Review Summary: Mathcore, she wrote.
The Dillinger Escape Plan is infamous in the hardcore scene; there's not a soul that will disagree with that. Being the band that released the genre shattering, bone clattering album Calculating Infinity, they've definitely earned their reputation. I remember that they used to be my favorite band and that I would brag about them to my classmates and they'd be like "Dude, they're just playing random notes" and I'd be the one that would say "NO THEY'RE NOT YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS JUST DON'T KNOW MUSIC GAAAAD". Dillinger have made their career playing music with "chaos theory"-like complexities and roaring vocals with characteristically misanthropic lyrics. In this complexity, I soon realized that it simply wasn't as complex as I thought. Structures soon revealed themselves with haunting similarities to other songs on the album and my stance on the band changed from there. I do still listen to this particular LP from time to time maybe for a dose of nostalgia but, it’s certainly run its course in my heart. I would liken this album to Vyvanse or Adderall, referencing its general effect on the listener. Why ADHD meds you ask? The first few times you hear the album it has this almost euphoria about it; it’s the best thing you’ve heard and you want more but, after a month or so, you begin getting used to it. Those points in my opinion are the only real cons about this album. This album is all-pro from here on out guys.
The beginning of the album, “Panasonic Youth” will leave you with your eyes open and your pupils dilated to the point where the irises are black. Your jaw will also be left agape. I was amazed and enthralled at how heroically this band of human beings (apparently) ripped and shredded through the absolutely absurd arrangement of musical notes and scales. The second track, “Sunshine the Werewolf” seems like much of the same as we hear the band exploding through each knot of rhythmic endeavor like a gazelle gracefully waltzing across an African plain on a day of 105 degree heat. All nauseating similes aside though, it’s pretty elegant. Speaking of elegance, I haven’t even gotten to the “plot twist” yet. The song gets soft. Yeah, you didn’t think “hardcore band” necessarily meant “dynamics” did you? When I say soft, I don’t mean sappy, it’s actually quite ominous to say the least, from ominous to epic they go as soon as Mr. Puciato belts out “DEEEEESTROYYEEERRRRRR”, diving into the emotively explosive outro.
From there we head on in to more familiar territory as drummer Chris Pennie beats the drum set to a pulp during the intro of “Highway Robbery”, paving the way for more hardcore heroics. However though, Dillinger ain’t conventional and the middle section proves this. They go in to a semi sensual groove section with soaring group vocals, inviting the listener to turn up their speakers a little and listen for the smaller details. The smaller dynamics are the better part of the song giving the listener a well-deserved rest from the bedlam. At this point, I visualize guitarist Ben Weinman winking at a camera and then proceeding to laugh hysterically as the listener is blindsided by the adrenaline spike of “Van Damsel”. Damn, this song makes me jumpy and will definitely catch listeners off guard with its surprise factor (Greg Puciato literally yells “SURPRISE!”). Polyrhythms and dissonance galore envelop the listener in a tense mind state as the ear canals are violated and left to die, satisfied.
Another point to be made about this album is the flow of it. Flow between tempos and emotions are smooth. This LP has a rollercoaster like quality to it (“Crutch Field Tongs” kind of sounds like one ascending the first hill) pulling your senses through its bipolar structures and melodies. Transitions like the one from the high speed car crash of “Van Damsel” into the dark crawl of “Phone Home” are essential to the albums quality. Also, the album has some cool motifs contained within its track list. Moments like the clam section of “Sunshine the Werewolf” and the lounge break of “Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants” really give the album a nice flavor. Dillinger demonstrate that musicality isn’t always finger dexterity on the guitar or rudimental kit shredding.
Continuing on, the strongest track in the “mathcore” fiesta of “Miss Machine” isn’t really a “mathcore” song but more so, a ballad. “Unretrofied” proves to be the high point of this album and it expresses itself very well. The band calms down and proves they can write a “normal” song (“normal” is a stretch; “Unretrofied” would be a dark blotch of experimentation for any other band) and it’s executed perfectly. The song is damn beautiful; synths and the occasional electric piano along with some impressive scale knowledge demonstrated by the bassist and both guitarists allow the previously abused listener a bittersweet moment to soar through the melodies, only to be thrown back in to the sonic death pit of “The Perfect Design”. “The Perfect Design” comes about almost two times as brutally as “Van Damsel” did, given the fact that the song before it was a ballad. Impressive guitar licks and linear finesse from the likes of Chris Pennie bring this album to a close.
In conclusion, The Dillinger Escape plan do what they usually do and very well. This album is one of the stronger ones in their discography but still doesn’t compare to the likes of Calculating Infinity. Strong points of the disc include instrumentation, execution, lyrical content, and musicality. The album has a slightly annoying tendency to grow redundant but other than that it's top-notch. A nice, proper album for a band that does everything brutally improper, and they shine because of it.
