi-cultural aspects of rock, metal, and groove; but this time we also did an entirely spanish version of our lead single Watch Me Kill. We did this to expand our musical horizons, make new fans in countries and cultures that would otherwise have language barriers, and to have fun.”

The track listing for this album is as follows:
 * 1,000,000 Miles Away
 * 1) Blood on the Bathroom Floor
 * 2) Smiley Face on the Rocks
 * 3) Watch Me Kill
 * 4) Artistic Prostitutes
 * 5) Mario's Pants (denim - denim)
 * 6) S.C.C.
 * 7) The Monster's Real...
 * 8) Need Me
 * 9) Lonely
 * 10) Whore`s Bath
 * 11) Nothing Left
 * PG
 * 1) Watch Me Kill (Spanish version)
 * 2) Watch Me Kill (Instrumental version)
 * 1,000,000 Miles Away (Instrumental version)

National Release – Devil Horns and Halos (2015)

Three years after releasing their self-titled national debut, Saint Diablo returned with their second major album entitled, ‘Devil Horns and Halos’ (2015), which was produced by Tim “Rumblefish” Gilles (Anthrax, Taking Back Sunday, Ill Nino). The album featured ten tracks of aggresive metal which demonstrated an artistic leap in the band’s abilities as songwriters and performers.

The title track, ‘Devil Horns and Halos,’ was particularly meaningful for the band, given the meaning behind the name and their personal history. As vocalist Tito Quinones said, “The honest folks wear their devil horns, so you know what you’re getting… they are out for themselves, but the halo-wearers are the masked ones you’re unsure of. They’re supposed to be the good guys, but often, they end up showing their true colors. The frustration and confusion of this dynamic is what ‘Devil Horns and Halos’ is all about.”

As reported in HeavyMag, Guitarist Justin Adams stated, “Ironically, Devil Horns and Halos was the last song we wrote for the album, we actually finished it in the studio as life threw us some pretty significant detours… I got divorced, Tito’s mother passed away, and shortly thereafter I was diagnosed with cancer.”

Vocalist Tito Quinones added, “The song is about balance in the face of opposites. Things like love/hate, hope/despair, angels/demons, etc… We were facing some difficult decisions at that time, and I think our state of mind is reflected in this song.”

In support of “Devil Horns and Halos”, the band went on tour with Avatar and Ill Niño in 2015 and 2016 and released the video for ‘Ancient Astronauts’ in 2019.

The track listing for this album is as follows:
 * 1) Devil Horns and Halos
 * 2) Trust Me
 * 3) Meet My Maker
 * 4) Dark Horse
 * 5) Ancient Astronauts
 * 6) Survive This
 * 7) Last Fight
 * 8) My Time
 * 9) Adios En-Amigos
 * 10) Reincarnation

National Single Release – Odio (2022)

After the pandemic, and with political turbulence emerging in the United States, Saint Diablo released the single, ‘Odio’, which translates to 'Hate' in english.

'Odio' tackles a difficult topic and makes the listener think about what it means to address some of the social issues currently dividing the United States. The video was directed by Hunter Chapman of Veterans Coastal Media.

‘Odio’ was released via Eclipse Records on July 29, 2022 and produced by Dave Chavarri (Ill Nino, Soulfly, Terror Universal).

Band Members
Current Members Vocals: Tito Quinones Guitar: Justin Adams Bass: Zach San Pietro Drums: Anthony San Pietro

Discography
Demos
 * My Enemies Friend (1995)
 * Requiem (LP) (1997)
 * Saint Diablo (EP) (1999)
 * Thanatos (LP) (2000)

Studio Albums
 * Saint Diablo (LP) (2003)
 * Republica (LP) (2007)
 * Saint Diablo (LP) (2012)
 * Devil Horns and Halos (LP) (2015)
 * Odio (Single) (2022)

The band has also been featured on many nationally released compilations produced by Project Independent, StreetTeam.com, and Royal Blunts.

Touring Philosophy
Sharing their life’s work with a devoted fan base that stretches all over the country is their driving purpose and the band has supported (or toured with) bands such as Slayer, Drowning Pool, Chimaira, Hatebreed, DevilDriver, Soulfly, Fear Factory, Mushroomhead, GWAR, Flaw, Busta Rhymes, Lamb of God, and many others.

Said guitarist Justin Adams about playing shows across the country, “I love being on tour! That’s our life blood. Being on stage and performing for our fans is the grass roots of what we do. The energy, the smell, the taste of being in a packed room with a bunch of metal crazed fans, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?! The interaction of the fans and meeting new people and hearing their stories all over the country… that’s what I look forward to on tour. It’s about the brotherhood of living in a van with your band mates and the experiences, things you have to overcome.”