The Dillinger Escape Plan Album: “Ire Works”

I haven't written a review in a long time, and the negative responses to Ire Works angered me enough to write a retort of my own. I can only put it this way - those who criticize this record for not being like Calculating Infinity, quite simply, are not artists. You may play music, but you are not an artist. I'm not necessarily saying I am a great musician, or an artist at all, but I think I understand the creative process well enough to "get" what Ben and company are doing here. This band, first of all, is not the same lineup as the one that created Calculating Infinity. And secondly, the one person left, Ben Weiman, is an absolute genius. He definitely has the capacity to create another Calculating Infinity. I'm sure he's got all sorts of great riffs, solos, and spazzy jazz guitar runs milling around in his head. No one writes music like him. And all he did on Calculating Infinity was put a bunch of riffs together, and have someone yell incoherently over it. I'm a fan of the record, the energy and technicality are quite frankly mindblowing - and many, many DEP fans were made on the basis of that record. I know I was. However it takes maturity to recognize it for what it really is, a band with tons of ideas quickly getting something creative out there. Miss Machine, and Ire Works by extension, have made DEP into something much more than a niche extreme metal act who specialize in one "trick." Metal can be so limiting, which is why 95% of extreme metal acts just make the same record over and over again for their entire careers. There are only so many different combinations of bass/guitar interlocking riffs and screaming vocals out there. Dillinger Escape Plan has made a complete work of art with Ire Works. They have established themselves, in my opinion, as the Radiohead of this kind of music. That doesn't mean they're the best extreme metal band out there (I think that is Mastodon) but I make the Radiohead comparison for a reason. Radiohead and DEP (on Ire Works) make music that reveals itself differently over hundreds and hundreds of listens. To achieve this kind of artistic pinnacle, you must be firing on all cylinders. There must be great lyrics, great riffs, great melodies, great instrumental performances on every song from every player, and there must be an unparalleled attention to detail. There must be that something extra. Both Radiohead and DEP (on Ire Works) hide little surprises in the mixes, electronic blips here and there, a tambourine mixed deep on a track, atmospherics, swirling guitars you never noticed, a buried haunting vocal scream you never heard until the 50th time, and on and on. And they're not superfluous, they are part of the song in an important, if not immediately accessible, way. The songs on Ire Works have revealved themselves to me gradually over the course of dozens of listens. I can speak only for myself (though I'm sure other reviewers will agree) but this is what makes an album an "experience." This is what makes captital A "ART" in my humble opinion. Ire Works, Radiohead's In Rainbows, Miles Davis' Kind of Blue - these examples are not just great musical recordings but statements that have transcended "popular music," at least for myself.

The criticism comes from lame scenesters and angry kids, or angry kids at heart, who cannot stomach "their" band achieving this kind of SUCCESS - it is simply beyond their comprehension. This same old song and dance is repeated every year, a band grows, and their old fans reject the new sound. But this situation, I feel, is slightly different. Dillinger Escape Plan still traffics, by and large, in the same kind of extreme, jarring, very difficult heavy metal-hardcore music. Your average pop fan or average hard rock fan would think much of this record - even Milk Lizard - is unlistenable. Pucciato's grating yells and abrasive vocal attitude, not to mention the screaching guitars and perverse time signatures would be enough to turn most mainstream music fans away from this record, even at its "poppiest" moments. Some of the most aggressive songs on this record would have been right at home on Calculating Infinity, except that they're even better. They ebb and flow even while the rhythms perplex - this is called great heavy metal songwriting. No one can pull it off like this band. The attention to detail in the recording and mixing process, again, reminds me of Radiohead. It's absolute headphone perfection. So again, if you don't at least appreciate the strides this band has made from the days of Calculating Infinity, then you do not understand what art is. It is a process, a metamorphasis, a gradual awakening. You might prefer other Dillinger records (though for my money this is far and away their best) but if you do not at least understand that Black Bubblegum is an incredible pop rock song, that When Acting as a Particle is a great slice of ambient music, and that Dead as History is spectacular progressive rock - whether or not you like these genres - then you are not a sophisticated listener. I hate to be judgmental, or proclaim my opinion as fact, but this is how I see it. Dillinger Escape Plan have launched themselves into waters where few bands have dared to tread. This record deserves to be seriously approached and respected as great art and not just as a good ole headbanging time (though it certainly can be both, and is!). There are thousands of groups of that provide thrash riffs and screaming. There are only a handful that demand and command so much from the listener. Don't have it from these lame scenesters, experience this transcednece - over and over again - for yourself, in your own way. Dillinger wouldn't have it any other way. Also, this album rocks amazingly hard.

If you were to take a look at my past reviews and judge what music I generally like based on them, you'd be incredibly surprised that I really enjoy Dillinger Escape Plan. Whether it's their undeniable ability to craft the most intricate music on the planet, or the fact that they tap into the most primal urge to throw restraint to the wind and rock out; Dillinger has had me since I first listened to their stuff several years ago. Miss Machine, was my introduction to the band. The album's more accessible moments ("Unretrofied" or "Phone Home") are originally what drew me in. Before I knew it, I was a full blown fan, picking up Calculating Infinity and scouring their numerous EPs for other great material. I am pleased to say Ire Works continues the bands tradition of making great music.

For those worried that the departure of drummer Chris Pennie would spell the end for the band's complex percussion, shame on you. You should know better. Despite this unfortunate event, the addition of Gil Sharone to the band changed absolutely nothing about the Dillinger's sound. Never is this more apparent than on "Fix Your Face" the album's strong, in-your-face opener. Greg's vocals are intimidating as ever, growling out "You were young and now you pay the price for her, price for her," with unparalleled force. "Lurch" seems to follow the same theme, lyrically, as the first song. Greg's ranting about a "little starlet" is haunting, and the guitars are all over the place as usual. It's amazing!

"Black Bubblegum" is the first "singing" song on the album, in the vein of "Unretrofied." It took a few listens before I started to like it. Greg enters a high falsetto several times throughout the course of the song, and hearing him sing "I had gotten frozen by the way you walked, by the love you gave, by the look on the face," is jarring simply because it seems completely uncharacteristic. The chorus completely washes away any doubt though, and should hopefully have the same effect on other skeptical listeners. The song is followed by "Sick on Sunday," a 2 minute song whose first 1:20 is mostly just filler. It doesn't really satisfy on any level.

"When Acting as a Particle" is just over a minute long, and while it could be labeled as filler as well, I've found it much more interesting and worthwhile. This instrumental song creeps up with chimes and violins before implementing the drums, all the while changing what is going on behind them. It's short, but interesting. "Nong Eye Gong" picks things back up again, if only for a brief moment. Despite it's brevity, I've found it to be one of my favorite tracks on the album. It's bookended by yet another instrumental, "When Acting as a Wave," which is also incredibly impressive. This time the band ditches the creepy vibe in favor of what feels like a jam session with a little production flare, including some electronic stutters. It all sounds great.

The album continues to impress from here. "82588" finds Greg reflecting on a fallen angel, crying "You were never a saint but now you're a sin, spoiled rotten from within. Who clipped your wings? Cut them yourself?" "Milk Lizard" brilliantly makes use of subtle brass instrumentation during the verses. The chorus leaves a lot to be desired, however, and at times I thought I was listening to Finger Eleven because the music was so easy and Greg's vocals sounded surprisingly similar to Scott Anderson's. Fortunately, "Party Smasher" does a fairly decent job of reminding me who I'm listening to again, sounding more like old-school Dillinger than any other song on the album.

"Dead as History" marks the first time that the band crosses the 5-minute mark, but the first 2 minutes serve only as a cool, but largely unnecessary introduction. Another accessible song, this one is breathtaking from start to finish. The production of the song is incredible, with little blips and beeps scattered throughout and an enchanting synth line following the second chorus. The song ends with Greg harmonizing with himself in a choir-like manner over a soft, complementing piano. It's the most different song Dillinger has ever made, and I love every minute of it. "Horse Hunter" is another fabulous song. Though more traditional, hearing Greg scream "Commerce is your god, cannibalistic flies, monarch of your womb, messiah of your thighs" at the top of his vocal register is just as amazing as anything in the song it follows.

Long-time fans may be turned off by the album's closer, "Mouth of Ghosts." You wouldn't think of Dillinger being able to pull of a Latin-jazz infused rock song, but that's exactly what they do here. The first 4 1/2 minutes lead you to believe that this song is the traditional comedown track, but it soon evolves into another brilliant example of how Dillinger can take one song and turn it into something completely different. He may begin the song singing, "Our trust runs out tonight," but by the end he's screaming "You were a mouth without a heart" with everything he has. It is a fantastic song and the end to a very strange journey of an album.

By the time your CD resets and you're hearing "Fix Your Face" again, you'll be utterly amazed that you're listening to the same band. I was! Long-time fans of Dillinger Escape Plan, and fans of grind and hardcore music in general may be turned off by the lighter moments of Ire Works, but hopefully the moments where the band turns everything up to 11 and rocks out will make up for that. Personally, I love almost every second of this album and I'm thrilled to add it to my collection of Dillinger records. I highly recommend it to fans and non-fans alike. Prepare to be blown away!

Key Tracks:

1. "Fix Your Face"

2. "Nong Eye Gong"

3. "Party Smasher"

4. "Dead as History"

5. "Horse Hunter"

7 out of 10 Stars

The Dillinger Escape Plan's problems leading up to the release of Ire Works was a complex one. It was simple that their problem was choice. On one hand, The Dillinger Escape Plan has been one of the most respected metal bands in recent history. Their first full-length album, Calculating Infinity, was seen by many as the prime example of how jazzy technical metal should be done. One cannot buy a guitar or drum magazine without seeing an article about DEP. On the other hand, the band has been excused of everything from rehash (Irony is a Dead Scene) to selling out (the vastly underrated Miss Machine). It seemed that The Dillinger Escape Plan could do no right after an album that was so perfect. To mention that the competition has only gotten stiffer and the band only has one remaining original member would be too ruthless. Considering all of this, Ire Works is another warped turn into metallic mayhem.

To ease the diehards' suspicions, The Dillinger Escape Plan can still bring a huge slab of technical metal. "Fix Your Face" and "Lurch", the album's openers, quickly dismiss any doubters that this band isn't about to write "Enter Sadman". One of the greatest elements of Ire Works is how the band really makes an album more than an album. This isn't just 13 songs put onto a disc. Much like Dredg's El Cielo, the band tries to make the listener take a journey outside of their dorm room. One of the more interesting blends is "Nong Eye Gong" with "When Acting as a Wave". While at first, the song just starts in grand DEP fashion, "When Acting..." goes into an instrumental jam that should only be heard with headphones to fully appreciate. A lot of the heavier songs would not be out of place on Calculating or Miss Machine. Because as much as the band ventures out, they are always aware of why people listen to DEP in the first place.

However, venturing with new sounds has never been a weakness for the Dillinger Escape Plan. "Black Bubblegum" is one of the catchiest songs that the band has ever written. It is interesting to note that the bands more experimental numbers have a Patton/Bungle sound to them. At other times, the band really hones in on electronic ambience to keep the album flowing a good pace. Other numbers like "Milk Lizard" are a little Everytime I Die worship (probably due to the fact that two bands toured together), but it doesn't happen frequently enough to sway you from enjoying the album. By far the album's more experimental track is "Dead As History", which the band does something they have never done before. They rely on groove. Yes, the band that has numbers like "43% Burnt" and "Panasonic Youth" actually relies on a guitar groove to carry them through. The listener can be the judge as to whether or not they think it works.

For the most part, The Dillinger Escape Plan has continued to be more deadly and more experimental all in the same breath. What makes the album work so well is the fact that the heavier tracks mesh really well with some of the more experimental tracks. With bands like Between the Buried and Me and Converge only getting better with each release, The Dillinger Escape Plan had to do something other than Calculating Rehash.

I am no good at writing reviews. I'll start with that. Anyway I had no idea what this album would be like. Never listened to DEP before and just kinda picked it up on a whim based on the fact that they are "mathcore" on wikipedia. I got something so much better. This to me is amazing Technical/Experimental Rock/hardcore/metal (whatever). I love the album starts off quickly with Fix Your Face and Lurch then slows down into Black Bubblegum and Sick on Sunday (old school fans apparently hate that? heh, too bad). The pacing is pretty much amazing like that all the way through...hardcore into awesome industrial-esque? into another hardcore song.

On first listen I was like "wtf everything is so short with these weird parts in between the songs". Second listen "this is sweet". Third listen, no thoughts, just rockin out.

I can't speak to old school DEP fans...I can't speak to fans of whatever genre this is supposed to be in. But if you are like me that you like hard stuff and like it when an album changes pace on you and keeps you on your toes while still delivering some amazing technical guitar work and awesome screams (yes with, god forbid, SINGING mixed in as well), then I would most definitely check this out. I can foresee this being in my car's cd changer for quite a while.

While it still wouldn't be quite accurate to describe the Dillinger Escape Plan's work with such labels as "song-oriented" or "mature," there's no denying that Ire Works represents the continuation of a significant progression for the band once known largely as some of the craziest noise merchants in all of extreme music. Their legendary debut Calculating Infinity became an instant classic with its combination of stunning instrumental skill and relentless pounding aggression, but starting with the one-off Mike Patton-fronted EP Irony is a Dead Scene and continuing with 2004's Miss Machine and now this latest full-length, DEP have dealt out their aural punishment in less consistent and more meaured doses while adding increasing levels of accessibility and diversity to their sound. That the band has been able to expand and modify their sound without sacrificing the intensity at its core--through consistent lineup changes, no less--is a testament to their nearly unparalleled musicianship and creativity. And those fans who have remained with the band from the beginning have been rewarded here with DEP's most complete and best album yet.

Of course, despite all the changes to be found on Ire Works, the band's older fans should still find plenty to like. About half of the songs here are signature DEP punches to the face, complete with the manic guitar runs, pummeling irregular rhythms, and imperious howls that fans have come to expect. Even on the more traditional tech-metal tracks, though, the band never succumbs to predictability--witness Horse Hunter, where the heaviness fades out and then comes roaring back without warning every time you're about to get comfortable. However, it's on the other, less traditionally psychotic tracks that DEP really branch out and give their listeners some new sounds to absorb. Black Bubblegum sees Greg Puciato's normally confrontational vocals alternating mainly between acerbic sneering and falsetto crooning, with a catchy melodic refrain that would've been unthinkable during the Calculating Infinity era. Milk Lizard is one of the most straightforward tunes the band has done this far, but any concerns about its relative accessibility are more than offset by how outrageously awesome it is, from its insanely infectious main riff to its big sweeping chorus to the free-jazzy piano bits that pop up about midway through. The oddball instrumental When Acting as a Wave and the cavernous, menacing epic Dead as History even introduce some electronic elements that combine with DEP's customary scathing guitars to create an industrial-tinged sound that portends an interesting new direction for the band. It's not quite Skinny Puppy or Ministry, but it's a start.

By the time the album closes with the atmospheric, six-plus-minute epic Mouth of Ghosts, it's clear that DEP are positioning themselves as more than just your average angry tech-metal band. Overall, Ire Works is yet another classic effort from a band that's managed to transcend its hyper-aggressive roots without abandoning them. Five stars, easy.