Progressive hardcore isn’t really a thing; you could probably find three or four bands which match the description. However, on the off-chance that you can get around to discovering such a band, it possess great appeal. On one hand, you have the harsh, full speed ahead vocals of hardcore and the signature, bittersweet cleans. On the other, you get odd time signatures, varied instruments and compositions to offset the simplicity which sometimes plagues hardcore. That’s exactly the sort of mix you have with Dioramic, a band with three albums to their name and one great album. Technicolor is just a cut above the rest; it’s not that the other two are bad, they just don’t have the seamless integration and flow of Technicolor. Here, metalcore, hardcore and progressive metal all blend together, synths side by side with harsh vocals and gang choirs.
Check out “Doom” for example, near the end of the album. The first thing you might hear is the interesting, interchanging relationship between high pitched, abrasive vocals and their deeper, more guttural counterpart. After a substantial exchange between the two, clean vocals carry an off-kilter bridge over bass into a more emotional, Between the Buried and Me influenced chorus. But where that band would follow up with pure technicality, Dioramic opt for a well written, technically pleasing yet still heavy, breakdown. After that, the gang vocals make their first appearance, coupled with almost-spoken word vocals that wouldn’t shame Stolas or any other Swan-core band. Thus you have the basic formula of this album; somehow, all these disparate parts flow into one, great whole and create a progressive and well made album.
Some variations include synths, like on “Black Screen Goodbye”. While the track opens quickly enough, it quickly gives way to a synth supplemented bridge. From there, the track dives and turns around breakdowns, quiet parts and moving choruses. While the album can get a bit repetitive in its progressive nature, something which sounds like a contradiction but really isn’t, if you’re familiar with the sub-genre, it has enough of these different moments to keep it fresh. Thus, it’s a hidden gem; both aggression and far-flung musicianship is contained therein. It’s good if you want to get angry but in a thought out way which also leaves you musically challenged. In short, it’s progressive hardcore. The album is a bit hard to find, but MP3s exist on Amazon. Good luck.