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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Miss Machine
EMAILPRINTby The Dillinger Escape Plan
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 11 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Relapse
Release Date: 20 July 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Experimental
Summary
The inventive but challenging hardcore outfit returns with their first full-length studio recording since 1999's 'Calculating Infinity.'
Also By This Artist: Ire Works
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Drowned In Sound
It's the (insert made-up genre here, including the word 'progressive' and/or suffix '-core') album of the year.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
When a band like the Dillinger Escape Plan is able to duplicate the intensity of the previous album, yet at the same time create music that actually possesses (gasp!) commercial appeal, daring to cause an uproar among dyed-in-the-wool hardcore fans, you know they're on to something memorable.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
Giant mutant rats are running about the place with gasmasks and guns. Their eyeballs are electric red, firing lightning bolts of acid, spit and shit and blowing up the place and the furniture.
Read Full Review >Spin
Gleefully impurist and highly addictive. [Sep 2004, p.122]
Tiny Mix Tapes
Miss Machine simply crackles with stress; not stress over homework or girlfriends, but the kind of stress a bunch of semis put on a bridge.
Read Full Review >Dusted Magazine
Rage, speed, and math are still here; but there’s a cinematic scope and a real attention to mood and texture that’s new.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
The group’s move toward a math-metal-industrial fusion is a welcome one that should help to bring them fans that have never heard the group before.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
As intelligent as it is ferocious. [31 Jul 2004, p.40]
Pitchfork
DEP is still struggling to re-establish a unified and compelling sound, and their newfound penchant for melodic exploration seems out of place amid the album's most inspired thrash moments.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
The last 10 or so minutes of the CD veer between bursts of riff noise more smoothly recorded than expected and washes of music to watch soft porn by, indicating the charm of being proudly abrasive and busy is wearing off.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
dave g gave it a10:
Different but fun.
casey l gave it a3:
it will never compare to calculating infinity and the new singer seems out of place almost giving this album a "funny" sound
vicmar b gave it a10:
this album is too serious, if you like counting crazy time signatures......by all means please
Leah L gave it a 10:
This CD is nothing short of amazing!! The Dillinger Escape Plan is completely and utterly AMAZING and thats it end of story.
Beercan gave it a 9:
Intense, technically brilliant, and near-unforgettable, Miss Machine is an essential purchase - though Creed fans and those who don't like to be challenged can stay far away. Rather than try to top their infamous 1999 debut, Calculating Infinity, Dillinger opt instead to streamline and develop their assault, adding industrial elements and some clean singing to flesh things out. These changes might turn off some hardline fans, but most will be rightfully spellbound. Bonus: "Phone Home", the best Nine Inch Nails song Trent Reznor never wrote.
Dweble gave it a 10:
I would give this album a 9.5, but There are only whole numbers and I would rather give it a 10 than a 9. I purchased the album with high expectations and was not disappointed at all. The opening song (Panasonic Youth) was amazing, and it never went down from there. When I first heard the few songs with almost possible sing-a-long parts to them, I was alarmed for a moment, but then heard that everything still worked in that Dillinger-bad-ass way. 'Unretrofied' was something completely new for DEP. I like it though. Even with it's bordering mainstream chorus, the song still possessed that ingredient DEP puts in their work that I can't put my finger on. I'm not sure whether it is the flawless execution of the technicalities, or the brilliant playing of the musicalities, but it impresses me and encourages constant re-listening. I think they picked up a lot from Mike Patton. His presence is definatly felt on 'Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants', among many other tracks. Also, I am glad to see they returned, on several songs, to the calculating infinity sound. Fans of 'Irony Is A Dead Scene' and 'Calculating Infinity' alike will surely love 'Miss Machine.' The jazz/fusion breakdowns are still there, the insane blasts of noise in 15/16 and god knows what other time signatures are there, Patton-influenced omnious vocals are there, Dimitri-style hardcore vocals are there... and there are also new elements. An almost reznor-type approach was used on 'Phone Home.' 'Unretrofied' is unlike anything ever attempted by DEP, and all of it works. Even the over lapped guitar riffs, that don't seem to go together, work. The constant time signature changing isn't awkward at all, and seems like the artists arn't even trying. The ONLY criticism I have of this master piece is the lyrics. 99% of them are great. A very few lines bother me. They just seem to commerical-metal. That is another thing I loved about 'Calculating Infinity' - just the awesome lyrics. I don't know who is doing the song writing, but the consistency with the bad-assness of past works isn't always present. Like I was saying, 99% of the lyrics are great! There is just that 1% that is too angry-kid metal band. When that is attempted, it is almost always cheesy sounding and doesn't impress/appeal to anyone over 15. That is my only beef with 'Miss Machine.' As I said, it is only 2 or 3 lines in the whole album, and that is hardly anything to dock it for. Overall, it is yet another impressive masterpiece from a continually impressive band.
mauro gave it a 10:
awesome. best hc/metal/grind cd of the new millenium
