Artist: Dillinger Escape Plan
Label: Epitaph
Release Date: 8/27/02
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Title: Irony is a Dead Scene(EP) Artist: Dillinger Escape Plan Label: Epitaph Release Date: 8/27/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
I question the point of releasing this measly four-song EP. It's too short to be anything but frustrating, so I assume it's just being put out to reduce the ego of whomever is to take over lead throat of this band. Because this collaboration is just as you'd expect it to be. When we all first heard of these guys being paired together, everyone knew how awesome it would be. The two just fit perfectly.
"This EP is just what I thought it would be. Awesome." So this EP is just what I thought it would be. Awesome. The jazz, grind, metalcore of DEP fits just perfectly with Mr. Patton's tripped out rants and wails. He sings and screams and succeeds in making an already eccentric and accomplished band ever more so. Anyone who is aware of Mike Patton's career outside of Faith No More is well aware of the lengths toward extremes he is willing to go. And while all of his material is genius, not all of it is all that listenable. Due to this fact, this record can be counted as one of his more accessible works, resembling some of the grind inspired parts of Mr. Bungle's Disco Volante both vocally and musically.
Both "Hollywood Squares" and "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things" bring out the best in the vocalist, and the boys in DEP complement him perfectly. The success of this record just makes the fact that they didn't collaborate further all the more frustrating. The songwriting is very interesting, slowing down the groove felt on Calculating Infinity, but at the same time continuing to be very eclectic, despite the catchiness of some of the hooks.
"I guess this gets a five out of five because what is on here is extraordinary." So, I guess this gets a five out of five because what is on here is extraordinary. It is damn sparse, so I don't think I can really recommend that everyone run out and buy it, but definitely get your hands on it somehow. Both fans of Mike and DEP should be equally satisfied with the finished product.
Death's Review:
Are you "Cuckoo for Caca?" Mike Patton is. Faith No More was a breath of fresh air in the hard rock metal world when everybody got into their third release (and first featuring Patton on vocals) The Real Thing back in 1988. Sure, we all eventually got tired of the overplayed hit single "Epic," but when they followed it up with the awesome Angel Dust in 1992 (an album described by allmusicguide.com as "one of the more complex and simply confounding records ever released by a major label"), they had the support of the underground and the more adventurous metalheads once again.
"Are you "Cuckoo for Caca?" Mike Patton is." Then they fired guitarist Jim Martin and released the interesting yet sometimes a touch off the mark album King for a Day . . . Fool for a Lifetime. At this point, I recall discussing the current status of Faith No More with fellow metalhead Famine, who summed it all up like this: "Mike Patton? He's Cuckoo for Caca." The phrase has stuck with me, forever the perfect encapsulation of Patton's eccentric genius.
It is now 2002, and he's still as Cuckoo as ever. It has been great to see Patton take chances with Mr. Bungle, Fantomas (including Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo) and other projects, and to witness his passing associations with the heavy metal underground. In fact, if memory serves, I was at a Dillinger gig at CBGB's a few years ago where Patton joined the band onstage for a Slayer cover. If only he'd join the band as their permanent vocalist!
While that doesn't appear to be happening any time soon, Patton has actually teamed up with DEP for a four song EP entitled Irony is a Dead Scene. And while I'm generally against giving out more skulls than a release has tracks, this is a five skull effort all of the way. Before I heard the record, I read folks on the Internet dismissing this effort by saying "anybody can just scream like that - it could be anyone on that record." That criticism is absolutely untrue. The clean vocals on "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things" are classic Patton, and even the most "out-there" and chaotic moments on the EP exude Patton's rhythmic percussiveness and penchant for strange sounds and other articulations at every turn. In fact, this is a perfect pairing, Patton and DEP, as he literally "locks in" vocally with the band, maintaining and even heightening a certain tightness within the chaos which is a necessary hallmark of the DEP sound.
"Fuck it, this stuff kicks ass." The songs are odd enough to of course require more than just a couple of casual listens to fully digest, and this certainly isn't something you'd classify as palletable to the mainstream fan. But for the discerning listener, whether your interest flows from Patton's or DEP's prior work (or both), this is essential listening. More "metal" than anything Patton has ever done, and really, in many ways, as complex and difficult to digest as Dillinger really is, the aforementioned six-minute long "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things" is really about the most Angel Dust type tune I think I've heard since that album's release.
This really is stellar material, and is an essential listen for anyone who with any kind of a remote interest in this style. Some will really get into it and probably will talk about album of the year. If only it were longer!!!!! Fuck it, this stuff kicks ass.
Hel's Review:
Yes, Mike Patton is the perfect person to supply vocals for the Dillinger Escape Plan. Yes, the EP with Mike Patton supplying vocals for the Dillinger Escape Plan is totally amazing. Do you have any other insanely obvious questions which need answering? 'Cause I'm on a roll…
"Yes, the EP with Mike Patton supplying vocals for the Dillinger Escape Plan is totally amazing."
"As an essential part of the collection of an obsessed Dillinger fan's collection, this is certainly a must." As demonstrated by the recent live performance I caught here in L.A., the new vocalist is no slouch, and is handling following in Mike's footsteps admirably. So the value is this record is obvious - it's really cool to get to hear Mike Patton singing on four DEP tracks. It's like a fun time capsule.
But it is only four songs. And they're not four 20-minute songs - the longest is 6 minutes, the shortest clocks in at 3:31 - this is a standard issue EP. But an EP that has Mike Patton singing with DEP. Yes, the songs are killer, and Mike sounds great. As a collector's item, this is certainly a must. As an essential part of the collection of an obsessed Dillinger fan's collection, this is certainly a must. In order to satisfy a broke-ass college kid's curiosity, hey, that's your call.
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