Diamond Weapon – All Heart, No Sleeve
Reviewed by: Mostowski
Review Score: 9.0
The first thing for me to say is that I’m a Brit living in Spain and have never been to Toronto. Secondly, and to be perfectly honest, I have no idea what post-hardcore is. As far as I know, we don’t really have bands that sound like this so much over on this side of the pond. Perhaps that is why I like Diamond Weapon’s new album, All Heart, No Sleeve, so much. I wouldn’t normally go for something like this, so I have surprised myself this time.
If you were to ask me about hardcore, I’d definitely bring up bands from the 80s like DRI, Crumbsuckers, S.O.D, M.O.D, or even UK Hardcore rave from the 80s. So, I am writing this review based only on its own merit, as an album, and not the genre. The first bands that came to mind upon immediately spinning were Idles and Sleaford Mods. This is not because they sound anything like Diamond Weapon, but because the attitude and subject matter of “normal life” is so closely linked with what these guys do.
Diamond Weapon, as mentioned, hail from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They formed in 2016 and found each other online, which is unusual (or NOT) these days. It sounds to me like there is a thriving music scene in Toronto and that Diamond Weapon may be an important part of that scene, as they have had some accolades within that scene. With a couple of EPs and albums behind them, Eyes and All I Wanted Was The Other Side, it definitely seems that Diamond Weapon are making waves in a big way.
It is hard for me to review this album song by song as there seems to be a theme about something we all experience: life’s struggles, missing people or relationships (or the ending of). Maybe I’m completely wrong, but these songs seem to spin tales of real life in quick succession (the songs are quiet short). In fact, I wonder if the album might be a complete story? After some further research, It seems my theory could be correct.
‘A Harsh Lesson In Vulnerability’ seems to be about life’s battles, whether that be paying bills, robbing WIFI, or the people we meet and experiences had when going abroad. These are just a few of the things I took from the lyrics, which I think many of us have experienced and can associate with. For me, this is a track that strikes a real personal note. We have all felt vulnerable in our lives at some point.
‘There Were, In Fact, Some Frills’ is a strange and infectious one. It seems to have electronic drums and clocks in at 1 min and 5 seconds of pure loveliness. To me, it seems to be the intro to the next track, ‘Dorothy’.
‘Dorothy’, at first listen, seems about the Wizard Of Oz, but who knows. It could just be a metaphor. This is a stand out track for me, with some great beats and bass. It’s very easy on the ears with the shouty vocals being completely appropriate, showcasing the emotion that the singer is feeling. This is possibly my favourite track.
‘Gillian’ could be a love song or about a lost love. It is a beautiful song that speaks of the feeling of love or not having love (or was it just a one night stand?). It would seem there are thoughts of picket fences and sheep dogs, so maybe things didn’t work out as he had wished. This album feels like it could be very personal to the lyricist.
All I can say about the next song, ‘Who Survives The End Of The World’, is that it reminds me of the kind of phone call we all never want to get, but some of us have. Just listen and see how it makes you feel. It is very heartfelt.
The last track, ‘Science Fiction At The Edge Of Existence’ seems to again be from personal experience (or maybe it is about technology and how it will impact the future). I’m just guessing.
Although this review is by someone who knows nothing about the genre, this album had me bobbing my head from the first few bars to the last few. Perhaps I cannot really describe it in a way that maybe a Torontonian could (is Torontonian a thing? ) or a post hardcore fan might, but as a music fan of anything good, I felt I could give an objective review based on the quality of the music.
I love the mix of the screamy/punky shouting combined with the clean singing. The melodies and minimalistic electronic sounds are very refreshing. Throw in some good riffs, great bass lines and some lyrics that I can really connect with, and you have me hook, line and sinker.
At the end of the day, as a European, Diamond Weapon is quite foreign to me. With that in mind, perhaps I am more enamored by it than, say, someone from Toronto. No matter, the songs are short, catchy, shouty, and punky, with a nice touch of melody and programmed sounds, and a nice organic production.
All Heart, No Sleeve is definitely not generic. For me, that is a good thing (as people are not generic). I hope that this is exactly what I would hear if I saw them live. I am definitely now a big fan, and hope that one day they manage to get to this side of the pond.
All Heart, No Sleeve is available for pre-order HERE.