Diamond Plate

DIAMOND PLATE formed in 2004 in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. DIAMOND PLATE unknowingly arrived at the right time, just as thrash-metal was beginning to make a huge comeback worldwide. Due to the ferocity of their music, coupled with a revived hunger for thrash, DIAMOND PLATE quickly established themselves as one of the top forces in the emerging U.S. thrash metal scene.

A young but formidable three-piece, DIAMOND PLATE made their debut in early 2008 with their ferocious and critically acclaimed, “Mountains of Madness” E.P. At the time, the average age of this three-piece was a mere 15 years old! The teenagers soon discovered critics and metal fans alike found colossal potential in the band and embraced their music immediately. The popularity of DIAMOND PLATE began growing from there. Stormspell Records released the “Mountains of Madness” E.P., as part of “Thrash Clash Vol. 2”. Thanks to distribution from an indie label and self-promotion through the internet, the young three-piece from Chicago soon began to make a powerful international presence.

As the shows they played started getting bigger and bigger, DIAMOND PLATE became a household name in the metal scene of Chicago. Directly supporting some of metal’s finest legends including Behemoth, Gojira, Exodus, D.R.I., Overkill, Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, and Destruction among others, DIAMOND PLATE soon became recognized for their intense and high-energy live sets. The band began to not only evolve in their live show but in their songwriting and technical abilities as well.


Two newly recorded songs were released via the internet in late 2008, and these tracks proved to the metal world that DIAMOND PLATE was a much tighter and focused band. DIAMOND PLATE dominated 2008 with crushing live shows and rave reviews of their new songs. The band’s impact was so remarkable, that the mighty, UK-based Terrorizer Magazine named DIAMOND PLATE, “the 5th Best Unsigned Band of 2008,” and a 2008 Metal-To-Infinity review claimed, “world domination is the next step for this band.”


In 2009, DIAMOND PLATE entered the studio to record their standout follow-up, “Relativity.” This E.P. featured newly recorded songs, like the epic seven minute title track and neck-breaking displays of old-school thrash metal mixed with progressive arrangements. The “Relativity” E.P. took DIAMOND PLATE’s sound to a higher, stellar level and in turn, further solidified DIAMOND PLATE’s place in metal history.


Shortly following the release of “Relativity,” the band was invited to perform as a main stage act on the infamous Thrasho De Mayo festival in Hollywood, California. A week later DIAMOND PLATE’s presence grew again as they took part in the well-renowned Chicago Powerfest with Devildriver.


In 2009, it became clear that DIAMOND PLATE was ready to take a much larger step forward. The band gained representation from manager, Frank Mastalerz of MWI International, after DIAMOND PLATE played a number of impressive shows at the Chicago-area venue, The Pearl Room (the club that Mastalerz booked at the time). It was at DIAMOND PLATE’s third show at the Pearl Room (supporting Overkill) that Frank and MWI approached the band about full-time career management. DIAMOND PLATE signed on with MWI and the career of the band started moving in a professional direction.

Digby Pearson, owner of Earache Records had his eye on DIAMOND PLATE for a few years and in the summer of 2010, the band received a personal email from Digby himself offering to sign DIAMOND PLATE to Earache. A few months later after this initial email, DIAMOND PLATE was signed.


After years of writing and playing live as a three piece, it wasn't until DIAMOND PLATE’s deal with Earache that they considered adding another guitar player to help enhance their live show. Mario Cianci officially joined the band in early 2011, and makes his live debut with DIAMOND PLATE in summer 2011. *


As the band finished writing the material for their debut album, Earache recommended DIAMOND PLATE use producer Neil Kernon (Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Nevermore, Deicide, Judas Priest, etc.) for their first album. The band agreed, knowing Kernon came with an impressive track record, producing and recording some of metal’s biggest bands metal, and coincidentally, Kernon lives in DIAMOND PLATE’s backyard, Chicago.


DIAMOND PLATE’s debut album is titled, "Generation Why?" DIAMOND PLATE guitarist, Konrad Kupiec , says this of their first album: “We wanted the album to be a strong musical statement, and likewise we wanted to the album title to be relevant to the world today. It was also important to us for the title to be a connection to everyone our age. "Generation Why?" is a song against the mediocrity that seems to encompass most people our age. No one seems to strive for greatness anymore. All people tend to do is make excuses as to why they cannot go beyond an average life. Everything about this album is meant to be a statement against that.”