Over the last couple of years The Dillinger Escape Plan have built themselves a large underground following with their varied and eclectic releases. Now the band find themselves on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough thanks to a barrage of positive press coverage. For their latest release, the four track EP ‘Irony is a Dead Scene’, the band have teamed up with Mike Patton, former Faith No More front man and possessor of one of the finest voices in modern metal.
The Dillinger Escape Plan have always been a band who can’t be pigeon holed. They manage to combine a wide range of complex musical styles to create great sounding songs. On this release the typical Dillinger sound is melded together with Patton’s influence to once again produce a work that is unique. The intensity of hardcore is combined with the precision of metal and wrapped around Patton’s distinctive vocal stylings.
The first track, ‘Hollywood Squares’ is a beast of a song that opens with speedy musicianship and distorted vocals. Patton’s distorted ramblings and the electronic enhancements give the song an eerie, creepy feel that is only dispelled by the super fast chorus. ‘Pig Latin’ gives Patton a chance to stretch his lungs with an intro that sees him crooning Fantomas style. What is most remarkable about the track is the way in which Patton is able to keep up with the sheer pace of the rest of the band. ‘When Good Dogs Do Bad Things’ is probably the weakest track of the four, mainly because, at six minutes long, it outstays its welcome. The Dillinger Escape Plan excel at tempo changes but there are too many in this track. The quality is picked up again in the final track, a remarkable cover of Aphex Twin’s ‘Come to Daddy’, which sees all sections of the group functioning to perfection.
‘Irony is a Dead Scene’ is a great little EP and will appeal to fans of both the Dillinger Escape Plan and Mike Patton. Patton’s vocals enhance the superb musicianship of the band and, whilst this won’t appeal to everyone, I think the band may pick up more new fans from this productive collaboration.
Mark