The Dillinger Escape Plan:
Dimitri Minikakis - Vocals
Ben Weiman - Guitars
John Fulton - Guitars
Adam Doll - Bass Guitar
Chris Pennie - Drums
Before the breakthrough success of The Dillinger Escape Plan's first full-length,
Calculating Infinity, the band had honed its style to near-perfection on their first EP on Relapse Records,
Under The Running Board. A mere three songs still managed to develop a signature sound for DEP and make a name for them in the underground music sect. Though it would be
Infinity that brought them to stardom, it was this EP that put them on the map.
For the most part,
Under The Running Board is a taste of what is to come for DEP. Most of it is blistering metal, oddly-timed rhythms that tear across the small length of recording. The sound is still very raw and well done, and the clear intent throughout the album is to give you something tangible before it leaves the listener in the dust.
For example, the intro to "Sandbox Magician" is bruising for all of ten seconds before a beautiful and haunting
clean melody breaks through, only to hit you in the face with more brutality. It's an excellent example of the diversity these guys aspire to, especially once the song ends with a jazzy picking break.
"The Mullet Burden" and "Abe The Cop" have similar moments but are far more unrelenting. "The Mullet Burden" pounds away like mad before going into a blastbeat breakdown (signaled by a piercing woman's scream), and giving the you just enough to move your head to. "Abe The Cop" bears similarities, and yet the offbeat time sigs and blindingly hasty rhythms still wrack your mind and ears. Listening to DEP on this album is a truly stunning, if short-lived experience.
As far as EP's go, if you're a fan of Mike Patton, pick up
Irony Is A Dead Scene first. If you like fast and heavy, this is the one you want. Pick it up or download. This is arguably Dillinger in their simplest and rawest form.
Recommended Tracks: All of them; "The Mullet Burden", "Sandbox Magician", "Abe The Cop"
Rating: 4/5 (for length)
