Artist: Dillinger Escape Plan
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 7/20/04
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Title: Miss Machine Artist: Dillinger Escape Plan Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 7/20/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | ||
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5 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
It's hard to believe that this is only the second full-length album from The Dillinger Escape Plan because it seems like they've never gone away. Something has to be said about a band whose popularity remains stronger than ever despite the fact that they've had very little material to promote. Part of it has to do with the amount of touring these guys do, but I think the ultimate reason is that they command your respect.
"One word review: Inspired." Of course, I feel I must start out with saying that I believe a large number of DEP faithful will be very disappointed by this record. While Miss Machine starts off as one might expect from a DEP album, it quickly reaches into unknown territory for the band. Their association with Mr. Bungle and Mike Patton has had a definite impact on this band, but the Patton-fronted Irony Is A Dead Scene EP should have prepared everyone for that. New lead singer Greg Puciato, who I thought was a little lacking in charisma in a live setting, has come into his own on this release and provides an inspired vocal performance that is just one of the many amazing aspects to this record. He is quite capable of mimicking Mr. Patton, but also injects his own personality, so he comes across as being inspired by the Mr. Bungle frontman, rather than just copying him.
And while the Mr. Bungle/Patton inspiration may not be that surprising, it is surprising how dominant it is, easily chewing up the majority of the playing time. What is even more of a shock (some might feel blasphemy) is the influence of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Some songs on this album would feel right at home on The Downward Spiral, which might turn off a lot of the underground fans of this band. But the simple fact is that it works. This is a killer album. Throughout all of this influence worship, the DEP we all know and love is alive and well. There are still stop/start rhythms and complex passages, but they are much more spread out to make way for more accessible song writing.
If there is one criticism I have for the record it is that I find it a little disappointing that a band as original as DEP is so blatantly wearing its influences on its sleeve. This would be a much more troubling development if the end product wasn't so compelling, however. One word review: Inspired.
Death's Review:
Can you believe it has been almost five years since the release of the last Dillinger Escape Plan full-length, 1999’s Calculating Infinity? I can still remember my first reactions to that harsh, angular sound, a sound I referred to back then as “math metal.” Fast forward to today, and Dillinger’s follow-up full-length, Miss Machine. In the interim, the band changed vocalists in 2001, although the amazing yet polarizing for some 2002 EP Irony is a Dead Scene featured Mike Patton instead of new vocalist Greg Puciato. Puciato’s debut original material on Miss Machine sounds heavily Patton-influenced though – in fact, the whole album could be described as “Patton-esque.” Sure, there is harsh, technical, jazz-infused metalcore, but there are also dynamics and groove, developed even further from the experimentation heard on Irony is a Dead Scene.
"It’s clear that Dillinger has made the album the band wanted to make." So is this the classic new album fans have been so patiently waiting for? Kinda. I think expectations were so high for this there isn’t any way they could ever really be met. There’s nothing transcendental here, but it is well-produced, creative, and worth the effort it takes to truly appreciate it. There is a certain depth to Miss Machine that is admirable and rewarding and of course, challenging. It’s clear that Dillinger has made the album the band wanted to make. Is it the album the fans wanted to hear? It probably will turn out to be, if you give it the time.
Hel's Review:
True story: I woke up in the middle of the night a few evenings ago, and playing in my head, as clearly as if there were a cd player on in the room, was “Unretrofied.” Now, at this point, I had only listened to Miss Machine a couple of times, and to hear it so clearly in my head after such a short exposure was pretty uncanny. The songs on this new record are, for the most part, very catchy and quite memorable.
"I just keep hitting 'play' again and again." With this effort, the band seems to have decided to mix songs done in their older style in with songs done in the more Mike Patton-ish style they had adopted on Irony is a Dead Scene. At first listen, I was a little concerned that this album would feel disjointed, and though it did at first, it has quickly grown on me. I can imagine fans of their early efforts being frustrated by the turn their music has taken of late, but I continue to find myself enjoying each new effort as it is released.
Despite my initial skepticism, I now find myself completely addicted to this record. Miss Machine is a fascinating amalgam of old Dillinger Escape Plan and new, and I find the resulting conglomeration utterly riveting. I just keep hitting “play” again and again. Usually, at this point in the week, I can’t wait to finish writing my reviews so I can move on and leave whatever album it is, good or bad, behind. This week, I’m going to have to force myself to move on, because my reflex is to reach over and hit “play” yet again. The wait was too long, but the result was worth it.
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