The Dillinger Escape Plan "Dissociation"

The world's most dangerous band. The authenticity behind a sound that never existed before Under The Running Board and that creepy looking self titled EP finally comes to its finish line. It would be a completely different read had the band not self-proclaimed their so-called "finish," which although is quite possibly true, the emergence of cult acts rising into festival headliners and one off epic shows as of late, leads me to believe we haven't seen the last of Dillinger. While this may be their final studio release, their efforts in their endless projects will last for at least another decade, so it's hard to think of this as a final farewell.

     The album does play off its gimmick a bit, with a rounding off at the finish of a string section that aims to generate the mood. But here's the bottom line: Dissociation does not give us anything the band's catalogue already hasn't accomplished. While still a much necessary and warranted release, it's not essential to grasp the band's creative efforts. 

     It's a fantastic record. Better yet, it's a fantastic Dillinger record. But it's not Miss Machine or Ire Works, and it's certainly no Option Paralysis.

     At this stage of their career, there's no way in hell any of that matters. The album plays out with it's math metal tacka-tacka-tacka attack, and Ben orchestrates the boys to do what he's had them do since 1997. Let him and the drummer glow with glee. Greg plops out every once in a while with an odd spoken letter that's slightly thought provoking, and a few melodies that shine here and there, but these moments are hardly "Farewell, Mona Lisa" or even "Crossburner," which showed new light to a band that had already "done it all." 

     While it's hard to believe the band won't be pumping out new music every few years, it's even harder to swallow that they'll be taking the stage one last time on this cycle. For what it's worth, I'm personally exhausted of dodging equipment and guitars flying up above at each gig, so I'm glad to be walking away from the experience slightly unscathed. But the scene is losing one of its founding fathers of originality, casting a dark cloud over today's collection of new releases. But for now we can enjoy this installment and avoid discussions until it is the actual end.