DIAMOND PLATE’S GENERATION WHY? IS A WINNER

Full disclosure: I yearn for the Golden Age of Thrash, when young men in denim battle vests covered in Sodom and Exodus patches roamed o’er the land. While the 1980s are dead and gone, thrash lives. No one is more keyed into the thriving thrash scene than Diamond Plate. Their new album, Generation Why?, complete with audio samples questioning patriotism and authority, shows that Earache still know a winner when they see one.

Diamond Plate initially made waves on Thrash Clash Vol. 2, alongside Swedish thrashers Oppression. While the production on Clash was a touch rough, the band instantly stood out as one to watch. Anyone can play fast. Anyone can cram a ton of riffs into a song. A lot of guys can even show off the exotic scales they picked up over Fourth of July weekend instead of partying. But not everyone can make a thrash record that is so intensely listenable without sacrificing any of the heaviness.

Diamond Plate have a sound firmly rooted in the world of progressive thrash. But they don’t use this as an excuse for pointless noodling and self-consciously difficult soloing. The band can clearly play — not just play, but compose. Guitar players will marvel at the musical acrobatics of Konrad Kupiec, but the layman can appreciate it as well. The songs on Generation Why? Have a rougher edge that will appeal to fans of both old school and blackened thrash, as well as progthrash aficionados.

Final Analysis: Phil Anselmo as Toxik’s frontman, updated for the 21st Century.

(four out of five horns)

-NP