Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

Mathcore is a horribly horribly geeky name for a genre but for The Dillinger Escape Plan it seems to fit perfectly, and that is coming from someone who wholly detests the way a "new" genre seems to appear every month. This album is a cold and calculating beast that clocks in at a strangely satisfying, yet short by modern standards, 39 minutes.

There are a few things about this album which mark it out as different from their 2004 album Miss Machine, but then that was different from 1999's Calculating Infinity. To start off with it is the band's first release without original drummer Chris Pennie, now full time with Coheed And Cambria. Pennie's shoes have been perfectly filled by Gil Sharone from Stolen Babies, who's drumming really is superb throughout. Guitarist Brian Benoit is also missing from this recording, due to suffering nerve damage. At the end of the day neither of those facts seem to make much difference to Ire Works, the major difference is the overall sound. It is the sound of a band who are on a very interesting evolutionary curve that would, no doubt, still have happened if Pennie and Benoit had been involved with recording. The first 2 tracks pick up perfectly from where Miss Machine left off but it is on the third track, Black Bubblegum, where the album starts to shift gear and insists on nothing less than your full attention. Out goes the screaming and Greg Puciato starts to slip between spitting the words into the mic and falsetto before the chorus piles into your ears with an annoying catchiness that will make some people wonder if their cd has mysteriously been switched between songs. This album has a more satisfying mix of styles and sounds than its predecessors but manages to have so many good hooks and great moments that it doesn't sound as if any particular aspect has been intentionally increased or decreased. If you liked tracks like Unretrofied, Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants and Crutch Field Tongs off the last album then you'll hear more stuff along those lines but with a more focused sound than before and even better production, and as usual all instruments are played to a level of precision that is almost surgical.

This time round the band seem more willing to let the programmed beats, bleeps and occasional pianos, lead tracks, like the wonderfully atmospheric and broody Dead As History or the 7 minute album closer, Mouth Of Ghosts. Sick On Sunday is an annoyingly short but superb track that contains such contrasting musical styles that it could so easily have sounded like a brave experiment, it veers from Autechre/Venetian Snares styled breaks and bleeps to melodic vocals and stabbing guitars in a split second. The only thing it leaves you wanting is for it to have been longer, but I guess that is the theme of this whole album. You could probably play it to a room full of people who can't normally stand heavier or experimental styles of music and each one would find things about it which would make them want to hear it again. The tracks seem to fit together perfectly, to just listen to a select few would cheapen the album, the tracks you listened to and the whole listening experience. From the jerky and aggressive opening track, Fix Your Face, to the piano led Jazz tinged finale, Mouth Of Ghosts, this album insists you listen to it and rewards you in equal measures.

It is no secret that Mike Patton's influence can be found on many of their releases, especially since he took the band on tour with Mr Bungle and has appeared on record as well as on stage with them. Patton fans could actually find themselves comparing certain tracks to the early Mr Bungle demos (Nong Eye Gong), Faith No More (Black Bubblegum, Mouth Of Ghosts), Tomahawk (Sick On Sunday) and Fantômas (Acting As A Particle). But to say that Patton's influence is obvious and undeniable would be cheating this album of just how great it truly is, it defies proper description without involving an essay and is continually surprising the listener with unexpected sounds and depth. Where Mike Patton makes conscious efforts to keep different styles of music limited to different projects DEP threw them all into the mix and created an album that will ensure continued interest in them for quite some time to come. Dillinger Escape Plan aren't everyone's cup of tea, they're not everyone's cup of coffee either, but this album is a tray full of double espressos with Tequila chasers.

The Dillinger Escape Plan tour the UK in February 2008, support comes from Between The Buried & Me and Stolen Babies.

February 12 Sheffield, U.K. Corporation
February 13 Newcastle, U.K. Academy 2
February 14 Manchester, U.K. Academy 3
February 15 Glasgow, Scotland Cathouse
February 16 Dublin, Ireland Whelans
February 17 Belfast, N. Ireland Spring & Airbrake
February 19 Leeds, U.K Cockpit
February 20 Birmingham, U.K Academy 2
February 21 Yeovil, U.K Orange Box
February 22 Bristol, U.K Academy
February 23 London, U.K Astoria 2
February 24 Brighton, U.K Concorde 2