Metal Underground.com

I picked up Diamond Plate's EP back when I saw Behemoth in February for the low cost of only $2. This was possibly one of the best deals that I've ever made in my entire life, as Diamond Plate are easily the best underground thrash band in Chicago. If Behemoth didn't live up to their reputation as one of metal's premier live acts, Diamond Plate would have easily stolen the show. Despite "Relativity" being only four tracks long, Diamond Plate have succeeded in creating a thrash-tastic mini release that's better than most full lengths.

Despite the band members' young age, they certainly know how to play. Guitar solos appear to be on par with far more experienced bands and creative drum fills happen with a high enough frequency to keep the drums not only interesting, but also prominent in the music. Given how young the band members are, it's likely that their talents will only improve in coming years.

What's even more surprising is that the band has a good sense of songwriting, knowing when to vary their riffs too keep the songs interesting. The first track happens to be almost eight minutes long, creating some similarities with the progressive thrash of Metallica's "...And Justice For All." The fact that this self-released EP sounds more professional than most full-lengths by signed bands makes Diamond Plate's obscurity that much more tragic.

The best part of this EP happens to be the drum sound. It's how a raw drum sound should sound. It's not triggered, sampled or in any way overprocessed, but it never sounds flat. It's simply a real organic drum sound that manages to be heavy without any additional effects. The drums give the album a real old school feel in all the right ways, sounding crisp and heavy in all the ways that recorded drums should. It's also great to have a raw underground metal album not sound like it was recorded in a gas station washroom in Gary, Indiana.