Diamond Plate

Diamond Plate originated in 2004 in Worth, a Chicago suburb situated in Illinois. Still teenagers at the moment the group assembled, the initial three members anchored their approach in the classic thrash metal style of the 1980s, drawing from Metallica and Anthrax to restore that sound years after its peak. Guitarist Konrad Kupiec, singer and bassist Jon Macak, and drummer Jim Nicademus comprised the lineup, which issued two self-released EPs—Mountains of Madness in 2008 and Relativity in 2009—quickly gaining notice as a rising presence in the thrash revival. Earache Records signed the band in 2010, prompting work on a first full-length album. The following year brought an expansion when Mario Cianci joined on a second guitar, converting the act into a quartet. That same year the expanded group unveiled its debut album, Generation Why?.