The new record from Mathcore legends The Dillinger Escape Plan officially arrived on store shelves last week. It's the bands 5th full-length studio album and their first to be released via Sumerian Records. The New Jersey five-piece have been going strong (crazy) since 1997 despite various changes. If this record is any indication, they're showing no signs of slowing their roll.
Shortly after the release, I picked up "One Of Us Is The Killer" the night before a long road trip. Good timing. It was one helluva drive.
One of the things that really stuck me personally about "One Of Us Is The Killer" is that it's the first Dillinger album that I totally enjoyed on my first listen. Typically it takes me a couple attempts to get into one of their albums due to the sheer chaos and overwhelming insanity. Not to say those things aren't present on this effort (seriously... just give these tracks a listen...), they were just much easier for me to digest this time around. But in all fairness, my tastes have changed a good bit since the release of the epic 2010 album "Option Paralysis".
Back to 2013, this album is chalk full of great tracks covering various sounds and themes. I actually had a bit of a laugh at the absurd ground this band is capable of covering (similar to past Dillinger albums). The first three tracks serve as a great example. The singles "Prancer" and "When I Lost My Bet" rip open the album in a chaotic frenzy. These are followed by the title track which could practically be played on the radio. And all of the above are awesome. Other tracks also work to compliment the duration of this album (which actually feels surprisingly short, despite clocking in at around 40 minutes). "Paranoia Shields", "Hero of the Soviet Union", "Understanding Decay", "Crossburner", and "Nothing's Funny" stick out amongst the pack for various reasons. It's recommended you give them all a good listen.
Personally, I don't have any real criticisms here. The production is a tad raw, but that's just The Dillinger Escape Plan's style. I also recognize this album definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea, most likely even headache inducing for some. But I imagine most fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan will be quite pleased while listening to "One Of Us Is The Killer". More tea for us!
To sum it all up, this a satisfying, hectic murder mystery worth your time, sanity, and monies. The Dillinger Escape Plan have delivered yet again. And I'm sure they'll continue to deliver through this album cycle with out of control live performances and possibly some other goods. Speaking of live performances, they'll be ripping it up with a headline at this year's Summer Slaughter Tour! Watch out!
