Album Review: Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer

It doesn't take long for The Dillinger Escape Plan to make their intentions clear on One Of Us Is The Killer. Just six seconds into opening track – and first single from the album – Prancer and the vocals of Greg Puciatio announce they're not interested in taking any prisoners. Anytime a band's genre is prefixed by the word 'math', it's going to live and die by precision. One Of Us Is The Killer delivers the tightness and exactitude while never compromising on the aggression. Songs like Understanding Decay and Magic That I Held You Prisoner hit hard from the first beat to the last, but it's not just shock and awe tactics. The title track shows they're not afraid to slow things down and focus on melody over aggression, even in its louder moments. And sometimes it's the combination of both that can really make an impact, like album closer The Threat Posed By Nuclear Weapons. This one song is almost a showcase for what the band can do from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Now well into their second decade, The Dillinger Escape Plan don't seem too concerned with surprising anyone, with another collection of off-kilter time signatures, unrelenting riffs and throat threatening vocals. One Of Us Is The Killer is a natural progression from 2010's Option Paralysis and should be more than satisfying for fans of that album. It hits hard and grabs on tight from the very beginning and only loosens its grip long enough here and there to make the next squeeze that much more intense.