Review Summary: Classic. Every time I hear it I love it. Maybe you should too...
Bands that are renowned for their technical abilities are usually categorised in two groups – firstly, the majority of people who choose to listen to technical music do so because it is virtuosic and aurally pleasing to their ears. However, on the total other end of the spectrum, a lot of bands and artists in the modern age that we live in rely so heavily on their abilities that they are often seen as gratuitous in their endeavours to satisfy/impress the listener. In other words, bands that write complex music are either good at it or they suffer from delusions of grandeur. The Dillinger Escape Plan are one such band that, over the tenure in their music business, most certainly indulged themselves in the realms of challenging, artistic and creative music. Their first full album, Calculating Infinity, is often lauded as a mathcore classic. Whilst there is much debate over whether the actual genre of mathcore can be seen as such,, the band has always been seen as one of the pioneers of the style of music played. Right from the word go, Calculating Infinity aims to push all sorts of musical boundaries. Speed, crazy time signatures and absolutely wonderful intricacies are all part and parcel of the package provided by this album. Opener Sugar Coated Sour gives the listener a small taste of the wreckage that the band can achieve with their instruments. Jazz is often heralded as one of the precursors to mathcore – thus, most bands of the genre utilise a lot of elements rooted in Jazz music. Complexity is often the key to such music, therefore Calculating Infinity definitely does what it sets out to do – blow your bloody socks off to heaven and back.
Within just two tracks, CI grabs you by the throat and squeezes your Adam’s apple until you are left barely breathing. 43% Burnt, undoubtedly the highlight of the album, features crazy chromatics, sweep picking, nutty time signatures and blistering vocals. Whilst this cacophonous mess may seem deliriously unsettling at first, the trick to actually getting Dillinger and what they were (and always have) tried to achieve is replay value. Every instrument, including the vocals, is used to express all sorts of negativity and chaos. Yet within this chaos lies some moments of clear beauty and embellishment. The jazz guitar breaks during the mid-section of 43% Burnt showcase a guitar duo not afraid of truly pushing their abilities to the max. Every note is deliberate – every scream is measured and delivered with such ferocious anger that it is almost impossible not to like or appreciate what is heard.
As the album progresses, it can be said that the band utilised one hell of a lot of ideas on the album and for the most part, executed them cleanly. However, as I mentioned previously, the key to the album is listening to it carefully and repeating the experience. Like similar bands, the listener is forced to retrace their steps to actually get what the band are trying to do. I know I haven’t really provided a great deal of audio description but as a regular on this site, I would say the majority of you whom have chosen to read this will know what an album of this sort will sound like. If you don’t, then perhaps you’d like to taste the sweet and blissful sounds (I’m sure many will agree) that such dominant chaos can bring to a music listener. And still relish what they’ve heard. The Dillinger Escape Plan are definite winners in the field of enjoyment for me. Maybe they’re for you as well.
