Thrasher/metalhead/moshpit punk that I am, I was wary of Silverchair's fourth album after hearing on their official website that the hard-chargers from Oz weren't 'just a rock band' anymore. But considering Silverchair's basic assets (a versatile, ultra-roughouse bass and drums team and a splendidly expressive lead singer), I had faith that my favorite Aussie superband wouldn't let me down. I'm used to Silverchair putting out near-perfect albums where I love every track - I can't say that is true of their latest. There are a couple of overdone tracks on Diorama where songwriter Daniel Johns sounds like he's begging music critics to finally take him seriously. But overall, my faith in Silverchair is confirmed. At the heart of Diorama are a handful of stone-cold musical knockouts. Breath-taking, beautiful music from a still young prodigy who aspires to greatness. The best songs are 'Without You', 'World Upon Your Shoulders', 'My Favourite Thing' and 'After All These Years'. (Another superb track from the Australian import, 'Asylum', is not on the U.S version.) Listening to past, more furious Silverchair records, you might think Daniel Johns was a hopelessly distressed young man. On Diorama, we find out that the singer uses music to amplify his emotions. When Johns is mad, he is really mad. And when he is feeling good, his exhilaration can just sweep you away. This is a great album to listen to at the ocean, surrounded by white waves crashing over rocks. Or even better, standing on a long, fog-banked fishing pier. Take it from a rebellious, cynical moshpit thrasherpunk like me, if sometimes you are just feeling a little too cynical, rebellious and all-around bummed out, this album can really improve your mood.

Which isn't to say that Silverchair can't still pull out the sledgehammer with the best of them. Flanked by his rough-and-tumble bandmates Chris Joannou and Ben Gillies, Johns shows on 'One Way Mule' he can take on that Korn guy for scary metal monster honors any night. Funny, though, I can't imagine Korn or Bizkit or Helmet breaking into a sacred, luminous ballad like 'After All These Years'.

Early in their career, some critics accused Silverchair of imitating Nirvana. More than ever, I'm convinced that was a load (and a cheap shot), for one basic reason. Silverchair do not hold their fans in contempt the way Kurt Cobain did. No band could make music like Diorama unless they loved and cared about the people they are making music for.

From start to finish this is an uplifting album that totally rocks. I really appreciate bands who are open and don't put walls around themselves as far as - experimenting with different tunings (Daniel does some crazy ones), instruments, vocal styles or techniques. This is musical excellence. Also, buy the live DVD- it's another must have.

Lots of people have said this album "isn't Silverchair". It is.... Silverchair started progressing to this sound when they wrote songs for Freakshow. Petrol and Chlorine, for instance. When I first popped Diorama into my player, I thought, hmmmm... this is brave. I wasn't sure whether to like it or not; it's so much different to anything else around at the moment. I'm glad I gave it the time I did. If I hadn't, i'd have probably missed out on the most musically talented, important album to be released for years.

This isn't an album you can like from the very time you listen to it. It's impossible; there's too much to capture. People who have critisized this album either haven't given it enough time, or purely don't have any musical appreciation (no offense...!)

Living in the UK, our music industry is caught up in manufactured "pop idol" music. Either that or some cheese-ridden novelty song. Diorama is was the UK needs. It would make people realise there is so much more music can offer. It's not going to happen, mind you. Money making major record labels will se to that....

Long gone the so called Nirvana impersonations, Silverchair have delivered a sound that very few bands on the planet can. Daniel Johns is one of the greatest songwriters around at the moment. Standout tracks on the album are "Across the Night" and "Tuna in the Brine". Tuna in the Brine has the most climatic ending to a song I think I have ever heard; truly astonishing. "My Favourite Thing" is acompanied by the the most fantastic orchestra. This really is the greatest record to come our in the past 10 years. It's just such a shame it hasn't hit off in the UK, it's what we, and indeed the world needs to hear.

If don't buy this record, then i'm sorry. Sorry you have missed such a powerful, important and fresh record. Well done Silverchair, you have shined.

I like Silverchair. I bought "Frogstomp" way back in the day and ejoyed it. "Abuse Me" blew me away the first time I heard it on the radio a couple of years later, and I came close to buying "Freak." Not a lot happened after that (though "Neon Ballroom" was far from a bad album). But Silverchair is a different band now. They've made the album we all knew they could make from the beginning.

Someone once said a band's best albums are their first three. How ironic that "Diorama" is Silverchair's fourth, and certainly their most progressive and interesting. Argueably, it's their best, too. One reviewer mentioned that the band sounds like they're trying to make slow dance music for Junior High kids. Even if that were true, so what? Does that make the listener any less intelligent, any less justified? I happen to like the album because I think the song writing is good. I listen to be entertained, not educated. There are much better sources to learn about how the world works than rock music. Sorry, but music isn't a very good substitute for college.

If I could sum up the album's mood in three words, it'd be "The Greatest View." Great song. Soaring chorus, good melody. The painos and orchestration are a step in the right direction, vise vis David Bottrill, whom I've been critical of in the past. Bravissimo! One of the best headphone albums of the last five years. Heck, one of the best albums period of the 2000's. May even sound good at your next Jr. High dance... ;)

Overall: 8 out of 10.

One of the first things to take note of whenever albums are labelled "revolutionary" or "essential" is the listening audience. Few grunge bands could get away with writing a mostly orchestral-pop album, let alone keep their audience intact. I myself listen to a lot of metal, and although this was before I grew into metal, I can't help but love such a gem.

The album opens with the incredibly infectious Across The Night. The orchestral parts are spectacular, and Daniel Johns' vocals complement the music perfectly. It eventually progresses into a speedier, determined piano part, with some wonderfully bright sustained notes by Dan. The song appears to end on a high, chordal note, but the violin seems to return ever so slightly, as if taking its well-deserved second bow onstage. 97/100 - the perfect opener.

The Greatest View's starting riff and chorus are a bit awkward. It grows on the listener, but it doesn't really paint as accurate a picture of the album as it should have. One addition I liked was the introduction of the trumpet playing the guitar riff the second time around. 90/100 - the contrast is weird, but appreciable.

Without You is brings Daniel's brighter vocal style into a template that doesn't have any of the angst of Ana's Song (Open Fire) or Miss You Love. The inspiring vocals work well, and the fantastic instrumental bit towards the end is brilliant, with an absolutely massive bass part. 95/100 - important, as it's both a rock song and very bright, and acts as a bit of a buffer for those who can't quite get into the band's new style.

World Upon Your Shoulders doesn't begin with as direct an introduction as other featured songs. It instead builds up the acoustic guitars and the soft-falsetto-style vocals into a bridge that is one of the best parts of the album. The flute sound injects a new sort of "idea" into the music after the second chorus, and the vocals and weird lyrics lead into a guitar section of pure melody. The song then lapses back into its previous, blissfully happy state. 87/100 - excellent bridge, but a bit too unquestioningly happy.

One Way Mule is the first pure rock song featured, and as only one of two on the album, nostalgists will treasure it. The loud verses and soft choruses contrast somewhat weirdly with each other, and the erratic, distorted guitar solo accentuates that further. It's not quite as bright as the rest of the album, like a more complex evolution of the songs on Frogstomp. 91/100 - likeable, but with a really weird guitar solo.

Tuna In The Brine is the most experimental song on the album. The mood drifts between a satisfaction-sort of happy to something a bit darker. The lyrics are excellent, and as per usual, so are the vocals - most particularly in the fantasy-like second verse. The acoustic bit pushes the song into a whole new level of brightness in its fourth quarter. An impressive technique in both this song and Across The Night is the sheer amount of flawless key-changes and accidental usage. They're almost undetectable, and their usage really seems to be one of the cornerstones of the album. When writing songs, few bands ever manage to stray out of key successfully, but here, it's worked. 98/100 - unsurpassed, and a huge album highlight.

Too Much Of Not Enough is some relief from the fantasy of the previous track. It remains quiet and fairly acoustic until its louder, more emotional chorus. 85/100 - all about contrast, and rather melodic.

Luv Your Life is another orchestral-pop highlight. The chorus introduction isn't big, and it leads subtlely into the infectious first verse. The orchestra isn't felt quite as much in this song - Daniel's vocals carry the melody even more so than usual, especially in the wordless post-chorus. Nonsense words like "du, du, dudududu" have never been so melodic and likeable - how that sections functions so well is beyond me. 95/100 - warm, melodic and bright as usual.

The Lever's incredibly strange intro leades into the heaviest track on the album, and it's more likeable than One Way Mule; there's no awkwardness in the contrast. When playing it live on Live At Faraway Stables, the band manages to pull its four minutes into eleven, with a really random story about drugs, studio recordings and strawberries in between. 94/100 - kind of funk-rockish, and blissfully heavy.

My Favourite Thing contains a lot of orchestra, but is probably the worst song on the album because it fails to make good use of the mood set by the acoustic guitars and vocals. 83/100 - promising, but overblown.

After All These Years isn't the type of album finish that you would expect from such an album with such maximalist, surrounding parts. It's a very direct piano/vocals song, with some backing vocals and violins towards the end (Asylum, from the Without You single, does this in a better style). A five-minute silence follows, and afterwards is a "hidden" track - a short piano instrumental in a stranger style than the rest of the song. PaulMac actually plays all the keyboard/piano parts on the album, perhaps a shadow of what came afterwards.

I can honestly say that this is an incredibly consistent and influential listen; and if you give it some thought, it'll be a rewarding experience. Despite all the metal that I listen to, I constantly remind myself how much I enjoy my favourite album. But if I'm feeling otherwise, I listen to Across The Night or Tuna In The Brine, and all my doubts disappear.