Rock music’s shock troops often find themselves in danger of becoming trapped in cages of their own reputations. The last thing of any consequence that New Jersey’s DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN issued was, distressingly for those present, back in 2002 when singer Greg Puciato strolled onto the Reading Festival stage, dropped his trousers, deposited a steaming lump of yesterday’s dinner and threw it into the crowd. Thus, as visceral and bamboozling as their labyrinthine music was, they were in danger of becoming ‘that band who shat onstage’. "Miss Machine" – their first album since 1999’s "Calculating Infinity" and the first to feature Puciato on vocals – finally, belatedly, returns the spotlight to their creative output.
Although it marks a distinct progression, long term fans need not worry – opener "Panasonic Youth" explodes with characteristic fury, Puciato screaming himself hoarse while fragments of metal riffs screech and skitter around as though the band are playing the song in a lift with a snapped cable and are trying to complete it before they hit the basement. So far, so math metal, and as gobsmacking as it all can be, they’ve been here before.
Much like Slipknot on their recent "Volume 3" album, Dillinger have also realised that the most shocking thing to present to an audience raised on shock tactics is to go mellow, and noise snobs will be reaching for the panic button on a few occasions. The chorus of "Highway Robbery" is almost singalong, "Setting Fire To Sleeping Ghosts" is positively jaunty, while "Unretrofied" – a couple of disorientating middle bits excepted - could be mistaken from something from the last Red Hot Chili Peppers album.
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Admittedly it’s hardly Perry Como territory, but it’s adventurous nonetheless. Elsewhere the insertion of peculiar electronic interludes and vocal (dis)harmonies broadens the band’s sonic palette - "Phone Home" in particular broods with sample-laden menace - recalling the mercurial influence of former Dillinger collaborator Mike Patton.
The riff blizzard of "The Perfect Design" closes the album on reassuringly familiar territory, but they’ve served notice that no-one – least of all their regular fans - can expect the predictable. Bring on the easy-listening album.
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