Hailing from a land renowned for its sweets, it's hardly surprising that five traveling Swiss musicians found themselves unusually attracted to a dessert item they encountered at an English eatery: "Death By Chocolate." In fact, they liked the name so much they decided to appropriate it as their own, and so the band Death By Chocolate was born. Four of the five members have been playing together since 2003, but weren't interested in making recordings until drummer Julien Pinheiro signed on. Shortly thereafter the EP My Portable Love appeared, followed by new 11-track full length From Birthdays to Funerals.

 

Death By Chocolate has already performed at over 200 gigs, ranging from little clubs like the White Trash in Berlin to the massive EXIT Festival in Serbia and even to a Bon Jovi concert in Zurich's Letzigrund Stadium, where the quintet supported Jon Bon Jovi in front of 40.000 spectators.

 

In summer 2012 Death by Chocolate not only played six of the biggest festivals in Switzerland, but also at the "Sazava Fest" in the Czech Republic and the aforementioned EXIT Festival, sharing the stage with international acts such as Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, The Hives, Eagles of Death Metal, The Offspring, Mark Lanegan, Kaiser Chiefs, Wolfmother, Little Dragon and many more. As a highlight, in spring 2013, the band played a few remarkable shows in Los Angeles. In fact they could play world famous clubs like the Whisky a Go Go, the Viper Room, Roxy Theater and a showcase at the Musexpo Festival. These gigs in America were their first opportunity to spread their tunes outside Europe.

 

It’s hard to avoid the overuse of superlatives when describing the new album from Death by Chocolate. The band’s close collaboration with Swedish producer Ronald Blood has resulted in a strong, raw, and passionate sound. «Among Sirens» doesn’t just reflect hefty doses of courage and creativity, DBC’s live performance is also tangible in the recording.

 

The rock band from Biel have spent the last two years per- forming in notable places both in Switzerland and abroad (Musexpo in L.A., EXIT Festival in Serbia, Woodstock Poland). This experience has pushed Death by Chocolate to new heights, whilst at the same time they have made sure that they remain true to themselves and to be pragmatic over tempting offers.

 

Musically the band has managed to capture all the energy of a live performance in the album, something which is often lost when the sweat of the stage has dried and musicians walk into a studio or com- promise their sound in a radio edit. Tracks such as «Siren Calls», «Alf- red» or „If You Ask Me“, carry the full punch of the live performance. Even the quieter numbers have managed to retain the sweetness of the stage versions.

 

Following «From Birthdays to Funerals» Death by Chocolate have shif- ted their focus to more instrumental diversity and the use of modern technology. Without feeling bound by the past, the band has stayed open to the sometimes unusual approaches currently at play in the international music scene.