Diecast (band)
Encyclopedia
Diecast is a five-piece metalcore
band originating from Boston
, Massachusetts
. There are no active members that date back to their inception.
The band's first release Perpetual War
was recorded by Brian McTiernan (of Salad Days fame) and released independently in 1997. The demo was recorded to cassette and is now a collectors item.
In 1998, the band released their debut LP Undo the Wicked
via Samson Records. The album marked the first recording of the band as a five-piece line-up with the addition of guitarist Dave McGuire who was replaced just after the Samson Records release with guitarist Mehdy Rad who had been involved with a pre-Diecast version of the band.
After the departure of guitarist and founding member Nassim Rizvi, his position was temporarily filled by a number of friends of the band including Buz McGrath and Ken Susi of the band Unearth
. Jonathan Kita would be named the permanent replacement on lead guitar in February 1999.
The band recorded a self-funded and self-distributed CD sampler with Dean Bartolonis which included early versions of songs "Solace" and "Disrepair." The band toured the east coast of the US and Canada non-stop for the next year.
Amid the buzz surrounding Undo the Wicked, the band signed with the now defunct Now or Never Records. Despite the departure of Guitarist Mehdy Rad in late 2000, they wrote, recorded, and released their second full-length album, Day of Reckoning, on February 13, 2001. After the release of Day of Reckoning they recruited Kirk Kolaitis. The band embarked on a number of tours across the United States
, supporting such bands as All Out War
, Dying Fetus
, God Forbid
, Napalm Death
- and even opening for Alice Cooper
and The Cult
.
In the spring of 2002, Diecast secured the opening slot for the Slayer
/Hatebreed
tour. Upon the completion of the tour, the band decided to focus their attention towards a new album. Faced with record label issues, and dissension internally about the musical direction they should take, the recording phase for their third full-length album was halted. At this point founding member Colin Schleifer left the group in May 2003 to pursue other interests, and was replaced by current vocalist Paul Stoddard.
Diecast inked a new record deal with recognized independent
metal label, Century Media Records
in 2004. The band then released their third full-length album Tearing Down Your Blue Skies
on October 19, 2004. An excerpt of the track "Rise and Oppose" was licensed by Volkswagen Automotive and used in an advertisement for the Volkswagen Jetta. The album was re-released by Century Media in 2006, with three bonus tracks including a cover of Raining Blood
by Slayer
. The three tracks were produced by Zeuss
(Shadows Fall
, Hatebreed
), and were added to the re-release along with extras.
Jason Costa departed the band during their early 2006 tour. Dennis Pavia formerly of Tantrumn volunteered to fill in and then eventually became a full-time member.
On May 16, 2006, vocalist Paul Stoddard announced that in addition to Jason Costa no longer being part of the band, bassist Jeremy Wooden, the only original member remaining, had decided to depart as well. Dennis Pavia and Brad Horion were named as their replacements.http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=52345
The band's fourth full-length album Internal Revolution
was released on September 19, 2006 and features the single "Fade Away." A companion video was directed by David Brodsky. The album shifted 1,246 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan
.http://indiehq.com/2006/09/27/independent-sales-chart-9-27-06/
They are currently in the studio and have released a new song on their MySpace page entitled "Disconnect" as well as a second song, "Sanctified" on a sponsors MySpace page
. They recently released a press statement announcing they had parted ways with label Century Media. In addition the band is shopping a 4 song demo to other labels and hopes to release a new album and tour shortly thereafter. In addition to shopping new labels in late 2008, bassist Eddie Barton joined the band as a full time replacement for Brad Horion.
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band originating from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. There are no active members that date back to their inception.
History
Formed in Boston in early 1997, Diecast was originally established as a four-piece group featuring vocalist Colin Schleifer, guitarist Nassim Rizvi, bassist Jeremy Wooden and drummer Jason Costa.The band's first release Perpetual War
Perpetual war
Perpetual war refers to a lasting state of war with no clear ending conditions. It also describes a situation of ongoing tension that seems likely to escalate at any moment, similar to the Cold War.-In past history:...
was recorded by Brian McTiernan (of Salad Days fame) and released independently in 1997. The demo was recorded to cassette and is now a collectors item.
In 1998, the band released their debut LP Undo the Wicked
Undo the Wicked
-Personnel :* Colin Schleifer – Vocals* Nassim Rizvi – Guitar* Dave McGuire – Guitar* Jeremy Wooden – Bass* Jason Costa – Drums...
via Samson Records. The album marked the first recording of the band as a five-piece line-up with the addition of guitarist Dave McGuire who was replaced just after the Samson Records release with guitarist Mehdy Rad who had been involved with a pre-Diecast version of the band.
After the departure of guitarist and founding member Nassim Rizvi, his position was temporarily filled by a number of friends of the band including Buz McGrath and Ken Susi of the band Unearth
Unearth
Unearth is an American metalcore band from Winthrop, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, the group has released five studio albums. Their fourth record, The March was released on October 14, 2008 meeting with high positive reception by many...
. Jonathan Kita would be named the permanent replacement on lead guitar in February 1999.
The band recorded a self-funded and self-distributed CD sampler with Dean Bartolonis which included early versions of songs "Solace" and "Disrepair." The band toured the east coast of the US and Canada non-stop for the next year.
Amid the buzz surrounding Undo the Wicked, the band signed with the now defunct Now or Never Records. Despite the departure of Guitarist Mehdy Rad in late 2000, they wrote, recorded, and released their second full-length album, Day of Reckoning, on February 13, 2001. After the release of Day of Reckoning they recruited Kirk Kolaitis. The band embarked on a number of tours across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, supporting such bands as All Out War
All Out War (band)
All Out War is an American hardcore metal band from Newburgh, New York. Formed in 1991, they have released five full-length albums between 1997 and 2010.-Career:...
, Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their outspoken political views, and for being one of the few death metal bands who follow a political nature. Earlier lyrics showcased the common death metal trait of explicit violence...
, God Forbid
God Forbid
God Forbid is an American heavy metal band formed in 1996 in East Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:Building up a following in the late 1990s by touring with bands such as GWAR, Nile, Cradle of Filth and Candiria, God Forbid's first full album Reject the Sickness was released by 9 Volt Records in 1999...
, Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
- and even opening for Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
and The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
.
In the spring of 2002, Diecast secured the opening slot for the Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
/Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
tour. Upon the completion of the tour, the band decided to focus their attention towards a new album. Faced with record label issues, and dissension internally about the musical direction they should take, the recording phase for their third full-length album was halted. At this point founding member Colin Schleifer left the group in May 2003 to pursue other interests, and was replaced by current vocalist Paul Stoddard.
Diecast inked a new record deal with recognized independent
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
metal label, Century Media Records
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
in 2004. The band then released their third full-length album Tearing Down Your Blue Skies
Tearing Down Your Blue Skies
Tearing Down Your Blue Skies is the third album by the Boston-based metalcore music group Diecast. The album was released on October 19, 2004 via Century Media Records...
on October 19, 2004. An excerpt of the track "Rise and Oppose" was licensed by Volkswagen Automotive and used in an advertisement for the Volkswagen Jetta. The album was re-released by Century Media in 2006, with three bonus tracks including a cover of Raining Blood
Raining Blood
"Raining Blood" is a song by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Written by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King for the 1986 studio album Reign in Blood, the concept deals with religion, specifically said to be about overthrowing Heaven...
by Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. The three tracks were produced by Zeuss
Zeuss
Chris "Zeuss" Harris is a record producer who specializes in metal and hardcore albums. He is based in Hadley, Massachusetts and he owns and operates Planet-Z recordings. Zeuss started his music career in metal bands, the best known being Doom Nation, before taking on music production full time...
(Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
, Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
), and were added to the re-release along with extras.
Jason Costa departed the band during their early 2006 tour. Dennis Pavia formerly of Tantrumn volunteered to fill in and then eventually became a full-time member.
On May 16, 2006, vocalist Paul Stoddard announced that in addition to Jason Costa no longer being part of the band, bassist Jeremy Wooden, the only original member remaining, had decided to depart as well. Dennis Pavia and Brad Horion were named as their replacements.http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=52345
The band's fourth full-length album Internal Revolution
Internal Revolution
-Music Video:*"Fade Away" – Directed by: David Brodsky. The album's first single.*"Nothing I Could Say" - Directed by: Ian McFarland. The album's second single.-Personnel :* Paul Stoddard – Vocals* Jonathan Kita – Lead Guitar...
was released on September 19, 2006 and features the single "Fade Away." A companion video was directed by David Brodsky. The album shifted 1,246 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
.http://indiehq.com/2006/09/27/independent-sales-chart-9-27-06/
They are currently in the studio and have released a new song on their MySpace page entitled "Disconnect" as well as a second song, "Sanctified" on a sponsors MySpace page
. They recently released a press statement announcing they had parted ways with label Century Media. In addition the band is shopping a 4 song demo to other labels and hopes to release a new album and tour shortly thereafter. In addition to shopping new labels in late 2008, bassist Eddie Barton joined the band as a full time replacement for Brad Horion.
Current
- Paul Stoddard – Vocals (2003–Present)
- Jonathan Kita – Lead Guitar (1999–Present)
- Kirk Kolaitis – Rhythm Guitar (2001–Present)
- Eddie BartonEddie BartonEdward Barton is a former association football player who represented New Zealand at international level.Barton made a single appearance in an official international for the All Whites in a 2-4 loss to Australia on 5 June 1933....
- Bass (2008–Present) - Dennis Pavia – Drums (2006–Present)
Former
- Colin Schleifer – Vocals (1997–2003)
- Nassim Rizvi – Lead Guitar (1997–1999)
- Dave McGuire – Rhythm Guitar (1998–2001)
- Jeremy Wooden – Bass (1997–2006)
- Jason Costa – Drums (1997–2006) (Currently drums for metalcoreMetalcoreMetalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band All That RemainsAll That Remains (band)All That Remains is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, which formed in 1998. They have released five studio albums, a live CD/DVD, and have sold nearly 800,000 records...
) - Brad Horion - Bass (2006–2008)
Label releases
- Undo the WickedUndo the Wicked-Personnel :* Colin Schleifer – Vocals* Nassim Rizvi – Guitar* Dave McGuire – Guitar* Jeremy Wooden – Bass* Jason Costa – Drums...
(1998) - Day of Reckoning (2001)
- Tearing Down Your Blue SkiesTearing Down Your Blue SkiesTearing Down Your Blue Skies is the third album by the Boston-based metalcore music group Diecast. The album was released on October 19, 2004 via Century Media Records...
(2004) - Internal RevolutionInternal Revolution-Music Video:*"Fade Away" – Directed by: David Brodsky. The album's first single.*"Nothing I Could Say" - Directed by: Ian McFarland. The album's second single.-Personnel :* Paul Stoddard – Vocals* Jonathan Kita – Lead Guitar...
(2006)