HARDCORE ANALYSIS

Dillinger vs. Candiria:
Anomalies Made Commonplace

N THE PAST FIVE YEARS, QUITE A FEW THINGS HAVE changed in hardcore music. One would be hard pressed to find any single inch of the scene that hasn’t been affected by either Dillinger Escape Plan or Candiria. Before ground-breaking albums by both bands, the idea of jazz-infused hardcore would have seemed incongruous, like one of those Pennsylvania license plates with the cute, little otter slapped on a fucking Suburban. (Unless you’re a Zorn fan, in which case, my deepest apologies for insulting your foresight.) But now, math metal has bands throwing around time signatures like they do their guitars. Just in time for two highly anticipated and long awaited new albums from these two vets to re-enter the fray.

First, Dillinger. After 1999’s Calculating Infinity blew everyone away, singer Dimitri Minakakis left the band on good terms, in 2001. The band proceeded to audition new vocalists, choosing a then-unknown Greg Puciato (you might recognize him from Error, a hardcore/techno hybrid project released on Epitaph). In the meantime, Dillinger recorded an EP with Mike Patton, Irony Is A Dead Scene, simultaneously earning praises and groans for its added dynamics, use of samples, inherent Patton-esque weirdness, and (gasp)…an Aphex Twin cover? But, as anyone who has seen Dillinger live knows, they like to cover some off the wall songs. Anything from The Police to Nine Inch Nails has been fair game. But after the Patton EP, what lay in the future for the band was anyone’s guess. (Panasonic youth, phone home)
The last time Candiria was supposed to play Pittsburgh, in September of 2002, they didn’t. The show was cancelled, just like the previous time the band was supposed to stop here. But, as some might’ve heard after the show was cancelled, the band’s tour van had been all but obliterated by a tractor-trailer truck while they were on board. Every member of the Brooklyn-based group was hospitalized with serious injuries. At the time, Candiria was touring in support of their album The Coma Imprint, a double-disc of remixed old songs, and a look into far-reaching side projects of bandmates. Unlike 2001’s 300 Percent Density, which was a pummeling experience built upon massive riffs, intricate structure, and a large helping of jazz-based musicianship, this album showed the different interests of each member, ranging from jazz to hip-hop to techno. So when the buzz around the release of a new album in 2004 was to “expect something different,” the possibilities seemed endless.

That brings us up to date. Both bands set forth on a path less traveled, and subsequently left everyone wondering just what their new albums, Dillinger’s Miss Machine and Candiria’s What Doesn’t Kill You…, would sound like. The transitions from old to new are not overwhelming, but both outfits have certainly been anything but stagnant. In the case of Miss Machine, Greg Puciato has proved a worthy vocal successor, and in some ways the superior to Minanakis. His stylistic range encompasses everything from pure hardcore throat raping to the more versatile melodies seen with Mike Patton. As for the entire band, there is vintage Dillinger here, with the likes of “Panasonic Youth” and “Baby’s First Coffin” taking Calculating Infinity to a new level. But the most unique additions are the very industrial and ambient tones that appear on tracks like “Phone Home.” It is very obvious where the credit should be given, with Puciatio doing his best Trent Reznor impersonation. As for What Doesn’t Kill You…, the results are more varied. The synopsis of the album, as put forward by the title and artwork, is the band’s survival of their horrific accident. What comes through the speakers once you play it is a varied attempt at moving forward. The opening track, “Dead Bury the Dead,” is very fitting of previous offerings, with an amazing coordination of riffage and rhythm. But this album is layered with vocal harmonies (yes, I’m still talking about Candiria) and bright guitar tones, as seen on “Remove Yourself” and “Down.” While the jazz bursts are gone, there is a well-blended construction. The songs are much more simplified and catchy, a vast departure for a band that writes songs in chapters. Just wait until the final track, an instrumental full of Mahavishnu Orchestra jazz fusion. The vocals give way to a perhaps unjustified but nevertheless apparent comparison to Sevendust, along with many songs giving a very In Flames-type vibe.

So, what’s the verdict on both new albums from these math metal pioneers? Mixed, just like their songs. I think opinions will be kinder for the Dillinger Escape Plan. Their complex attack of mind-boggling guitar and breakneck drumming has been enhanced with the new vocals and added flourishes that set Miss Machine on a high and mighty pedestal. The purists may still scoff, but not as grievously as the diehard Candiria fans will. It’s not a bad thing that the band is now getting airplay and more mainstream attention with this album. It is a bad thing that they are touring with Kittie. I won’t even get started. What Doesn’t Kill You… is in no way a bad album. The songwriting and skill of this band is still very apparent. It just seems that their focus has switched directions. But how can you blame them? I’ve never been in a vehicle hit by a tractor-trailor. Maybe when it happened to them, they saw dollar signs instead of a white light.

– ZACH BRADEN