Album Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan - 'Ire Works'

I'm a huge fan of The Dillinger

Escape Plan. I didn't care that their music has gradually changed

over the last couple of years... hell, I even enjoyed the larger incorporation

of melody into their abrasive sound but put simply, "Ire Works"

doesn't live up to the hype that has been building around its release. 

That's not to say that it's a

bad record, far from it, but the album doesn't pack the punch that I

was expecting. Whether the band (or more specifically, Ben Weinman)

want to admit it or not, the loss of Brian Benoit (guitar) and Chris

Pennie (drums) has really depleted their sound. 

As far as the more aggressive

elements of TDEP go, it's almost as though the band have run

out of ideas. "Ire Works" heaviest moments are still great riffs

but you can't escape the feeling that you've heard it before. "Miss

Machine" (the band's previous full length) was a taste of what the

band could accomplish when they merged their signature sound with their

obvious love of Nine Inch Nails but "Ire Works" sounds like

a band who are still struggling to re-find their identity. I never thought

I'd hear myself saying this, but in 2007, The Dillinger Escape Plan

are better at writing catchy songs than they are at arranging their

standard metallic onslaught, and if they hope to stay relevant then

they need to shit or get off the pot.  

"Fix Your Face" is as heavy

as anything else the band has written in the last few years but as I

mentioned earlier, the riffs could have been taken from any Dillinger

track... although the song's four to the floor chorus is fucking great!

The guitar work on "Lurch" is second to none and reminded exactly

why I liked this band in the first place. The break in the tempo and

sparse arrangements around the minute mark give the song a real hook! 

"Black Bubblegum" is easily

the standout track on "Ire Works"... except it sounds exactly like

Trent Reznor and co. The melodies and electronic flourishes are incredible

but it's hardly the most original thing the band has put together.  

While the first three tracks on

this record have all been great it's here that the album starts to lag

a little bit. "Sick On Sunday" and "When Acting As A Particle"

are brief electronic/instrumental interludes that have obviously been

included for a reason, but all they succeed in doing is losing an momentum

had been built up to this point. "Nong Eye Gong" is a brutal track

but at 1:16 it's over just as you're starting to get into it. 

The next couple of tracks seem

to blur into each other. They both follow the standard Dillinger

format of off kilter drums and jumpy guitar work but neither of them

succeeds in standing out. "Milk Lizard" picks the album up again

with it's sleazy sounding guitar lines and driving rock beats and is

probably the most original sounding track on the record. Not since Mr Bungle have horns sounded this good with a metal band! 

The Dillinger Escape Plan

are in an interesting position. Their current line up seem to excel

at writing catchy rock songs, but they insist on throwing in bursts

of metal for old time's sake. Rather than desperately clinging to their

older fan base. TDEP should be confident in their abilities as

song writers and move forward in the direction that we all now they're

capable of. 

1. Fix Your Face
2. Lurch
3. Black Bubblegum
4. Sick On Sunday
5. When Acting As A Particle
6. None Eye Gong
7. When Acting As A Wave
8. 82588
9. Milk Lizard