Review Summary: The peaks and valleys of this album are as extreme as the music itself.
There are not enough synonyms for "intense" in the English language (or any language, for that matter) to describe The Dillinger Escape Plan. There is everything to behold with this band: spastic, heavy-jazz guitars; groovy, breakneck bass; drums chaotic, yet on-point, as well as vocals that should be deemed illegal for any person to perform, if only initially for health reasons. The band conveys energy, power, and repeated punches in the jaw with every listen. Their 1999 debut
Calculating Infinity was a study in technical proficiency, as well as the cause for many a random outburst from the likes of me. When vocalist Dmitri Minakakis left the band, the band’s future was all but certain
In 2004, with new vocalist Greg Puciato, Dillinger released their first full-length album in five years,
Miss Machine. While losing none of the energy that was conveyed with
Calculating Infinity, this album saw the band take a new sort of direction with its music. Puciato proved to be a hell of a screamer, as well as a hell of a singer, as seen on tracks such as
Baby's First Coffin. Also, the band chose to forgo their usual, unrelenting style with a few slow-burners, such as
Unretrofied and
Phone Home.
The first impression of the record is that of a boot-print on the listener's face.
Panasonic Youth is a furious, punishing experience. There are twists, turns, and flips to be felt with every second. Puciato's voice is that of a thundering screech, and guitarists Ben Weinman and Brian Beniot are unrelenting, with quick tapping passages as well as belittling, liquefying rhythms. The band even slows down a bit, allowing Liam Wilson to pummel the brain with a grating bass line and Chris Pennie to cast doubt upon the listener as to whether he's the drummer or the guy who operates the drum machine. The song picks up again, leaving the listener with a startled look upon their face, not only for the sonic kick of the ass they just received, but the fact that this song is less than two-and-a-half minutes long.
The next two tracks carry a similar attitude, chaos contained in mere minutes.
Sunshine the Werewolf shows off the guitarists skills in peak form, never once refusing to slow down for anybody or anything. Pennie's drumming around a minute into the song still baffle me to this day, as I'm not sure what the hell makes him able to do that. Greg's vocals are fantastic, evidenced by the ability to slow the whole ensemble down a bit to an almost orchestral presence toward the end, then unleashing a beast with a cry of
Destroy all/there'll be another/just like you. Highway Robbery flaunts Liam's bass during the verses, with Greg and the rest of the band promising a riot with the chorus, and a romp with a bridge section that is just too much fun to ignore. Chris comes out of nowhere with a hip-hop beat, and Greg does some soft crooning before giving way to that bridge again, only a little faster, if that's possible.
From here, the album takes a hit, in the form of
Van Damsel. It features the same prime musicianship as the rest of the album, but comes off as incredibly uninspired, as well as an all-around terrible listen. The guitar rhythm drags the song down, and the ambient ramblings at the end of the song do nothing to help its case, the first true scar on the face of the album.
Phone Home is quite the slow-burner. With some mellow ambience, Chris goes a little crazy with the drumming, as weird static takes over. Greg's vocals in the verse are a raspy menace, as if he is truly on the edge, ready to kill the person he’s talking about in the lyrics. The chorus hits, as does the rest of the band, with the guitars closely following the savage vocal line, and with the exception of Greg, the rest of the band shows remarkable restraint, when compared to the rest of the album. The verse becomes even more angry, with the vocals getting increasingly more unsettling, due in part to a wonderful vocal distortion. The chorus reappears, leading into a wall of distortion, a violent segue into the next chorus, and the end of the track. Points to the band for slowing things up, adding a little variation into the mix.
We Are the Storm is an all-out attack on the senses, and a return to form for the band. It begins well enough, with all the atonal craziness expected from the band. However, it gets old very quickly, and is just annoying. However, high points include a mellow guitar passage that leads into a sweetly subdued section. However, the song doesn't recover, and drags the album down that much more.
Crutch Field Tongs is an odd-ass ambient track. It sounds as if a great, pulsating, clicking machine is in the final throes of life, giving out one last cry before fading into oblivion. This track is startling, and can either be really cool or really bad depending on the listener's mood.
Ah, this is more like it.
Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants, perhaps the best song on the album, starts with a palm-muted buildup, with Greg's soft croaks, an air of evil to be heard in his voice. Then, it hits, a catchy-as-hell guitar and drum line, with some soaring screeches of doom. The verse gives up no ground in terms of energy, with frantic drumming and pounding bass to be found in every facet. A chorus of seemingly primal screams gives way to some very, very cool singing by Greg, perfectly displaying his talent for switching up the vocals at the drop of a hat. Out of nowhere, a diabolically chill passage gives off the vibe of a beach at sunset, with a guitar tone that is simply amazing. This mood doesn't stick around for long, as a pre-chorus gets just unsettling enough to prepare the listener for their face getting ripped apart yet again in the chorus. A perfect song, melding old Dillinger technicality and speed with soft and gentle passages, as well as superior vocals by Mr. Puciato.
The opening of
Baby's First Coffin is the most intense on the album, with exception of
Panasonic Youth. This track is amazing, squawking guitars letting Greg scream bloody murder as well as give that menacing croon that's so familiar now. The listener is already spent by the time the chorus rolls around, and they're dead by the end of it. Ten-thousand things are going on at once, and it flips the room every which way, until it melds in the listener's mind as a wall of sound that cannot be surmounted. A weird little ambient effect freaks them out of their trance. Puciato's best singing is found on here, and it's impossible to believe that this is the same singer, since it's so different from every other vocal portion on the album. This track is so surprising and punishing beyond belief.
Then comes
Unretrofied, the most radio-friendly song the band has put out. It features almost no screaming, and is absent of the technicality of the rest of the Dillinger Escape Plan catalog. The music is almost laid-back in a sense, with verses featuring the weakest vocals on the album, although the chorus brings about fantastic redemption. The song is alright, but really, there's very little that is interesting here, except a heavy bridge at the end of the song. This song has playback-ability, but is ultimately dissatisfying.
The Perfect Design is nothing short of mayhem. After the previous track, it's a solid send-off for the album. The drums are so chaotic and unpredictable, and the guitarists weave through each other at a breakneck pace, Liam never far behind with his snaking lines. There's a neat little ambient passage, with a fantastic backbeat, guitars interrupting to bring about a little more pain before the album ends. A soft, guitar driven section arises, but Greg puts an end to that with a primeval shout above the rest of the band. The song drives and punches right along. It keeps getting slower, until a plodding dirge is all that can be assumed.
So, how does
Miss Machine weigh in? Well, it's nothing if not spectacular, with the music retaining its ridiculousness and extreme technicality, while not fearing to branch out into mellower areas. The addition of Greg Puciato has created an element of versatility that will, in the end, allow the band to explore other avenues and styles. There are a few dull moments, but overall the album redeems itself with the remainder. I'm extremely excited for the band's next move, but for now,
Miss Machine will do much, much more than suffice.
THE GOOD
Panasonic Youth, Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants
The musicality of the album is insane
Greg Puciato is the perfect vocalist for this band, with a very versatile voice
THE BAD
Van Damsel, We Are the Storm
Some of the songs get dull, boring, and just uninteresting in the face of all this chaos
The songs, and the album itself, are too short
THE RATING
4.5/5