DIECAST – Internal Revolution

This is the fourth release from Boston’s biggest Metalcore band, Diecast. The album is entitled Internal Revolution and it might seem like a reference to the many line-up changes of the group. New for this album are drummer Dennis Pavla and bassist Brad Horion, replacing Jason Costa and Jeremy Wooden. This line-up change means that there are no original members left in Diecast.

The record starts with the title track, “Internal Revolution.” The best thing about this song is the mix between clean and screamed vocals, and also some great footwork by drummer Pavla. Also, it’s cool to listen to the synchronous riff by guitar, bass, and drums. “Hourglass” is another song in the same arena, and though some of it sounds cool, all the songs begin to sound very much the same.

The last track on the album, “The Coldest Rain,” is something as unusual as a power ballad with orchestra, piano, and an acoustic guitar that’s intensified by bass, drums, and guitars during the final half of the song. The song itself is not the greatest, but it’s strong proof that Diecast can vary their material and they show a side of themselves that most people probably didn’t know they had.

Internal Revolution would be a great album if it incorporated more variations. There are good and catchy songs on this album, but more variations would make the album more interesting. The production is extremely clean, and lack of rawness is obvious.

Even though there are lots of things that should have been better, there are some positive things about this record as well. The Thrashy riffs aren’t the best, but there’s some cool guitar play by lead guitarist Jonathan Kita. Paul Stoddard’s vocals change between screams (typical for the genre) to more melodic and clean vocals. Stoddard has a better range than most Metalcore vocalists, and his melodic singing is very strong. Also, the cover art by Travis Smith is worth checking out.

All in all, Diecast is a band that will live in the shadow of bands like Hatesphere and Unearth (like many other Metalcore bands). They mostly play the same kind of riffs and sound similar. This is not a groundbreaking album, and there are lots of bands out there that sound just like this one. If you are a Metalcore enthusiast who likes the bands mentioned, this might be considered a fine release and a good purchase, but others might brand this the worst piece of crap to hit the Metal surface in 2006.

Lineup

Paul Stoddard – Vocals
Jonathan Kita – Lead Guitar
Kirk Kolaitis – Rhythm Guitar
Brad Horion – Bass
Dennis Pavia – Drums

Tracklist

1. Internal Revolution
2. Never Forget
3. Hourglass
4. Fractured
5. Weakness
6. Fade Away
7. Out Of Reach
8. S.O.S.
9. Nothing I Could Say
10. Definition Of A Hero
11. The Coldest Rain