The 2023 Escape Plan

A retrospective about non-2023 albums

In 2023, I didn’t delve much into listening to older music due to a notorious yearly project that consumed a significant amount of time (read about it here https://www.interdimensionalvortex.com/posts/community/2023-08-11-compost-a-reflection-on-live-albums-and-the-failing-of-this-year-community-project/). I found myself exploring albums from the reliquary, which was not very fruitful, as you can imagine. Shout out to the worst album I have heard this year, Little Woman - Throat, that I described as ‘’a bunch of ducks playing Jazz’’ and gave a 2. It was obviously from CJ topster. 

Fortunately, I primarily listened to discographies, which proved to be a better alternative. This was especially true for a band I hadn’t paid much attention to before. In hindsight, I should have, as they ended up with 5 albums in my top 10 for the year.

The Diligent Discography of Dillinger Escape Plan

As a Patton stan, I must confess that I primarily stuck to “Irony Is a Dead Scene” before. I can hear your booos and see your disgusted faces, but even if this EP is good, it never quite motivated me to explore the rest of their discography. I gave their first album a listen once, but it didn’t resonate with me at the time; it felt a bit too edgy for my taste. So I ended up overlooking their other albums, but a friend convinced me to give them a chance, and so I did. The conflicting emotions of discovering good music later than expected are perplexing. I feel somewhat foolish for not delving into their other albums sooner, but perhaps this was meant to be; maybe I wouldn’t have appreciated those albums as much in the past. Anyway, since we enjoy making lists, here’s the ranking of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s discography:

1 - Miss Machine - 8/10 - 2004

Well, this album was quite a revelation, mainly because of Greg Pucciato. I believe what really won me over about this band is his performance. His ability to seamlessly switch from harsh screams to calm, smooth vocals or powerful cleans was the perfect complement to TDEP’s deranged and chaotic music. While there’s definitely a Patton-esque vibe, particularly on this album, there’s a more angsty tone, and Greg’s harsh vocals surpass Mike’s in my opinion. The influence of “Irony Is a Dead Scene” on this album is unmistakable, but they’ve dialed back the chaos and madness for a bit more groove and melody. They’ve also moved away from some of the more ‘cringy’ aspects of Mike Patton, like the cartoonish voices. With the much-improved production and better-integrated electronic elements, the album has developed its own personality, feeling more mature and refined. Tracks like “Panasonic Youth”, “Highway Robbery” and “Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants” showcase DEP’s songwriting skills, but I must confess, I have a soft spot for the album’s ‘ballad’, “Unretrofied” – a beautiful song that could’ve served as a perfect conclusion to the album.

2 - One of Us Is the Killer - 8/10 - 2013

The older DEP got, the less experimental and chaotic they became. The insanity is more controlled, calibrated and calculated. On “One of Us Is the Killer” they perfected a recipe they’ve known for years, knowing exactly what will resonate. This might diminish the element of surprise but it results in a solid and impressive album that feels effortless in its execution. Once again, the production is flawless, with outstanding musicianship;, the rhythm section really ties together everything that’s going on. Another notable difference in these later albums is the reduced interplay between clean and harsh vocals compared to “Miss Machine'' or “Ire Works”. Here, you have your mathcore brutal tracks like “Prancer” opening the album, followed by almost pop-like, very melodic songs, such as the title track or “Paranoia Shields”. Overall, it’s a very strong album, and it was reassuring to see that they hadn’t completely mellowed out. Yet. 

3 - Ire Works - 7/10 - 2007

Initially, I wasn’t sold on “Ire Works”. There’s a whole middle section sandwiched between “Black Bubblegum” and “Milk Lizard” consisting of odd electronic tracks, interludes, or short and average mathcore pieces. Tracks like “Sick on Sunday” and “When Acting as a Wave” are incredibly grating. For about 8 minutes in the middle of the album, you’re left scratching your head, wondering what’s happening and what the point of it all is.  This album seems to go in every direction, experimenting with various styles that don’t always hit the mark. Thankfully, there are 30 minutes of fantastic music to enjoy before and after that section. The album kicks off with three songs that slap; “Fix Your Face” might just be the best DEP opener. One standout, however, is their first ‘pop’ song, “Black Bubblegum”, a catchy tune that highlights Greg Pucciato’s versatility with clean vocals. But the pinnacle of the album is undoubtedly “Mouth of Ghosts”, the smooth and jazzy closer. It starts with an incredible piano track and ends with heavy riffing while Pucciato goes all out.

4 - Calculating Infinity - 7/10 - 1999

This album won’t make it into my top 10, as I’ve listened to it before, but I revisited it for the sake of completing the discography run. It’s chaotic, fast, brutal, angry and technical. Much less accessible than its successor, it offers a rewarding experience with great riffs and intense bursts of aggression that hit you hard. However, it leans a bit too heavily on the edgy side for my taste, and the former vocalist, Dimitri Minakakis, doesn’t stand out much; his hardcore harsh voice is decent but not exceptional. Additionally, I feel that most of the fast-paced songs follow a similar formula, which was innovative at the time but was improved upon in later works. Nonetheless, it remains a very enjoyable, albeit challenging listen, and deserves a spin if you’re unfamiliar with it—it’s a stone-cold classic, after all.

5 - Option Paralysis - 7/10 - 2010

Following the experimental “Ire Works,” they opted for a much more direct approach with this album. However, it might be a tad too straightforward this time around. It feels like a less refined version of the subsequent album, “One of Us Is the Killer”. The fast and chaotic tracks lack the same intensity and the more melodic ones aren’t as memorable or inspired. Consequently, the album occasionally feels sluggish for a band like TDEP. Nevertheless, I find myself enjoying most of the songs, particularly “Widower”, “Gold Teeth on a Bum”, and “Farewell, Mona Lisa” and I enjoyed coming back to it.

6 - Dissociation - 6/10 - 2016

Ah, there it is, their most overrated album. It marks the end of the band, which is sad, so it’s automatically good, right? I have to admit, they seemed to have called it quits at the right time because, despite being decent, all the signs point to them potentially releasing a dud after this one. Firstly, the album is a whopping 50 minutes long, their longest to date, and there doesn’t seem to be any good reason for it. All the songs drag, even an interlude like “Fugue,” is almost 4 minutes long. The transitions between the experimental, chaotic, and melodic sections often feel lazy and uninspired. Additionally, it’s their slowest album, which doesn’t help maintain energy levels throughout the runtime. Another gripe of mine is that it’s their least experimental/dissonant album, I often feel it was bordering on very typical progressive metal. And when a band starts leaning into prog later in their career, releasing longer and slower albums, it’s a sign that it might be time to think about disassociating yourself from boring music. It may sound harsh, but I found this album frustrating. While most of the songs are actually quite good, they simply go on for too long. I did enjoy some of them; there are still elements of what I love about TDEP in this album, although they feel somewhat diluted. Thankfully, the closer, the final album’s eponymous last song, is excellent—very emotive and fitting—which I believe is also why people tend to overrate this album. But I suppose they did manage to end on a high note.

Nu metal and heavenly voice 

In 2023, some goobers decided to embark on a Linkin Park discog run. Well, judging by their ratings, it seemed like a solid idea for just two albums before things went downhill fast. I must admit, I never really gave Linkin Park a listen before this year. Sure, I’d heard “Numb” or “In the End” before, but it never really caught my interest. Despite being only 5 when “Hybrid Theory” dropped, it seems like most metal enthusiasts my age began their journey with that album or its follow-up, “Meteora,” released three years later. I didn’t. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder why so many people on the Vortex were subjecting themselves to a fucking Linkin Park discography binge just to reminisce about their pimple-faced 13-year-old selves. We know nostalgia is a hell of an overrater and I see 8s and 9s given to Hybrid Theory and Meteora by those LPSoldiers (apparently this is how Linkin Park fans call themselves). Me? I don’t care about this band, I have no strings attached whatsoever, and my teenage years were absolutely awful, so nostalgia has no sway over me. I’M TOUGH AND I CAN RATE LINKIN PARK FAIRLY AND ACCURATELY WITHOUT THOSE SENTIMENTAL FEELINGS ALTERING MY JUDGMENT.

Well, they are actually quite good.

To be more precise, Hybrid Theory is a decent album and Meteora is downright great. I hear your disgruntled noises, LPSoldiers, but without the nostalgia clouding your ears, you would admit that Meteora is a better album than Hybrid Theory. It has better vocals, better rapping, better production, better riffs, better samples…

“Hybrid Theory” is still stuck in the tropes of late ’90s nu metal, with its subpar guitar noise, strange vocal production, and an overall cringiness that hasn’t aged well. On the flip side, “Meteora” presents a more modern face (with less acne), offering a cleaner and more effective music that knows exactly what it wants to be: a hit factory. Tracks like “Don’t Stay”, “Somewhere I Belong”, “Easier to Run”, “Faint”, “Breaking the Habit”, and “Numb” are just great—easy to listen to, catchy, and perfect for repeated plays. Plus, the level of cringe is significantly lower, making it much more enjoyable for multiple listens.

Another point I would like to make is that when “Meteora” dropped in 2003, Chester Bennington was already 27 and Mike Shinoda was 26— they were already dads, for god’s sake! It’s amusing that their music was often associated with edgy and angsty teenagers because, looking at the lyrics now as a 28-year-old myself, I could interpret them as more about the struggles of adult life. The struggle of maintaining connections with family, lovers, and friends, or finding your own path in a world where time is slipping away and your teenage dreams are no longer within reach.

So to cope with all of this, how about some escapism? And what better soundtrack for that for a music that seems to come from the heavens? I stumbled upon this band during a livestream, actually. Just before it began, “Cherry-Coloured Funk,” the opening track from “Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins, started playing. From the very first note, I was hooked. The ethereal synths drenched in reverb, that initial harmony—it all created an atmosphere of pure comfiness like floating on a cloud. 

And all of this was before Elizabeth Fraser arrived. 

She possesses one of the most beautiful voices I have heard. With her soprano range, both frail and powerful, she was just perfectly in sync with the music. Whenever she starts singing, it’s like the whole song is lifted to another level, especially in that opening track. It’s truly one of the best album openers I’ve heard, almost overshadowing the rest of the album, which, while not as flawless, is still incredibly good. It’s a bit of a shame no other tracks stand out, because you know you are past the best moment of the album once the song is over. Nevertheless, I still enjoy the rest of the album, particularly the title track and “Iceblink Luck”.

I also gave “Treasure” by Cocteau Twins a listen, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Many of the songs seem to come and go, with a lot of fade outs, which makes it feel somewhat redundant. It’s still enjoyable, thanks to Fraser’s stunning vocals, but the songwriting feels less refined. Cocteau Twinsare often mentioned alongside bands like Dead Can Dance, a favorite of mine. They were on the same label at the time. But where I think Dead Can Dance drape themselves in darkness and are playing a more somber music on their best albums, Cocteau Twins shines like the sun on Heaven or Las Vegas. 

From Brooklyn to Oulu, passing through Sydney and Kobe

Outside of metal, I also found enjoyment in Mos Def’s solo album, “Black on Both Sides.” It’s a deeply varied album, spanning from classic East Coast hip hop tracks to soul influence and jazz-infused beats. While the flow may feel somewhat dated, it remains highly enjoyable. Mos Def possesses a great voice and there’s a distinct vibe present throughout the entire album. The sample choices and mixing still feel fresh, and I particularly appreciated tracks like “Hip Hop” and “Ms. Fat Booty” that heavily rely on them. Other standout songs for me include “Mathematics” and “Know That”. Admittedly, the album is a bit lengthy, and the skits can be somewhat annoying, but overall, it’s a pleasant listening experience.

Another discography run I did this year was Kalmah. I’ve always had a soft spot for melodeath, and those Finns consistently deliver with solid riffs, nice lead melodies, and overall a very enjoyable kind of metal. “The Black Waltz” has long been a personal favorite of mine and this deep dive only confirmed that it stands as their strongest work. That being said, Kalmah has never really put out a stinker. Their albums tend to be similar, ensuring at least one or two standout tracks even in the more average releases. Out of the ones I hadn’t heard before, I feel like Swampsong has the best songs. The other choices could have been ‘’12 Gauge’’, but the synths are obnoxious, and ‘’They Will Return’’, but it’s less strong in the riff departments. 

Finally, I wrapped up another discography run this year with Radio Birdman. Well, it was a quick one considering they released a grand total of two albums during their existence. Jokes aside, I’ve always had a soft spot for their debut, “Radios Appear,” which stands as one of my favorite classic punk records. One of their major influences is Blue Öyster Cult, and it definitely shines through in their music—imagine a more angry and faster version of early BÖC’s sound. I wasn’t too familiar with their second album, “Living Eyes”, but I found it to be quite similar to their debut. Though the overall vibe is a tad different, with a slightly more melancholic tone. The songs are sadder and the energy in the songwriting is a bit more subdued. Still, tracks like “455 SD,” “I94,” and “Time to Fall” really hit the mark for me. Only the first two songs of the album felt a bit weak in comparison.

The last entry of my top 10 comes from Japan and is an EP. Mass of the Fermenting Dregs - World is Yours is a short 22 minutes of  post-hardcore with shoegaze influence. And obviously, as it’s from Japan, you get your J-Rock female voice on top of it. It manages to strike a nice balance between being quite energetic and still having a laid back attitude. Most of the songs are pretty good, my favorite is probably the punky ‘’She is Inside, He is Outside’’ but I also enjoyed the builds toward the finale of  ‘’Aoi, Koi Daidaiiro No Hi’’. It’s a short and sweet album, brimming with originality and variety.

Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and that you too will find good music this year. Here is my top 10 and long live The Vortex.   

1. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine - 8/10
2. Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas - 8/10
3. Linkin Park - Meteora - 8/10
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer - 8/10
5. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works - 7/10
6. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis - 7/10
7. Mos Def - Black On Both Sides - 7/10
8. Kalmah - Swampsong - 7/10
9. Radio Birdman - Living Eyes - 7/10
10. Mass of the Fermenting Dregs - World is Yours - 7/10