STREAMING: Diamond Plate “Walking Backwards”

Diamond Plate couldn’t be more literal. In a few ways, actually. One, the band name refers to, well, a diamond plate or tread plate, as seen on truck covers, trailers, mud flaps, and restaurant floors. They’re “metal,” get it?! Two, when asked for a quote about the track we’re premiering they said, “No click track, no editing, you are hearing the second take of the song. Enjoy!” Meaning, there’s no Pro Tools pretending in the Diamond Plate camp. Just old-school, real-world playing/recording techniques. Three, well, we’ll leave that up to you.
So, yes, Diamond Plate returns with new album, Pulse. Gone is old throatman/four-stringer Jon Macak and in his stead is newcomer Matt Ares. Together, Diamond Plate sounds like the post-aggression period of thrash metal. When Testament went sophisticated on Practice What You Preach, when Death Angel wowed on Act III, and when Metal Church wrote an unsung classic in The Human Factor. Sure, there’s bark to Diamond Plate’s bite on Pulse, but it’s largely subservient to high conceptisms—wait until you hear “Still Dreaming”—and Neil Kernon’s sage-like production.

Prepare to mosh. In a library. In a professor’s study. In maturity.

** Diamond Plate’s new album, Pulse, is out August 20th on Earache Records. It’s available for pre-order HERE in a few different configurations. Do it now before they change their name to “Durbar floor plate.”