Live Review

The Dillinger Escape Plan – Bristol Academy

• 28th Feb 2008

It’s an unfortunate fact that there are few bands today that can truly lay claim to being trend setters rather than followers. In a musical landscape that largely consists of homogeneous clones of whatever flavour of the month fad band the NME has perched precariously atop their oh so irrelevant ‘cool list’, to find a band consciously outside of such parameters and pushing boundaries is not only a pleasure, but moreover something which should be applauded and embraced. It just so happens that on the back of their latest, and may I add most excellent long player, ‘Ire Works’, tonight one such band is in town; math-core royalty The Dillinger Escape Plan.

It falls to North Carolina quintet ‘Between The Buried And Me’ to get proceedings under way this evening, and despite the their complex hardcore-tinged metal having to wade through a somewhat muddy sounding mix on occasion, they soon have bodies aplenty moving down on the floor. Drawing their set predominantly from latest effort ‘Colors’, it is however, the progressive and melodic set closer drawn from sophomore album ‘Alaska’, ”Selkies: The End Of Obsession’, that proves to be the highlight, allowing dual guitarists Paul Waggooer and Dusty Waring to take centre stage to show off some impressive technical proficiency, leaving many an audience member suitably mesmerised in the process.

Ever since The Dillinger Escape Plan first came crashing onto the scene with the now seminal debut ‘Calculating Infinity’, bringing with them in the process the musical equivalent of a swift kick to the face, it has been in the live environment in which they have truly shown themselves to be a band to be reckoned with. Tonight is no such exception. Taking to the stage and launching immediately into the feral ‘Panasonic Youth’ TDEP are no less than a musical force of nature. Ensconced in smoke and silhouette, it’s a visual assault on the senses as much as it is an audible one. Wasting little time for the niceties and self-congratulation that so many bands seem inextricably bound up with these days, the songs come thick and fast, each delivered with as much vitriolic passion as the last.

The ferocious ‘Sugar Coated Sour’ and ‘43% Burnt’ are both rolled out much to the delight of the old-school contingent, with newly instated drummer Gil Sharone filling the stool vacated by Chris Pennie imperiously, while only remaining founding member Ben Weinemann really needs to be seen to be believed. Climbing speaker stacks, indulging in the recklessly cathartic treatment of his guitar, hurling it around himself and the stage like a man possessed, all while indulging in some of the most awe-inspiring fret work you are likely to witness; it’s nothing less than impressive. There is some let up from face melting intensity though, with an airing afforded to the melody driven and hook-laden ‘Black Bubblegum’, while a brooding rendition of the ever so menacing ‘Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants’ also gets a run out.

It has been suggested by some that The Dillinger Escape Plan have gone soft of late, but this is an accusation based on the evidence of this evening that holds little weight. As purposeful and important as they ever were, TDEP are one band that you don’t want to let pass you by.