The Dillinger Escape Plan
Dissociation

The Dillinger Escape Plan are breaking up.

The American band has decided to cease activities permanently. An unexpected announcement, from what was initially described as an “indefinite hiatus” and subsequently as the true epilogue of a very unique musical journey.

For those who don't know them, the Dillinger Escape Plan are an anomalous band in the international metal/hardcore scene; originating in the latter half of the '90s in New Jersey, and defined by Metal Evolution as “the world's most dangerous band alive,” they have always been considered a top-tier act, akin to bands like Converge, Botch, and Coalesce, in the branch of extreme music known as mathcore.

It is precisely mathcore, a belligerent and schizophrenic yet refined subgenre of more metallic hardcore punk, that has been fertile ground for their music.

Rooted in intensity and experimentation, they contributed masterpieces such as Miss Machine, Ire Works, or the primitive and seminal Calculating Infinity to define and simultaneously destroy the rules of such a unique and sought-after genre, reinventing themselves from album to album; always with consistency, tenacity, and above all originality.

The true strength of the band has always been their ability to perfectly blend numerous elements and influences. From the violence of metalcore and grind to electro-industrial (with a clear Nine Inch Nails influence), even reaching the most progressive nuances in what is a mix of dissonant and polyrhythmic music, but not shying away from melody at times. The nod to the genius of Mike Patton and his wild musical ventures is both expected and intentional, considering the band and the famous Faith No More frontman collaborated on Irony Is a Dead Scene. Another important aspect is their live performances. Vigorous, bold, energetic, befitting of the unruly music of this band.

After nearly twenty years, therefore, TDEP are bowing out. However, I must say right away, despite personally feeling saddened by their breakup: Dissociation is the only way, the best and the most fitting way, to conclude such a musical career. You can notice it from the first listens, from the first chills that, as I write, I felt while hearing the eleven tracks composing the album.

“Symptom of Terminal Illness,” “Honeysuckle,” “Nothing To Forget,” “Manufacturing Discontent,” dense and complex concentrations of metal, hardcore, electronica and even jazz, showcasing the skill of evoking the past without self-quoting; Ben Weinman, the historic guitarist and the only remaining founding member, is now a complete musician, as evidenced by the more experimental sections like “Fugue” and the concluding title track, a total song in perfectly embracing brutality and harmony. The voice of Pucciato? The perfect glue in a succession of calculated ferocity, scattered among the last fragments of a system now in disintegration.

I can't say much more on the musical aspect, except for the following reflection.

I turn to you, TV series and film enthusiasts: are you familiar with the final episode of your favorite psycho-drama? That moment when everything resolves, the suspense anxiety subsides, and you're left with a bittersweet aftertaste, a mix of burgeoning and premature nostalgia and an irrepressible joy for having witnessed something that moved us tremendously, to the point of absurdity.

This is what Dissociation is for me.

Pure adrenaline, reproduced in music, once again, for the last time... the spectacular swan song of The Dillinger Escape Plan.