By Madeline Kerins
It seems as if they never left. Dillinger Escape Plan returned to the radar this July with their third full-length release, Miss Machine, their first album since 1999’s Calculating Infinity. Between then and now, Dillinger Escape Plan collaborated with Mike Patton on a 2002 EP entitled Irony is a Dead Scene. Patton, who has been a part of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas and Tomahawk, seems to have had an influence on Miss Machine. Besides recording with Mike Patton, Dillinger Escape Plan has also replaced former vocalist Dimitri Minakakis with new lead-man Greg Puciato. Puciato is what Dillinger Escape Plan needed to make this album stand out, and proudly so, from the rest of their discography.
Critics who have pegged Dillinger Escape Plan as being redundant have finally met their answer. Miss Machine picks up where Calculating Infinity left off. While many of the tracks on Calculating Infinity were strikingly different, mesmerizing pieces of musical mayhem, there was a quality about it that left something to be desired. The disc did become repetitive extremely quickly, though, which discouraged some. However, thanks to the uniquely varied vocal stylings of Puciato, the 11 tracks on Miss Machine make it nearly impossible for one to tire of this disc that easily.
It is not to say that Dillinger Escape Plan has far strayed from their origins. Songs like “Baby’s First Coffin,” “Van Damsel,” “The Perfect Design” sound similar to Calculating Infinity, but manage to remain fresh, while “Panasonic Youth” is reminiscent of their stint with Patton. But it is on tracks like “Highway Robbery” and “Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants” that it begins to be apparent that this is not studio sessions from Calculating Infinity. Instead, listeners are treated to those, as well as two other strikingly standout tracks on the album, “Phone Home” and “Unretrofied,” where Puciato’s voice has a Trent Reznor quality to it that is not seen elsewhere on the album.
The CD comes packed with a DVD bonus disc that is well worth the extra two dollars! The DVD features performances from the band’s latest tours in Asia, Europe and the United States, as well as behind the scenes studio footage from the recording of Miss Machine, and of course, a live performance of “43% Burnt” from their infamous stage-burning performance at 2002’s Hellfest. With that said, what are you waiting for?! Go and buy this-now!
