Track-by-track: Diamond Construct discuss their new self-titled album

17 May 2019 | 7:57 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Taree's Diamond Construct walk us through their debut full-length album.

Today was the big day for Taree's prime metalcore outfit, Diamond Construct. After spending ages in the pipe-line, their self-titled record dropped today (May 17th) via Greyscale Records. Jam-packed full of hectic breakdowns and low-tuned riffs, it's a 12-track piece that sees the local Aussie heavy group playing to their prog-metalcore strengths, whilst bringing in the occasional cleaner, melodic section for some brevity. In lieu of their first album being set free into the world, brothers Braden Groundwater (guitars) and Kynan (vocalist) kindly walked us through the release, sharing where they were coming from in terms of song-writing vision and personalised lyrical intent. Be sure to read this while you jam out DC's new LP.



1. Animus:

Braden: We realised we didn't really have a fitting opening track. We started our last EP with a lot of energy and that's something we wanted to carry over on this album. It was probably during the second half of the writing cycle that we felt inspired to create a song that could fit. It was probably personally one of the more difficult songs to write the music, as it took a fair few demos to figure out the structure of the song properly due to messing with heavier sections and super-low tunings. No doubt this is the one of the heaviest tracks we've ever done.

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Kynan: The phrasing vocally for this song came almost instantly on the first listen on the later demo. It was easy to flow a meaningless whisper screamed vocal demo over the top and then fit an extremely personal lyrical story to it. For us, this song means something very deep. To the listener, we hope they can find something  relating to their own lives and struggles.

2. Dreamcatcher:

Braden: Inspiration for this song came from some old school Bring Me The Horizon: fast paced riffs and filled out vocal lines that feel 'jumpy'. Halfway through the writing process of the album, the demos of this one progressed to focus on the upbeat fast beats to contrast the other slower, groovier tracks.

Kynan: Lyrically, this song is unique to the rest because it doesn't draw from a more negative or personal experience. It instead pushes the listener to look inward, to get up off the floor and out of whatever mental state they are in and to face the music so to speak.

3. Paradox:

Braden: Paradox was one of the first songs written in 2016. It wasn't really intended to be on the album as it went well as a single. But we decided it really bridged a gap between the lighter and heavier sides to our music. It kind of became the first song to showcase our new sound. It was the first track we messed with the whammy pedal, chorus pedals, delays, harmonics and bunch of what really shaped the core of this album. We were all listening to a bit of post-rock at the time, which is where the clean and melodic sections kind of came from.

Kynan: Lyrics for this one came together once the song demo reached a point where it was ready to be a contender for the album. It's all about love, lust and everything that comes along with it. Light, dark and the struggles of everyday choices.

4. Submerged:

Braden: Submerged was written earlier on in the album process and was virtually left unchanged compared to some of the others. It felt right to leave it as it was because the structure was somewhat completely new to what we usually write like. Only a few sections repeat and there's no hook or chorus but it's built around the vocal build ups into jumpy riffs and heavier breakdowns.

Kynan: This is the only song on the album where the lyrics were written before the music. We usually have working titles and this song was all the way named Submerged. The content follows a dark time personally, so a lot of fans can hopefully vibe with the lyrical feel of this one.

5. Night Terrors:

Braden: This song definitely shows some of our previous styles, and a bit of a a different track compared to the other songs. It was something we didn't expect to do, but at the end of the writing process it just felt like we didn't have a song that tied the album together 100%. One day of jamming on a classical 6 string and wrote the chorus, then sort of jammed out a rough version and went to the studio that night. It pretty much was kept the same a first as the very first demo, it all came together pretty seamlessly, although it took a bit of convincing for some of us, the song ended up pretty dope.

Kynan: Guessing by the song's title 'Night Terrors' the listeners can understand what the lyrics are about. A time where night after night for months – sleep paralysis and nightmares riddled the night and not much sleep was enjoyed due to a few things.

6. Say It To My Face:

Braden: This was closer to the way we wrote our last EP, which was mostly written on guitar pro. It's a really nutty, energetic restart on the album. The whole song was written over a long time with around 11 different versions or something along the lines of that. It was the track that really came out the most improved from pre production to the final mix, as it always had a dog-shit demo recording, we we're keen to hear Lance Prenc's phat mix on this one.

Kynan: Arguably, this has some of the most up front lyrics on the album. This one is for all the doubters, naysayers and haters of us as people, musicians and a band as a whole, trying to make a name for ourselves. A lot of people can take this in their own lives and put it towards the people they know from work, social lives, family etc. An anthem for them.

7. Morphine Eyes:

Braden: Originally, this song wasn't written for DC. More so a release of emotions and feelings in one of the darkest times. After the music came together from two different songs, and gluing it together with new sections, it felt right and became quickly a front runner to put on the album. Especially because it breaks it up from the heavy tracks as a halfway point.

Kynan: Lyrically, this one is very coded. Although it seems like in parts it may be up front, it isn't. Metaphors for objects and people code it in a way where it remains very personal. Fans can expect to really connect with it because for them it will mean something completely different than intended.

8. Hypno:

Braden: Hypno was possibly the most fun to write because we wanted to explore new avenues of sounds and lead guitars to create something within the DC realm but new to our fans. It's inspired more by EDM artists rather than metal. It shares the same structure and even some of the same sounds underneath. The metal flavours were added afterwards to bring it closer to the overall sound of the album. This one will standout.

9. Hailstorm:

Braden: This was written toward the end of 2015, so we held on to it for a while. Reason being we had only just recorded our EP and were getting it finished in that in-between stage before the release of Event Horizon in 2016. Early on, it was intended as a single but as we explored the newer sounds of the album it became something to tie everything together by having a lot of melody and groove. Plus, the breakdowns we felt were right to keep. It was actually our label, Greyscale Records, that suggested we use it.

Kynan: The lyrics are for everyone who has ever thought about giving up. It's their song because only they know how it feels to be in that place. We hope people listening can find solace in this one and almost get peace with themselves.

10. Wildfire:

Braden: We've been playing this song for years now, it was a track that never made it onto anything but we enjoyed playing it so much that we put it on the album last minute. It's one of the more wild tracks, no pun intended. It was supposed to be on our last EP, but some of us thought it didn't fit. We wrote it because we didn't have anything heavy or fun to play live back then. Sometime after we had fully finished recording the album, a random old demo of Wildfire came up on shuffle on an iPhone, and we just remembered thinking that this song fits with the others. It was like we wrote that sound way back then but we didn't want to go any further with it.

Kynan: Some of these lyrics on this track were written back in 2015, but the rest were written after any other song towards the end of the recording process in 2018. Some how we ended up with a vibe to the song that coincides both of those time eras and works together. The newer parts of the lyrics use the old in a way to set it up for the big build in which is very personal.

11. Attitude:

Braden: After one few to many beers on a particular day, we entered the studio. This is what kind of came out. Tuned the guitar as low as it would go (double drop C). For the actual recording of the song, we didn't have a guitar that could hold the tuning, so we had to record the song in D and pitch-shift the DI. It was a very fun song to write. It's definitely one of a few collective favourites for the band.

Kynan: We wanted this to be a big 'fuck you' to everything that has broken us down or tried to tear us apart as people. Written in a time where insane thoughts were daily and became normal, it portrays the most whacky side of the band. Really going to enjoy performing this one live because of that.

12. Gloom:

Braden: Gloom was written a fair while before most of the songs, when we were all kind of in a repetitive and negative cycle of substance, it just got a little out of hand. Which is why we like to keep it pretty tame these days. I personally cannot remember much of that part but we know that we just felt really down and empty the whole time. I suppose the song reflects that in the music.

Kynan: Being the last track, this song lyrically had to have the most intense uproar personally. Coming from a small town which talks and where everyone knows everything, it's pretty easy to feel like you're in a bubble. So it was only fitting that this song that we wanted to entail everything about Diamond Construct into one song, lyrically and musically. Anyone listening to this will know exactly how to feel if they know us as people or even come from an environment that this story tells. All in all, it's the most DC track on the album.



Diamond Construct's self-titled record is out now: