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The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Editor's rating

7.4

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
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Tuesday, 11 December 2007
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Fix Your Face
02. Lurch
03. Black Bubblegum
04. Sick On Sunday
05. When Acting As A Particle
06. Nong Eye Gong
07. When Acting As A Wave
08. 82588
09. Milk Lizard
10. Party Smasher
11. Dead As History
12. Horse Hunter
13. Mouth Of Ghosts

Artist: The Dillinger Escape Plan
Title: Ire Works
Genre: Progressive Metal • Alternative • Hardcore
Release Date: 13 November 2007
Record Label: Relapse Records
Format: Full-length
Country: United States of America
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Editor review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		7.4
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		7.0
Experimentation		7.0
Production		8.0
Value		7.0

Now that we've all had some time to absorb 'Miss Machine,' three years, DEP has now unleashed the follow-up album that cemented their place in popular metal. 'Ire Works' expands on the themes set up by 'Miss Machine' but is far more successful at it. The pop sensibility is there, but there is a lot more tact and attention to the crafting of some interesting, technical songs that the group was initially made famous for in the first place. 'Ire Works' is the band's second best full-length and could end up pleasing fans of 'Miss Machine' and 'Calculating Infinity' simultaneously.

Here's the good: this album boasts a better selection of music styles to pick from this time and they're implemented rather well. "Fix Your Face" starts out pretty well and even features guest vocals by former DEP member Dimitri Minakakis. It's too bad that they're buried far down in the mix to make any impact. "Lurch" is even more complicated, technical and it's the signature DEP sound that old school fans were lacking for a while. "Horse Hunter" has a very, very refreshing jazz fusion riff 25 seconds in. It lasts ten seconds, but it's so sweet. This song also features guest yelling from Mastodon vocalist Brent Hinds. Sure, there are slight tinges of rock and roll, but they add to the songs well.

Tracks 5 through 8 are highly rewarding. "When Acting As A Particle" is very atmospheric. It features strings and a really cool percussion section reminiscent of Tool's later work. This gives way to "Nong Eye Gong" and it is yet another track that would fit into the 'Calculating Infinity' days. It's jazzy, off-timed and catchy. It works! "When Acting As A Wave" is similarly off-timed, but the chopping and rearranging the track gives it an IDM feel. The goofy electronic stuff that DEP toyed with on 'Miss Machine' is rectified here; whenever an industrial influence comes in, it is handled well. "82588" is another chaotic, noisy track that features DEP's sound. There's a downside to these tracks, though: they're too short. Most of these are a minute and a half on average. I wished they were longer, but they work within their means. In the smack middle of the album, these songs are welcome and fit well.

Here's the bad: "Black Bubblegum" and "Milk Lizard" are the album's worst tracks and they stick out pretty poorly. "Black Bubblegum" is a cheeky, hip, clubby pop rock ditty that has the pretentious nature of having a hit single on its mind. The vocals are incredibly dorky and the song reminds me of newer Nine Inch Nails. That is not a good thing. "Milk Lizard," to its credit, has some really cool guitar soloing and a very creative, dissonant piano bit near the middle, but the song can't tie its own shoes. It's corny and has a sleazy rock and roll swagger to it, and that's not my thing. Additionally, the lyrics on this album are extremely trite and cringe-inducing. Here are the lyrics to "82588:"

"Fallen angel how you've changed
Poison runs through your veins
You were never a saint but now you're a sin
Spoiled rotten from within
Who clipped your wings so useless?
Cut them yourself?
Chewed off your own?
Good thinking
You were coming apart and I thought I could help you
Through the fever
Not the first one
Not the last one
I'm not sorry for you
I remember a time when everything that you knew I thought I already knew in my mind
And I thought you knew the same
I know truth will set you free
Cracked and crazy baby"

Then again, DEP's strength was never in lyrical poetry, but musical. The band has had some lineup changes, with most notably the departure of founding member Chris Pennie. Pennie joined Coheed And Cambria earlier this year and Gil Sharone of Stolen Babies has replaced him. Sharone is the man. People boo-hooing about Pennie leaving can wipe those little tears away, because Sharone is Pennie's equal. He fills in just right and has a wonderful command of the kit. I'm glad he's found a band that will propel his talents upward. Ben Weinman, founder of the band and the last remaining original member, has a great grip of the direction the band is going this time around. His soloing and trademark guitar work shines through much better on this album than the previous. Vocalist Greg Puciato is a bit more restrained on this album, which is good. Whenever he goes really high-pitched, the scream falls apart and becomes a hollow, thin and laughable imitation of any better hardcore vocalist. He only breaks this threshold a couple of times on 'Ire Works.' His standard scream has gotten much better and fuller, as did his clean singing. The bass is still not present enough for my liking, but it seemed to do the job well, so I can't fault anything here. Musically, I'm pleased that the band has thought this album out much more than 'Miss Machine.' 'Ire Works' is classier and relatively consistent, previous tracks excluded.

Here's where the line gets drawn: people who were mortally offended by 'Miss Machine,' as I was, need to give this album a fair shot. I was very pleased. This album needs to be assessed on its own basis. This is not 'Calculating Infinity.' This is 'Ire Works.' DEP is not a tech metal band anymore. They are progressive metal with technical elements. 'Ire Works' is far more representative of their new sound and it works more often than not. They are real musicians who take their craft seriously enough. Be thankful that at least a third of this album is up to par with anything on 'Calculating Infinity.' The other tracks, such as "Dead As History" and "Mouth Of Ghosts," the album's ender, are successful as ambient, atmospheric pieces. I wouldn't mind an entire new album based solely on the stuff set up by "Mouth Of Ghosts," but the band would probably do something crazy and put some technical metal tracks in there just to spite me.

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