After four albums, nearly 10 years and as many band members, I sincerely hope Diecast has settled on a stable lineup. I say that because their latest effort (their second for Century Media Records), Internal Revolution, is, simply put, a masterpiece. The album is full of heavy guitars, relentless drumming and vicious hardcore screams and breakdowns, but it is the melodies, the unforgettable hooks that lift the disc to greatness. On his second trip into the studio with the band, frontman Paul Stoddard has become one of the most powerful voices in metal. What the band may lack in originality (“Unite! Fight for what’s right!” Stoddard sings in “Definition of a Hero”), he more than makes up for with conviction and performance.

The title track kicks off the festivities and provides a good overview of the Diecast’s sound as Stoddard alternates between harsh and clean vocals. This and other songs, especially “Fractured” and the spellbinding single “Fade Away,” never feel as if they are following the clichéd good cop/bad cop routine with which so many bands have become too comfortable. The keys are that Stoddard’s singing is as strong, if not stronger than, his screaming and the band doesn’t let up; there is a heaviness, a meat to the music even during the most melodic moments. The players never show off, and, similar to Unearth, they are the rare metal band that can keep an entire album musically interesting without extended solos. Despite little time together, the twin guitar attack of Kirk Kolaitis and Jon Kita, the thick, rumbling bass of Brad Horion and the aggressive drumming of Dennis Pavia have become an incredibly tight unit.

An easy comparison is to Killswitch Engage, but Stoddard puts Diecast on another level, on par melodically with Sevendust. Call it metal, call it metalcore, call it whatever you want. I call it great music and one of the best albums I have heard in a long time.