Dillinger Escape Plan Ire Works

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Reviewed by: Nick   //   Published: 11/14/2007

Welcome to 2007's biggest disappointment. As arguably the most recognizable band in what has been deemed the mathcore genre, the Dillinger Escape Plan has maintained a comfortable spot in the extreme music world's limelight for quite some time, and for good reason, as the last few DEP releases have been nothing short of golden. Calculating Infinity just about defined an entire genre, Irony is a Dead Scene displayed the band's willingness to push experimentalism to a new level, and Miss Machine excelled in stellar songwriting, effortlessly blending chaos and melody. Since then, DEP has lost a few members (Brian Benoit to injury and Chris Pennie to other musical aspirations), leaving guitarist Ben Weinman as the last remaining founding member. All of this put considerable weight on Ire Works, and even though the band's technical precision and desire to experiment is just as high as ever, the album just doesn't live up to the expectations.

That's not to say that there aren't any high points on Ire Works. In fact, a large chunk of this disc is flat out awesome. The one-two punch of "Fix Your Face" and "Lurch" immediately settles any arguments as to whether or not Gil Sharone's recent addition on drums would hurt the band's collective technical range. Sharone's blistering work behind the kit propels the tracks, and the fusion of jazz-driven intensity with melody in "Fix Your Face" along with the noisy precision of "Lurch" initially sets the bar quite high for Ire Works. "Nong Eye Gong" further displays DEP's Miss Machine-perfected combination of spazzy rhythms and melody and "When Acting as a Wave" is reminiscent of Calculating Infinity's title track, only heavily laced with electronic outbursts. These guys certainly haven't lost the ability to blow minds with their all out technical assaults, yet as Ire Works progresses, it seems that their desire to experiment distracts the band from their proven talents.

But hey, experimentalism is a great thing. Without it, DEP would have never included such musical gems as "Unretrofied" and "Phone Home" on Miss Machine. But the experimentation present on Ire Works isn't as well executed, not nearly as cohesive, and in a few cases, just plain absurd. "Black Bubblegum" is a borderline unlistenable attempt at Faith No More-influenced electro-rock that underwhelms just as much as it annoys. "Milk Lizard" is a second-rate Every Time I Die rip-off with a horn section that could leave the listener laughing in tears or sighing in disgust, depending on one's emotional preference. Oh, and the chorus of "Milk Lizard" packs the most generic and uninteresting drumming that DEP has ever recorded. It's slightly baffling, as Sharone has displayed far more drumming capabilities to settle for the cheesy double-bass work currently being flaunted by mediocre metalcore bands everywhere. The disc's closer, "Mouth of Ghosts," actually succeeds in experimentation courtesy of smooth bass lines, piano work, and a building song structure, but is only slightly satisfying in its role as a finale to a record filled with spotty content. Ire Works' polar tendencies kill any type of cohesiveness, and ultimately reduce the album to a few great songs, a bit of filler, and a couple major blunders. Experimentalism is great in music, but there can be consequences for taking such large risks. And as witnessed on Ire Works, DEP just flat out missed the mark too many times to be overlooked.

Bottom Line: Ire Works simply has too much questionable content to be anything other than a disappointment. The Dillinger Escape Plan's ability to write spazzy metalcore is second to none, but their aspirations to cross over into the realm of experimental electronic rock leave much to be desired. Miss Machine proved that such a balance between technical intensity and experimental melody could exist, but that delicate balance just didn't make it to Ire Works.

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