The group's second release, Tearing Down Your Blue Skies, is a hardcore, melodic, mind-blowing listening experience. New vocalist Paul Stoddard helps the band's sound evolve with a powerfully aggressive and melodic voice.
A classic acoustic-guitar piece introduces the opening track, "Fire Damage." The peaceful sounds are quickly shredded away by a hardcore fury. "Fear is fuel for cowards," Stoddard sings in the song dealing with the military and the safe return of our troops.
"Rise and Oppose" showcases the band's most hardcore talents. Drummer Jason Costa proves that he should be considered one of the top modern drummers--he possesses some of the fastest double-bass skills around. Guitarists Kirk Kolatis and Jonathon Kita mix various heavy and speedy riffs with solos and Zakk Wylde-ish tails.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Tearing Down Your Blue Skies is the fact that each individual track stands out from the rest of the album--no two tracks sound similar. Stoddard's amazing vocal range has helped Diecast step up as musicians, and it shows in all 11 tracks.
Even lyrical themes differ for each song--"Traitor" deals with a woman cheating on her boyfriend with his best friend; "Savior" is an anti-organized-religion anthem.
Diecast's hard work and dedication has paid off well with an album that not only has torn down various barriers in their genre, but should become the standard for how bands approach making a record.
