Live Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Lonelyspeck

It was a warm Tuesday night in Adelaide, but nothing was going to stop the crowd as they streamed through Fowlers'x doors. We were full of sentimentality, yet not without our doubts.

As we arrived, we weren't met with chaos and distortion, but with the ethereal sounds of Lonelyspeck. Surprised himself at the announcement of his support slot, he wasn't discouraged by the sea of black in front of him, but humbled by the opportunity as he shyly laughed, "I'm stoked to be here." Purple and yellow light poured across the stage as his airy sound blended faintly with the fans whirring in the background. Yet if one looked closely enough, his playful rhythms formed a subtle complexity that recalls Dillinger's chaotic syncopation. Lonelyspeck was the calm before the storm, yet his closing guitar-based track gave a taste at what was to come. With one last smile and the chug of his guitar, his sedated nostalgia was a perfect introduction to the night.

Steady deep pulses paired with lights blasting into the audience set the stage before our long awaited and last encounter with The Dillinger Escape Plan. They crashed into their set, leaving no time to adjust your footing before bodies began moving in the mosh. Whether it was a pummelling brick wall of sound or a slap in the face as every hit turned heads - it just wasn't something you could prepare for.

Whenever the crowd ran out of breath, Dillinger just went harder and harder. It was only between songs where feedback driven interludes gave the band a break. With frontman Greg Puciato in a black hood, it seemed almost cultish as he led the audience from calculated chaos into breathtaking choruses. Guitarist Ben Weinman flung his guitar around as much as his body, taking every opportunity to escape standing still to play his lead lines and riffs. It wasn't a dissociated recital, but a shared experience.

With minimal use of backing tracks, they navigated their performance with authenticity, providing the same high octane execution they have since 1997. With songs from every album, it was a celebration of a long and full legacy. It was also a celebration of their influence, as everywhere you turned you saw musicians from across the wider Adelaide scene. Instead of playing a slower, more sentimental song to close the night, the pushed until the very end, closing with the song that started it all - 43% Burnt. Rest in Peace, The Dillinger Escape Plan.