The Dillinger Escape Plan wsg Royal Thunder and The Faceless
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
May 5, 7 p.m.
$16 advance, $18 day of show
sectionlive.com, (616) 451-8232
The Dillinger Escape Plan has pretty much become synonymous with the mathcore genre, though the members readily admit they never set out to become figureheads of the genre. Still, it only makes sense they have a proven formula for writing songs.
"We take it from such an inception where it's a quarter of the speed, it's like a quarter as intense," said Frotnman Greg Puciato. "And then we start speeding it up, and then we're like 'OK, let's add this little hiccup here,' and "Oh, that little hiccup should happen once, and then let's make it happen three times the next time.' But it's all very methodical."
This results in a heartfelt and vicious mess of a song, with layers of screams, breakdowns and absurd time signature changes – but somehow, it works.
The self-proclaimed perfectionists employed such methods while recording their latest album One of Us is the Killer, and they admit it could get stressful at times.
"I think (guitarist) Ben and I both quit five times each during the making of it," Puciato said.
Luckily, the band finished recording intact, and has already taken to the road to promote the new album, which is due out May 17. As for the tour, fans can expect the band's members to translating the ferocity of its recorded songs live performances, sometimes to the detriment of the members themselves.
"If you eat a lot of Ibuprofen on tour it keeps the swelling down," Puciato said about the intense strain his vocal chords endure while performing.
Members also have endured bloody gashes and broken bones from relentlessly thrashing around onstage in such close proximity to each other. All this intensity, however, can be drawn back to a longstanding appreciation for hardcore music.
"When I saw and heard the type of energy that came from more hardcore type stuff I was addicted," Puciato said. "And I don't think it's ever really left my bloodstream since."
