The Dillinger Escape Plan

The Dillinger Escape Plan

The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The band originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Liam Wilson, vocalist Greg Puciato, guitarist Jeff Tuttle and drummer Billy Rymer. Their band name is derived from the famous convicted bank robber John Dillinger.

History

Early years (1996—1998)

The Dillinger Escape Plan was founded in 1997, the band emerged from a hardcore punk trio named Arcane. Previous to Arcane, Adam Doll, Craig McKeown, John Fulton and Chris Pennie played together in the bands Samsara and Malfactor from 1992–1997. Managed by longtime friend Tom Apostolopoulos and guitarist Ben Weinman, Arcane recorded a self-titled demo under the name The Dillinger Escape Plan, in reference to the early 1930s bank robber John Dillinger, famous for his multiple escapes from jail. Now or Never Records offered to release the demo. The six-track EP was released in 1997 by Now or Never Records, and set them off on a small club tour around northeast America. Shortly before their first tour under the new name, guitarist Derek Brantley left the group and was replaced by John Fulton.

During this time period, The Dillinger Escape Plan gained notoriety in the hardcore punk scene for the intensity of their performances. Their performances were increasingly wild, and often violent. These elaborate performances, as well as the creative, technical approach of their music led a record executive of Relapse Records to offer the band a multi-record contract. The band agreed to the contract, and recorded their second EP with Relapse entitled Under the Running Board. Shortly after its release, Fulton left the band over creative differences.

Calculating Infinity (1999—2001)

The three-song EP release served to bolster anticipation for their 1999 full-length release, Calculating Infinity. Before the recording of Calculating Infinity, bassist Adam Doll was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. The accident was a minor fender bender, but because Doll had leaned over to pick up a CD beneath the stereo, the accident caused a small fracture in his spine, inducing paralysis. Guitarist Weinman played both guitar and bass on the album, though liner notes credited Doll as providing a great deal of help.

Shortly before touring began for the new album, former Jesuit guitarist Brian Benoit auditioned for the band, taking the place of the departed John Fulton; Jeff Wood, former M.O.D. bassist, took the place of the injured Adam Doll. Calculating Infinity was met with great acclaim from both underground and mainstream press, even drawing the attention of former Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton, who asked Dillinger Escape Plan to tour with his band Mr. Bungle. Over time, their notoriously intense shows grew more so, incorporating samples, a light show, fireworks, fire breathing, and other antics.

After several months of touring, including appearances on the Warped Tour and March Metal Meltdown, the band and Wood parted ways, with Wood moving on to his own project, Shat. Liam Wilson, also bassist for Starkweather, took his place. In 2000, Now or Never Records re-released the band's self-titled album with added bonus tracks. Later that same year, the band parted ways with Minakakis. Minakakis credited his departure from the band to the rigorous touring schedule. The band remains in contact with him.

Irony Is a Dead Scene (2002—2003)

Without a vocalist, The Dillinger Escape Plan began a nationwide search for a replacement via their website, releasing an instrumental version of "43 % Burnt" from Calculating Infinity and inviting prospective vocalists to record and submit their own vocal tracks.

While the search was underway, vocal duties were handled by a number of the band's friends, including Sean Ingram of Coalesce and Mike Patton, who agreed to help the band produce an EP. The plan to record with Patton was in place before a replacement vocalist had been found. By the time Mike Patton had recorded vocals and the EP was released, the band had been touring with Minakakis's replacement, Greg Puciato, for nearly a year.

Released on August 27, 2002 via Epitaph Records, Irony Is a Dead Scene featured Weinman, Pennie, Benoit, Wilson, and Mike Patton on vocals, with ex-bassist Adam Doll helping with keyboards and samples. It marked Doll's last appearance with the band. The four-song EP contained, among others, a cover of electronic music artist Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy". Buddyhead Records released a limited vinyl version.

Miss Machine (2004—2005)

In late 2001, Dillinger Escape Plan met Greg Puciato, one of many would-be vocalists who had submitted a recording to the band. Puciato included both a faithful version of "43 % Burnt" (in the style of Calculating Infinity) and the same song with his own personal spin. The band offered him the job after two practice sessions. He accepted, first appearing at the 2001 CMJ Music Festival in New York City. Soon after, Puciato and the band recorded two songs for a Black Flag tribute compilation.

In 2003, the band appeared on the soundtrack for Underworld with the song "Baby's First Coffin", their first original song with Greg Puciato on vocals. They also recorded a cover of "My Michelle" for the Guns N' Roses tribute album Bring You to Your Knees, released on March 23, 2004.

On July 20, 2004, Relapse Records released the band's first full-length album with Puciato, entitled Miss Machine. Miss Machine sold 12,000 copies its first week, becoming their largest selling release. The album polarized The Dillinger Escape Plan audience; some fans were critical of the band's increasing artistic and musical departures from their earlier efforts, while others preferred them.

Following the controversial release, The Dillinger Escape Plan began a two year touring cycle, headlining tours of their own or occasionally providing support for acts such as Slipknot, System of a Down, and Megadeth. These tours were replete with injuries; in late 2004, guitarist Benoit suffered nerve damage (brachial plexus neuritis) in his left hand, and other than a short return to the stage in 2005, he has not played with the band since. Former Fenix*TX guitarist James Love ended up playing most shows in the late 2004–2006 period. In 2005, the band was forced to drop out of Dave Mustaine's "Gigantour" slightly early due to a rotator cuff injury guitarist Weinman sustained in a car accident, despite the best efforts of the bands touring masseur, Jason Hamacher (of Frodus).

Plagiarism (2006)

The Dillinger Escape Plan performing live on 2008-03-12.

In June 2006 the band released an iTunes exclusive EP of cover songs entitled Plagiarism. The title is a reference to the fact that four of the EP's six tracks are covers faithful to the original songs. And their first DVD, a short accompanying piece to Miss Machine (entitled Miss Machine: The DVD). Guitarist James Love played in the band during the recording of their Plagiarism EP. Dillinger toured supporting AFI and Coheed and Cambria in the summer of 2006.

Four shows before the end of the Coheed tour, Weinman flew home for undisclosed personal reasons. In an interview, Greg Puciato announced that actual reasons for Weinman flying home was because of the growing tension between him and Chris Pennie. The night of August 4, the group played their first show as a four-piece in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Murat Theatre Egyptian Room. According to an interview on the Jekyll and Hyde show in November 2007, during the Coheed tour, Weinman had briefly quit the band in order to recover from compounding medical and financial problems.

During the time Weinman was apart from the band, Chris Pennie received an offer from Coheed and Cambria to be the band's permanent drummer when their former drummer left the band. Coheed had been impressed with Pennie after seeing him live, and Pennie accepted the offer. Pennie left the band right before the recording of Ire Works. Not long after Pennie's departure, Weinman returned to the band and Gil Sharone was hired on drums.

Ire Works (2007—2009)

The Dillinger Escape Plan completed their follow-up album to Miss Machine in 2007, entitled Ire Works, produced by Steve Evetts at his studio Omen Room in Los Angeles. Drums were recorded at Sonikwire Studios in Irvine, California. On June 15, the band announced the title of the album as well as confirming the departure of Chris Pennie (now with Coheed and Cambria). Gil Sharone of Stolen Babies handled drum duties for the album. Ire Works was released on November 13, 2007. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at #142 with 7,000 copies scanned, but was later corrected when it was revealed that Relapse somehow forgot to scan the pre-release album sales, which made the first week total actually around 11,000.

Missing from the new line up was guitarist Brian Benoit, who had left the band because of injury. Although assured his place in the band is secure should he ever be able to perform again, Jeff Tuttle (formerly of Heads Will Roll and Capture the Flag) has taken his place on stage. Tuttle, however, does not make an appearance on the record.

Ire Works has been a critical and commercial success, with the album being on many critics' top ten lists, making it the band's most critically successful album. Allmusic said that "DEP should be careful, or they'll end up the Radiohead of metalcore." The album has also had much more commercial success than previous albums, with the track Milk Lizard being featured on the video game Saint's Row 2 and on CSI: NY (the episode 'Playing With Matches'). The band played the song "Black Bubblegum" on Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

In January 2009 the band has parted ways with Gil Sharone and the new drummer is now confirmed to be Long Island drummer Billy Rymer.

On Saturday, February 21, as they played at the Soundwave music festival in Brisbane, Australia at the RNA Showgrounds, some plastic water bottles and cans were thrown at the band. The band turned it into a game by DEP, with "25 points for hitting the drummer, 75 for any of us (all other members), and 150 if they could hit the members of Poison the Well standing at the side of the stage."

They also repeatedly joined Nine Inch Nails onstage during the Soundwave 2009 festival, helping them perform the song "Wish" as part of the last encore song of Nine Inch Nail's live show at the event.

Option Paralysis (2009—present)

On May 27, 2009, it was reported that the band started their own label, Party Smasher Inc, which is a collaboration with French record label Season of Mist. After having fulfilled their contract with Relapse, The Dillinger Escape Plan released their fourth studio album in March 2010 through Party Smasher Inc and recorded by Steve Evetts. Option Paralysis was confirmed as the title of the new album by the singer, Greg Puciato, in a photocopied letter sent by himself to fans who bought a limited edition Dillinger Escape Plan shirt. The album was released on March 23, 2010, as stated by Greg Puciato on Twitter. The Dillinger Escape Plan will participate in Warped Tour 2010, playing June 24 – August 15th.

Band members

Main article: The Dillinger Escape Plan band members

Current

• Greg Puciato – lead vocals (since 2001)
• Ben Weinman – guitars, programming (since 1997)
• Jeff Tuttle – guitars, backing vocals (since 2007)
• Liam Wilson – bass (since 1999)
• Billy Rymer – drums, percussion (since 2009)

Former

• Derek Brantley – guitars (1997)
• John Fulton – guitars (1997–1999)
• Dimitri Minakakis – lead vocals (1997–2000)
• Adam Doll – bass (1997–1999), electronics (2001–2002)
• Brian Benoit – guitars (1999–2005)
• Chris Pennie – drums, percussion (1997–2007)
• Gil Sharone – drums, percussion (2007–2008)

Discography

Main article: The Dillinger Escape Plan discography

• Calculating Infinity (1999)
• Miss Machine (2004)
• Ire Works (2007)
• Option Paralysis (2010)

External links

• Official website
• Interview with Greg Puciato LF 2010