Our take: One of the most frustrating things about not getting the Featured Releases section of the newsletter done for the last few weeks is that I’ve lacked sufficient opportunity to tell you how much this Diode record rules. I know little about Diode… there’s no description on Under the Gun’s website, though a little internet sleuthing leads me to believe they’re from Southern California. While Diode’s internet presence may be hazy, their sound is fully articulated, slathering jittery, hardcore-informed punk with massive synth hooks, sort of like Jake Roberts, Ausmuteants’ synth wizard, overdubbing parts on a Warm Bodies record. While the synth melodies grab you by the lapels (see “Van Zant”), a catchy part might emerge from anywhere in the mix, whether it’s the guitars in “Ugly” or the anthemic vocals in “Late Stage Solution.” And with only eight tracks, it’s all wrapped up before you can even think about getting sick of it. An infectious record that begs for repeated listens.