DISSOCIATION

The supposed final album from The Dillinger Escape Plan comes as 2016's 'Dissociation', a record that fits the description of chaotic, mechanical and sprawling, formally and stylistically in line with the rest of the band's work, the aspect that makes this great release special is the subtlety of the production and the even greater attention to detail as the band embrace a few jazz mannerisms and indicate an eventual influence from IDM, playing with electronic sounds on a few of the album tracks. All of this comes at the premise that none of the aggression goes away, since 'Dissociation' serves virtually all elements making TDEP's sound recognizable, especially the technically astute riffing, dynamic tempo shifts and frantic rhythms as well as the unmatched abrasiveness of Greg Puciato's vocals. It almost feels like this album summarized the sound of the band in a glorious way, despite treading on mostly familiar ground.

Some of the techniques utilized here have been heard of before, like the constant and chaotic shifts within the songs, the fragmented and puzzling song structures, the dazzling technicality as well as the seamless transition between episodes of unbridled brutality and magnificent jazz phrasing, precisely displaying the immense set of skills of each instrumentalist here. Following the established formula, the album opens up with a very dynamic piece, this is 'Limerent Death' here, a worthy competitor to 'Prancer' from the band's 2013 release. A couple more interesting variations of these heavy entries follow, some of which are more compelling than others, like 'Symptom of Terminal Illness' or 'Apologies Not Included'. The jazzier influences prevail on 'Low Feels Blvd' and 'Honeysuckle', while the alternative and electronic sounds are left for fascinating tracks like 'FUGUE' and the closing title track. 'Dissociation' is a really solid album that serves a multitude of familiar sounds, all of which are really refined and well-done, which is truly commendable, making this the impressive exit of an otherwise excellent band, even if a somewhat uneasy and demanding listen.