Review of Diecast - Tearing Down Your Blue Skies

Diecast’s revolving-door policy regarding band members continues. While the story used to be about their monthly guitarist swaps, for their Century Media debut album, they’re introducing a new singer. While I’m not sure if it’s new singer Paul Stoddard’s fault, or the general band consensus, but Tearing down Your Blue Skies sees Diecast mostly abandoning the fist-to-the-face brutality that took the Boston hardcore scene by storm five years ago. Instead, they’ve adopted a more modern metalcore style, similar to bands like Trivium, God Forbid, and All That Remains. In Stoddard’s defense, this shift was hinted at on 2001’s Day of Reckoning. The new album is much more in the vein of songs like “Singled Out” than bruisers like “Disrepair” or “Exacting my Revenge”…but maybe that sounds like a good idea to many of you? The main culprit…what else, the clean crooning that is all over this album. The shift between the new and prior albums is like the change God Forbid underwent, except that the Coyle brothers have the chops to play whatever the hell they want, while Diecast has always been more direct and stripped-down. Don’t get me wrong, Stoddard is actually a talented vocalist. His shout is a good match for Diecast, but when he sings, all I hear is Lajon of Sevendust (who has a good voice, in his own right). His transition between brutality and melody is just too drastic for my liking…but this seems to be what the masses are craving these days, so what do I know? Paul Trust’s production is nothing remarkable, especially on the breakdowns, where the band earns their paycheck. The guitars sound too choppy and pulsed, although the drums sound great, even if they could stand to be louder in the mix. But enough negativity, as it’s pretty clear that my beef is with the presentation, and not the songs as a whole. Opener “Fire Damage” gets the ball rolling in fine fashion, with a nifty intro and plenty of punch – possibly the best song on the album. “Torn From Within” is classic Diecast, with only one purpose – to draw blood in the pit. “Savior” is even a favorite of mine, regardless of the abundance of radio-friendly singing. Tearing Down Your Blue Skies is a bit front-loaded when it comes to quality tracks, although the gang vocals of “Medieval” make me grimace in joy. This release by Diecast clearly fits the mold of the current wave of US metalcore that is in the spotlight nowadays. Cleans and shouts, melodies and breakdowns, anger and emotion. Personally, I expect the new Trivium album to do more to reignite my passion for this style, but I have no doubt that the kids will devour this album like it was their little brother’s Halloween candy. It may not have been what I was hoping to hear from Diecast, but TDYBS remains an enjoyable album.

Release Details

Diecast

Tearing Down Your Blue Skies

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