The Dillinger Escape Plan – One Of Us Is The Killer

The Dillinger Escape Plan's fifth LP might not grip listeners with anything quite so visceral as throat-grabbing past staples like Fix Your Face or Panasonic Youth; One Of Us Is The Killer is instead presented as a seamless, interconnected narrative rather than a collection of short, controlled bursts. Chaos still reigns: Prancer opens the record with vicious guitar-stabs before settling into a towering groove, whilst Hero of the Soviet Union's wasp-swarm assault of discordant riffs and complex, polyrhythmic drum patterns is truly relentless.

Instrumental CH 375 268 277 ARS (good luck requesting that live) is reminiscent of the cold technicality of Calculating Infinity-era Dillinger, whereas the title track boasts a clean vocal performance from singer Greg Puciato, whose overall contributions once again vary from enraged, testosterone-fueled barks to soft, sincere croons. A varied beast, then, yet the sum feels more like a checklist of previously employed tricks than a true evolution. [Ross Watson]