Myung-kyo Choo
DIABLO
Overview
In September of 1993, Myung-kyo Choo first started up DIABLO, the heavy metal band in Seoul, South Korea. According to Choo, the band name DIABLO in fact came from the snazzy sports car Lamborghini Diablo. After years of great and small gigs, Choo took part in recording of several thrash/death metal joint albums and kept showing off his unique drumming style by creating top selling tracks amongst mainstream rock lovers throughout Korea. Driving on without a stop, Choo released his first album <<Desirous Infection>> in April 2000, which was only a month after the band’s first concert. Including five English tracks worked on with a famous Japanese music label Howling Bull, this album got introduced in the US, Japan and South Korea, making <<Desirous Infection>> the band’s first global mega hit album. May 2001, Choo stood on stage with legendary Pantera for their concert in Korea. Later in August, his band successfully held their second concert, became headliner for the 5th Budweiser Rock Concert, and recorded one more compilation album <<Hardcore 2001>>. Celebrating the 11th anniversary of DIABLO, the second album <<Undefined>> was released globally. Master recorded and mixed by Rob Dee who has previously worked with The Beatles and Frank Sinatra at Los Angeles based Cherokee Studios, this album was one of the last masterpieces of Rob Dee’s. Year 2012 was also very monumental a s the band performed the opening act for Judas Priest ’s concert in Korea, and finally, came back with the Mini EP <<Dumb>>. Including four songs <Abandoned>, <Your Name>, <Dumb> and <Harlem Desire >, the album <<Dumb>> was especially meaningful since all music, lyrics, album artwork and design was done and created by the members in support of Sony Music worldwide. A year later, Choo and his band released the mini album <<The Keeper of Souls>> which has the heaviest sound of the band. The last track from <<The Keeper of Souls>> is an exceptional ballad called <Nameless> treating social issues of suicide. In 2014, DIABLO again dropped a digital single <<Breath>>, presenting a perfect harmony of DIABLO’s powerful sound and trendy electronica. Finally in 2019, DIABLO returned with an exceptional digital single <Voice>, which was a title song for Korea’s popular thriller drama series. Even more collaboration work was done with a talented K-pop star Alexa titled <Bomb>. After a seven-year hiatus, his band is ready to introduce the third album. Starting with a digital single <Unheard Answer>, followed by another single <Nothing (To Die For)>, Choo boasts his most mature sound, yet unique freshness. Deeply interested in global issues, Choo’s songs deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, child sex abuses, and discriminations.