Customer Reviews

Internal Revolution

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bullet For My Valentine, Atreyu, Caliban, Silent Civilian, All That Remains, and now Diecast. It seems just about every metalcore band is taking several pages out of Killswitch Engage's playbook by lacing their hard hitting aggression with soaring choruses and sweet, clean vocals when they release a new album in 2006. A couple bands, like Trivium, have mostly outgrown that cliche, but it seems a far greater number of groups are bogging down in it. Fortunately, Diecast's new album, "Internal Revolution," is different than some of the product put out by some above-mentioned metalcore bands because is doesn't really sound like a desperation cry for higher record sales. True, a band becomes almost immediately more commercially accessible whenever it adopts any kind of melody, but this record sounds more like a natural progression for this Boston quintet, and less like a desperation cry or trend jump. This is partially due to the fact that they formed in 1997 (several years before metalcore was even heard of), so many would argue it's about time they tweaked their sound a little and added some diversity. Plus, these are very competent musicians who possess more than enough strength needed to make this record withstand a few cliche parts. It's still plenty heavy, muscular, and as tight as a clenched fist. So, in short, the newfound melody doesn't dilute the music; if anything, it only enhances an already great sound.

"Internal Revolution"'s slick overproduction and formulaic song structures will surely turn off some listeners. And tracks seven and eight, "Out Of Reach" and "S.O.S.," are so boring and cookie-cutter, they'll make the eyes of even the most passionate metalcore fan glaze over. But those who are wise enough to hear every song will soon learn that those two are throw-offs, and the rest of the album is much, much better.

With fiery, fast chug and churn riffs, forceful, airtight double bass work, and throaty yelling, the beginning of the title cut is one of the disc's heaviest and meanest moments. But the best part of this song comes after the scorching intro, when the band do a 180 degree turn and toss in a soulful, well-sung (albeit Howard Jones-lite) chorus. "Fractured" is more predictable, but it remains a gem because it well-balances catchy, almost Pantera-esque verses (composed of strong, blistering riffs and a crashing high-hat) with a restrained, infectious chorus. Similarly,"Weakness" opens with deft, ripping, very speedy guitar picking before eventually segueing into a section with gentle crooning and light, undistorted strumming.

It isn't all the same, though; several songs on here prove that Diecast don't always need to resort to clean singing and other generic pleasantries to make powerful, memorable product. "Fade Away," the lead single, is somewhat melodic, but not at all in a typical way. It anchors harmonic, twin guitar leads with thunderous, machine gun blasts. And some songs, like "Never Forget" and "Definition of a Hero," have no use for melody at all: the former is a full-speed-ahead onslaught that's packed with blistering riffs and solos, and the latter features a constantly pounding rhythm, slamming drums, booming guitars, and a hardcore-ish, bellowed shout-along.

All forty-seven minutes of "Internal Revolution" (including "The Coldest Rain," a gloomy, acoustic-strummed ballad at the end) is heavily drenched in the metalcore formula. But it still sounds great and is well-written, professionally played, flawlessly executed, and trimmed of any superfluous fat. The bottom line? "Internal Revolution" offers absolutely nothing you haven't heard before and won't hear again in the future. But, ultimately, it is still a strong, enjoyable, satisfying effort with many promising bright spots and flashes of brilliance.

This album is different in the way that it is softer. It is catchier and has some more accessible material on it. Some people might say that is a bad thing, but this album is the best one they have released and I love it! The songs are structured so well and the singer has such a unique delivery that I have found myself listening to it over and over again. Their last cd was good, but you could tell that it wasn't thought out completely. It was pretty much brutal and in your face and that can get old. This album maintains the heaviness from before, but with a twist, there's more singing! The music is fierce and the drumming is phenomenal! This band is made or broke on the talent of their singer though. He delivers tremendously on this album. You can hear it in his voice that he is giving you all he has to give and you can't ask for much more in a lead singer people. This cd is great and it's one of my top 5 for 2006! Please support this band. IF you are thinking about buying this then all I have to say is buy the damn thing! It is great and the band is great and they deserve to go places. There is not a bad song on here but the ones that stand out to me the most are as follows:"fractured" "hourglass" "fade away" "s.o.s." and "definition of a hero". Check this album out guys if you like killswitch engage, shadows fall, and any other great metal core band.

This band got it right for creating good modern metal. Trivium's new album crusade failed in this respect since trivium lost their agression and just sold out to melody. This album has the right mix of aggression and melody. The guitar breakdowns are interesting, the vocals are very good another good mix of aggressive screamo and timely melodic chorus.

Stop writing thesis papers on reviews. The cd is really good if you like Diecast with more singing and a more marketable sound. It is a really good cd easy to listen to and the whole cd is good if you like the sound they have. This is a good recommendation that if you like what you hear the whole cd is good and that never happens people. Buy the god damn cd and stop wasting time with reading other reviews. This is a cd to spend money on because you get exactly what you want and the best part is you get more than you would with most bands (an hour of good music that you like song one to end). The best comparison I can make is that Diecast is trying to be up there with All that Remains with this cd and they did a good job.

I have come to the realization that to just listen to a cd is totally different than going to see them. Diecast is GREAT and Paul is also. I have never listened to this kind of music before, but going to see any band live will change your mind. I think they are Great and hope they continue for a long time. Thanks

Diecast is an awesome group to say the least. But like I tend to recommend with other CD purchases i have made, try to listen to some samples first to make sure you like the songs. You don't wanna buy a CD that has only one song that you like on it. Diecast is definatly an awesome band and if you like their style then pony up the cash and as soon as you get your CD pop it in and rock out!

This CD is amazing! The only 2 bands that i think can top these guys in this genre are killswich engage, and all that remains. If you like either of those bands, you will love this album. There was only one song on the whole disc i don't really dig. Solid release from start to finish.

I'll keep it short. This is a very good album but is not even close to the greatness that Tearing Down Your Blue Skies is. That is one of my fav. albums of all time. This album is a little more melodic and even contains a ballad with the last song. Some songs are still heavy though and this is a great album for more of an easy listen.

Diecast is one of those bands that could be easily forgotten. Sure they have some extremely memorable choruses and riffs but more times than not you could actually forget what band you're listening to (coughKillswitchEngagecough). That being said, I'm actually surprised I like Internal Revolution as much as I do. Paul Stoddard has a great voice, both singing and screaming, but aside from one wonderful melodic chorus courtesy of Out Of Reach, I think he should stick to screaming. The band, on the other hand, often impresses with some intensely aggressive riffs throughout.

The one reason I don't like singing included in my metal very often is because it can completely ruin the pace a song has up until the singing comes in. Take Never Forget for instance, those verses are arguably the best on the entire disc but they're almost ruined by the lackluster chorus. Like I said, aside from Out Of Reach, and maybe The Coldest Rain, the singing doesn't serve the screaming any sort of justice.

If you can accept everything Diecast is, cliche or not, Internal Revolution serves as an enjoyable listen throughout. Fractured is a great all-around song with a truly anthemic chorus that is sure to be ingrained in your head days after hearing it. Weakness is one of the few songs that consists mainly screaming and proves to be one of the standouts because of it. Out Of Reach sports some frenzied drumming, but up until the stellar singing at about the midway point, that's the best part. Definition Of A Hero, even minus the sometimes overly sappy lyrics, is another standout thanks to a great riff throughout the verses and a surprisingly angry performance from Paul. The Coldest Rain rounds out the CD nicely with a ballad-esque tune. The climax is worth a listen alone but the excellent use of the piano surprises as well.

My favorite songs are Fractured, Weakness, Out Of Reach, Definition Of A Hero, and The Coldest Rain. Whether or not I continue to follow Diecast is a toss-up. They really are one of those bands that's hit and miss. Had they come out at a different time they'd surely have more relevence than they do now, but we'll see how they progress throughout their career.

This album is the best! Extremely good! Some songs are sort of hard rock while others sound like metalcore. My favorites are "Never Forget", "S.O.S", "Weakness", and "Definition Of A Hero" (which are also the heaviest songs). "Out Of Reach" had the great drumming in it! "Fade Away" didn't sound that much of metal, sounded more like post-hardcore. "Hourglass", "Nothing I Could Say", and "The Coldest Rain" sounded like hard rock. GET THIS!!!