Dioramic - Technicolor
Lifeforce Records
Progressive Metalcore / Post-Hardcore
11 songs (49:48)
Release year: 2010
Lifeforce Records
Reviewed by Kyle
Surprise of the month

Ever wonder what a mix of Between the Buried and Me, Muse, and generic metalcore would sound like? Unless you happen to be German outfit Dioramic, the answer to this question is likely a resounding “No”, and it’s even more likely that you’d have no interest in hearing such a mix that is sure to be disastrous… right?

Actually, you’d be quite wrong. Dioramic is a true surprise in the incredibly lackluster metalcore scene; they’re diverse, unpredictable, and ultimately memorable. Sure, their debut album Technicolor is flawed, and it certainly isn’t for everyone – some metal purists may find it downright awful - but progressive metalcore fans itching for the next BtBaM album to arrive should find a lot to like here.

Dioramic typically begins their songs in a generic fashion, beginning each track with either standard metalcore riffing (Ghosts in the Machine), dreamy shoegaze-yness (Lukewarm Remains, Debris), or something else that’s not out of the ordinary; but stick around until the songs really kick off and you’ll be treated to some truly mesmerizing moments of music that are nothing short of captivating, though perfect they are not. Throughout Technicolor you’ll find plenty of unexpected surprises, whether it be Muse-y melodic rock passages or aggressive post-hardcore drives (think of a toned-downed Converge and you may have an idea of what these parts sound like). Dioramic is an in-your-face band when you combine all of these various elements, yet they somehow retain an atmospheric quality from beginning to end on Technicolor, and the sum of this album’s parts are much more impressive than you’d think. Production is pretty damn impressive, as well; every instrument is heard clearly and at the appropriate volume at all times, yet there’s a slight rawness to the album that’s both charming and slightly edgy. Describing individual songs is useless; all are different, and some are better than others, yet they all share a common bond that you will quickly learn to recognize as Dioramic’s signature style.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems with Technicolor, and though there aren’t many flaws, the ones present are bad enough to really bring down my score of the album. The most notable problem is the vocals; the two singers regularly swap harsh and clean singing styles (I’m assuming that one member performs clean vocals and high-pitched screams while the other opts for a low growling style with rare clean singing), and while the harsh vocals aren’t much to complain about, the actual “Singing” is pretty damn bad at times. It seems as if there’s no emotion in the singer’s voice, and sometimes he only talks loudly without actually singing, which can become very annoying in a short amount of time. Furthermore, though Technicolor is a fairly original album, there’s still some generic moments littered about (particularly when it comes to overly predictable metalcore chugs) that can’t be ignored, and that occasionally lessen the album’s enjoyability.

However, if you feel that the pros of the third paragraph far outweigh the cons of the fourth (as I do), then Technicolor is an album that you will surely enjoy and, if you decide to make a purchase, be a proud owner of. One thing’s for sure; Dioramic is a band that I will be watching closely in the coming months (and possibly years), and if they can address Technicolor’s key flaws, then their next album ought to be the one that puts them on many a music fan’s radar.

Killing Songs :
Album as a whole is quite good
Kyle quoted 80 / 100
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