July 20, 2004 - Miss Machine

A week after my last release and a very long five years since their debut "Calculating Infinity", The Dillinger Escape Plan finally released their second album "Miss Machine" on July 20, 2004. On their debut lead guitarist Ben Weinman also played the bass, but Dillinger expand to a five-piece on this album with Liam Wilson joining as their new bassist. There's also a big change as lead singer Dimitri Minakakis is no longer with the band and he is replaced by Greg Puciato. This album is much more varied in style and more experimental than their straight mathcore first album and with Puciato in the fold there is also singing now mixed in with the screaming we've come to expect. This is a lot of change for Dillinger that results in an album that almost sounds like a completely different band! Let's check it out!

The album kicks off with "Panasonic Youth" and we hear Puciato right away as he screams sharply overtop some typically erratic and offbeat guitar by Weinman. Puciato has a clearer scream than Minakakis and at one point he also shows us that he can sing in a low voice as well that adds a different approach to things. All the music is as heavy and hard-to-follow as always and towards the end Weinman delivers a short but really sweet solo. This was a pretty good way to introduce the world to the new Dillinger! Up next is "Sunshine The Werewolf" and Puciato is nicely screaming right from the drop as Weinman leads another slightly offbeat and interesting main riff. There's a ton of great guitar in the first minute and a half or so, then things shift suddenly into a way slower riff that is pretty space-y with some solid drums by Chris Pennie. Puciato eventually starts to scream overtop this space-y new riff and he shows he can hit the high notes as well with a few awesome high screams! They end it as it began with more fast, edge-of-your-seat stuff and they did a really awesome job on all aspects of this one. An early favourite! Track 3 is "Highway Robbery" and after a typically furious opening Wilson's bass shines through as they start the verse and Puciato sings in a slightly pop-y, much more accessible voice than anything he's done so far, and he sounds pretty solid in this mood as well, showing he has some real flexibility! He mixes in some screaming when the guitar picks up, but they do a great job with the back-and-forth in this verse. Puciato combines singing and screaming in the chorus as well and it's got some more typical(ly crazy) guitars. After the next round they turn things super, super quiet with just a light guitar riff, followed by a cool drum beat by Pennie and some catchy oohing by Puciato in this atypical but interesting part. Then things snap back to "normal" with a final verse. A well done and pretty cool tune! The next track is "Van Damsel" and Weinman is going insanely right from the get-go with a main riff that is super fast, but also very offbeat, starting and stopping at the most unpredictable moments that just make your head spin trying to follow it. Along with Puciato screaming in your face, things sound pretty awesome to me, I love the chaos! It's madness for a little over two minutes, then there's a long ending with some distorted guitar that leads right into track 5, "Phone Home". Pennie starts a light drum beat behind the still droning guitar and it takes almost a minute until the first verse finally starts. Weinman plays some cool lead guitar overtop this trippy distorted background and Puciato sings in his low voice and it's a pretty solid verse. Things slam heavy in the chorus with some loud, headbanging guitars and some great screams mixed with singing by Puciato. This is definitely Puciato's showcase on the album and he absolutely delivers with one hell of a performance that words could never do justice to. And the music is all really good too! This is definitely not the mathcore we may be used to, but it's expertly done and really fucking awesome! Up next is "We Are The Storm" and they drive right into another pretty sweet main riff with Weinman alternating some low and high guitar parts nicely and Puciato sounding great screaming overtop. Words do not do nearly enough justice for describing such chaotic and erratic music and this song is a perfect example that I couldn't possibly describe all the tempo changes and crazy guitar work that goes on in this band. They slow things down after a few frantic rounds with Wilson leading the way with some solid bass and Puciato sings softly to nicely match the new mood. The song seems like it's ending around the 3:30 mark, then they snap back to insanity for a final awesome minute! Track 7 is called "Crutch Field Tongs" and it's a very strange interlude that is less than a minute long. The whole song is mechanical noises and the sounds of machines, which fits with the name of the album I guess, but it's not really a true song. The next track is "Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants" and it begins with a cool but quieter than normal guitar riff and Puciato singing in a solid but quieter voice as well to start. Eventually the volume, and the intensity, pick up as they nicely move into a louder, heavier riff for the chorus and Puciato switches on a dime from singing into holding some really long screams and he (and everything) sound pretty awesome! This song does a great job of combining Dillinger'a heavy side, their new softer side, as well as some creepy vibes as well into one pretty sweet tune. Track 9 is "Baby's First Coffin" and Weinman's guitar is just all over the place right from the drop! I love how intensely and fast he is playing, but everything is so offbeat and unpredictable you never where the next note is coming from; it's chaotic madness and I love it! The very intense nature of this song would give some people a headache I'm sure, but I absolutely love how paralyzing it can make you feel and Words just couldn't possibly describe it accurately, you just gotta listen! A few different times they break suddenly into a slower and more psychedelic riff that sounds space-y snd cool, but always they return to the heavy chaos that is definitely the highlight for me. Puciato's singing in these parts is pretty epic, but his screaming is so intense and all over the spectrum, of course I love the heavy parts! Up next is "Unretrofied" and it's easily the slowest and most melodic song on the album as well as being the longest at over five and a half minutes. Wilson's bass stands out, keeping the pace of this slightly groovy main riff and it rolls right into a similar chorus with Puciato singing and holding some epic long notes. This is definitely not their usual style and easily the biggest experimental take on the album, and while it's nowhere near as good their typical mathcore style it's pretty well done and still a solid tune. They wrap things up with "The Perfect Design" and it's organized chaos right from the get-go with Weinman playing some crazy fast shredding guitar, the rhythm section playing a furious stop-and-start riff to drive things and Puciato just belting out his screams with all of his breath! Not only are each of these parts awesome, the way they are able to combine all this into a cohesively erratic riff is just incredible! Words couldn't possibly do justice to all the great music packed into this final 3:50. There's so much great music, so much insane, eye-popping guitar, and so many amazingly long and epic screams! What an amazing way to end the album!

That is the end of "Miss Machine" and I thought it was a fantastic album by The Dillinger Escape Plan! Both new members seem like great additions, especially Greg Puciato, who is a phenomenal singer! Their debut album was pretty good but Dillinger have masterfully evolved into a more complete metal band, while still retaining their awesome mathcore beginnings. I think this new album is easily their best yet! Hopefully it's not another five years before their next album!