Pulse is the follow-up to the 2011 debut Generation Why? from Chicago thrashers Diamond Plate. Produced by Neil Kernon, Pulse is a cracking affair, as the Windy City lads show their affinity for the thrash legends of the Bay Area like Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, and Testament. Sadly, that is part of the problem, though much of this album is very well done, there's little essence of just who Diamond Plate are here, other than perhaps a band that wants to sound just like their heroes. In that aspect, they've done a fantastic job, with songs like "Price You Pay" and "All Of It" containing neck snapping riffs and those trademark Bay Area thrash styled vocals. It's all pretty catchy and the songs chug along at a brisk pace, with bassist Matt Ares' vocals sounding like a cross between Hetfield & Mustaine, gritty and gruff on "Bottom of the Glass" while guitarist Konrad Kupiec lays down some impressive riffage and flashy solos.
It's not hard to like what's going on here on Pulse, but my problem is that so many young bands now want to do this Bay Area styled thrash thing, and are coming so close to sounding like Metallica, Medadeth and the like that their true identity fails to come through. Diamond Plate have the tools & the skills, so let's see in the future if they can break away from their influences a bit and show us who they really are.
Track Listing
- 'Walking Backwards'
- 'All Of It'
- 'Price You Pay'
- 'Dance With Reality'
- 'Still Dreaming'
- 'Face To Face'
- 'Bottom Of The Glass'
- Rainmaker'
- 'Persistence Of Memory'
- 'Running Dry'
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