Album Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan - 'One of Us is the Killer'

When you've been a prominent band for over a decade, it can be very easy for you to just play it safe. You've seen the ins and outs of the music industry, and you know your way around it like the back of your hand, and thus it's easy to box yourself in, and find somewhere 'comfortable.' Thankfully, for fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, they've never been a band that you can box in anywhere, and the last thing they look for in any release is comfort. The same can be said of their new album, 'One of Us is the Killer.'

'Prancer' makes it clear from the beginning with a blood curdling scream from Greg Puciato that leads into the chaos that TDEP have become known for. Accurate, precise, off time drumming, crazy time signatures, dissonant guitar stabs, and a powerful vocal delivery make this track a stand out from the word go. 'When I Lost My Bet', one of the other key tracks continues in a similar vein, focusing heavily on the use of complex metres to keep the listener on their toes the whole way through, all the while giving Ben Weinman a chance to show us all that he is a standout guitarist in modern metal.

The album is a lot more melodically driven than previous efforts, with tracks such as 'Nothing's Funny', and 'Paranoia Shields' sporting some genuinely catchy choruses, without comprosing the absolutely mental layer of sound that we've come to understand from Dillinger. The only departure from this is title track 'One of Us is the Killer', a mellow, melodically based track where the band shows some of their versatility, creating a moody, ambient soundscape, with jazzy drumming, and airy falsetto vocals and a powerful chorus fit for a grand sing along in a live context. This may be the first track the band have produced that may actually be fit for radio airplay, without compromising the intricacy expected of a Dillinger song.

The highlight of the album, 'Crossburner', a 5 minute track towards the back end of the album, focuses on a perfectly executed build up before once again turning into complete and utter chaos in the best way possible, creating layer upon layer of intricately crafted sounds. Once again showing the astounding levels of skill held by every single member of this band, with Greg Puciato giving what is potentially his best performance of the record.

'One of Us is the Killer' is a whirlwind of complete and total chaos, and The Dillinger Escape Plan have once again proved they are at the top of their game, venturing into territories that some musicians wouldn't even imagine existed. The band have delivered what could arguably be their best record yet, and have put out a strong contender for album of the year.

1.  Prancer
2. When I Lost My Bet
3. One of Us is the Killer
4. Hero of the Soviet Union
5. Nothing's Funny
6. Understanding Decay
7. Paranoia Shields
8. CH 375 268 277 ARS
9. Magic That I Held You Prisoner
10. Crossburner
11. The Threat Posed by Nuclear Weapons