Review Summary: One last breath.
Whenever a band announces their last album the term swansong gets thrown around carefree. The term is defined simply as a person or band’s final performance before breaking up. If an artist makes a halfway decent final album it will be referred to as a swansong. However I think the term should carry a bit more weight, in that the band should be going out absolutely on top with nothing more to give.
Dissociation I believe is a true swansong in that sense that The Dillinger Escape Plan has given every last ounce of energy and effort in attempting to make a true farewell album. In listening to
Dissociation you can tell the band has pushed the limits of their sound to the absolute maximum it could be pushed.
Dissociation is a unique album, in the sense that you can hear influences from all of their albums smashed into one cohesive package. “Honeysuckle” really brings back memories of the
Calculating Infinity days with the immediate spastic melody reminiscent of “43% Burnt”. A healthy dose of the electronics and experimental influence from
Ire Works are scattered throughout the album. The biggest influence on this album however, is their more melodic and chorus driven style from
Option Paralysis. Vocalist Greg Puciato has made massive improvements to his Mike Patton influenced crooning, specifically in reaching his high falsetto. His screams as well sound more visceral and raw compared to previous works; it is Puciato’s best vocal performance. The songwriting on
Dissociation has never been tighter, the same old spastic Dillinger is there as well as a strong jazz influence on songs like “Low Feels Blvd”. The album has a bit of a flair for the dramatic as well especially on the title track which is the final Dillinger song. “Dissociation” is a unique song in the Dillinger discography in that they really bring out all the stops in one song, combining electronics and an orchestra to create something truly special and one worthy for their last bow. There is one full blown electronic song in “Fugue” which is one of the more intriguing songs they’ve ever done with the pounding beat of synthesized drums and IDM flourishes. The beauty of
Dissociation is that it blends together all the styles Dillinger have ever tried, makes it cohesive and truly reads like a wonderful love letter to the fans.
The Dillinger Escape Plan is a very personal and important band for me. Since I have been listening to them since high school, seeing their sound truly evolving and changing from album to album has been a great pleasure to see. It is extremely refreshing to see a band not afraid to take chances and not to write the same album over and over again. Dillinger aren’t afraid of the critics or losing fans more interested in their older material. With
Dissociation, The Dillinger Escape have given every last drop of creative energy and effort. When you hear the term “blood, sweat and tears” this is an album that comes to mind. To wrap up with another common phrase, The Dillinger Escape Plan have not only gone out with a bang, they’ve gone out with a nuclear explosion.
