After spending much of last year writing songs and redefining their sound, Diamond Plate – former frontrunners of the New Wave Of Thrash scene – return with their second album, Pulse, this month. It’s a super-charged opus that sees the Chicago trio attempt to capture the unbridled energy of their live shows.
Comprising 10 tracks, singer, bassist and relative new boy Matt Ares really makes his presence felt on much of the material, and his vocal performances are powerful yet melodic, at times spitting venom à la Dave Mustaine before hitting you with a Jerry Cantrell-like brooding hook (Rainmaker, Still Dreaming).
Pulse sees the three-piece step away from a typical thrash sound and embrace a more traditional metal style – and it’s a gamble that has paid off in spades. The likes of the slow-burning Price You Pay and chug-tastic Face To Face are proper pit anthems, while instrumental Persistence Of Memory and album opener Walking Backwards are welcome nods to their roots and will appease devotees of their debut, Generation Why?
