The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine (2004)
Five years later, the band have resurfaced with their long (and do I mean long) awaited new album, Miss Machine, and not only does the Dillinger Escape Plan prove that Calculating Infinity was no fluke, but more importantly, they add that much-needed, intangible quality that connects the listener to the music more easily, and in the process, brashly reaffirm their status as the foremost creators of heavy music in America today. When a band like the Dillinger Escape Plan is able to duplicate the intensity of the previous album, yet at the same time create music that actually possesses (gasp!) commercial appeal, daring to cause an uproar among dyed-in-the-wool hardcore fans, you know they're on to something memorable.
PUX PIX
just a short way of saying I highly recommend this
just a short way of saying I highly recommend this
delicious album
That was a good album.
great album. i remember all the pretentious friends i had saying how the DEP sold out, but really i feel like it was a natural step forward for them.
I already own this album, but I want to take a moment to say how great it is (one of my favorites).
First off, the very thing everyone notices immediately: the vocals. They are outstanding. Greg Puciato was made for this type of music; he has a vast range, much more so the previous singer, who was great. Here's they key: pronunciation and articulation. He always handles word and their phonetics effortlessly (even when deliberately abstract).
Listen to "Baby's first coffin"(great title), he goes from a cooing "you're being a liar", to a screaming "the emperor is dead", to reciting seemingly a million words; but they all have great rhythm and contrast nicely. It isn't just blurts of semi-intelligible words slurring together. But when he wants to, he can do so with the absolutely devastating "destroyer" section of "sunshine the werewolf". Utterly exhausting and thrilling. He is head and shoulders above other singers today.
He wouldn't so effective without a great wall of sound behind him. And it is a wall, beautifully thought out and sculpted by Ben Weinman and Chris Pennie. There are a million great riffs and beats on this LP; the beginning of "The perfect design" is a brilliant use of guitars and drums trade off.
The crescendo in the middle of "Panasonic youth", the burst at the start of "We are the storm", the smooth tone of "Setting fire to sleeping giants". All great. This is an album where good instrument section follows good instrument section, always a new part popping up. Definitely rewards multiple listens.
It's not the hardest album ever, but the (relatively) restrained songs like "phone home" and "unretrofied” add a nice level of breathing room, allowing us to soak in the dizzying heights of the previous songs. This is important (to me at least), without deviation total action becomes as boring as the lack of it. This was done on Calculating Infinity with dissonance and instrumentals, but here they are songs. Bravo.
Anyway, I go on. Point is, this record is phenomenal, and an excellent LP to anyone ‘s library. Unusually brief (less than 40 minutes) in this cd age, allowing many re-listens and never becomes taxing. Get this.