As I mentioned the other day, Dillinger Escape Plans' Miss Machine is the best album I've heard this year. Even now I'm still listening to it every day and still enjoying it immensely. Their previous full album Calculating Infinity is regarded to be their best by the smelly masses of the metal related internet, although I'm not inclined to give their opinions much weight as they often tend to be of the 'every band started selling out just after I heard of them' persuasion.
After hearing Calculating Infinity I can see why it is more popular. In general it's harder, faster and feraller than their later releases, although there are still some weird spooky ambient passages. It's an excellent album, but I prefer the more nuanced, varied approach of the other albums I've heard, as they develop their arhythmic noise assault in more interesting ways.
In the interview I linked to recently their vocalist assures us that Miss Machine is more complicated and harder for the other band members to play than Calculating Infinity, but their fans remain skeptical. On first impressions I'd be inclined to say that the fans are right, but after giving it some thought I think what's actually happened is a combination of slicker production and increased musical proficiency which just makes it seem like what they're playing is easier.
This album features their original vocalist Dimitri, who doesn't have the versatility of Mike Patton or the power of their new singer Greg, but is still quite competant, even if it would be nice if he changed to a different style other than 'full on throat shredding howl' once or twice.
While I definitely don't think it's their best album, these guys have never been less than brilliant, and for now I remain their salivating fanboy.
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