Review of The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity

In the world of metal there are many sub-genres that everyone likes to label bands with. The newest one that I seem to have found is something called "Math Metal". Supposedly "Math Metal" describes a band that uses outlandish counting methods in their music. I guess the band I am dissecting, The Dillinger Escape Plan, falls into this category. The only other band that I've heard of referred to in this way is Coalesce. Now I tend to be a guy that just calls his metal, metal; his black metal, black metal; and his death metal, death metal. If I were to describe the sound of The Dillinger Escape Plan the closest thing I could really come to would be metal-core I guess. The band holds moments of pure insanity, and then moments of clarity and calmness, only to go straight back to all-out insanity. This is a band you really have to hear to understand what I'm talking about. I guarantee anyone that picks this album up and hears them for the first time will think exactly this: "I spent $15 on this piece of garbage!" It almost has the same effect as when most people hear "IX Equilibrium" by Emperor for the first time. It just sounds like a wall of noise and racquet, but there is intelligent musicianship behind that wall of noise. Just give this band a chance. Some of you may never come around to enjoy, in my opinion, one of the most intuitive metal albums I've heard in a long while and some will come to discover the calm in the storm. The song structures are so complex; you'll pick out something new with every listen. The musicianship on this album is phenomenal. These musicians were all obviously schooled in jazz and it really shows through their music. Ben Weinman and Brian Benoit are amazing guitarists. These guys don't blast out technical-up-the-ass guitar solos, but they throw crunching off-timed riffs at you non-stop. There are moments when their riffs just break and you get a great easy flowing jazz solo only to have it go straight back to in-your-face metal. I can honestly say I've never heard anything like this before. The production on the guitars is great in some parts, especially in the clean stuff, but then when they go back to the distortion, some of it seems kind of muddy and lost. But that's about my only complaint production wise. Then there's their crushing drummer, Chris Pennie. People say Tool's drummer can carry some great off-timed beats; well he looks like a pile of shit when compared to Chris. This guy really knows what he's doing behind the kit. He just seems to be all over the place when he plays. Of course that brings us to the vokills. Dimitri Minakakis sounds like he was lit on fire before he was allowed to enter the studio to sing. This guy is just screaming at the top of his lungs throughout almost all the album. I swear there are times in this CD where I question the sanity of that man. He's about as off the wall as the rest of the band when it comes to the timing of his singing. The lyrics in this CD are just plain weird at times. Maybe I'm just not getting something, but they appear to be written by someone who's schizophrenic. For example, take a look at the opening lines of the song "43% Burnt": "I smell that whore. Bring me back. Bring me a brick. Take my bottle and break it." Maybe I'm missing something here, but that just doesn't make any sense what so ever to me. Another odd line I came across was from the song "Jim Fear": "Alfresco slapsticked foam mouth sunshine." What the hell does that mean?! Either way, lyrics don't really make or break an album too much for me, and it's something I can look over. In the end when I look at this album, to me this is something I've had spinning in my disc player for a while and will have for a long time. Moments like the horrific chanting of "Sundripped devil scratched out my eyes" at the end of the song "Destro's Secret" will keep me coming back for more every time. This album is not for everyone, but if you have an open mind definitely pick this one up.

Release Details

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Calculating Infinity

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