Miss Machine
Encyclopedia
Miss Machine is the second album by American mathcore
band The Dillinger Escape Plan
, released in July 2004 through Relapse Records. It is the first release by the band to feature vocalist Greg Puciato
. Miss Machine marks a change to a more experimental style by the band, it still follows their notorious mathcore musical style, but is less aggressive than their previous album Calculating Infinity
.
The album is The Dillinger Escape Plan's first album since 1999, the gap between albums being accredited to a number of bad fortunes, and a short EP
release with lead vocals being performed by Mike Patton
. There were three music videos made for the album ("Panasonic Youth", "Unretrofied", and "Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants") directed by Neurosis'
Josh Graham. The band decided to feature metalcore
producer Steve Evetts
to produce the album.
, Miss Machine was considerably the band's most experimental release to date, as the band drew from the experience of working with Mike Patton
and the industrial
influence of bands such as Nine Inch Nails
. It is also arguably their most accessible due to the band toning down the musical complexity and adding new elements like slower song tempos, singing vocals, and more straight-forward song structures.
Due to Mike Patton collaborating with the band, his experimental influences began to rub off on The Dillinger Escape Plan. In addition, Greg Puciato
was involved in an industrial band around the same time as the release of Miss Machine, all of which would form their sound on Miss Machine. The album turned out to be much more experimental, and include many more jazz-fusion elements and electronics. Weinman's guitars were not as prominent in the mix, and Pennie's drumming was not as demanding. Their newer, experimental sound was a hit with critics, as they garnered much attention due to the shift in sound; however, the band's change lead to split views amongst fans: some embraced their new sound while others detested it.
/link indicating favorable reviews.
(North America)
Production
Mathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
band The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
, released in July 2004 through Relapse Records. It is the first release by the band to feature vocalist Greg Puciato
Greg Puciato
Greg Puciato is the lead singer of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is known for his reckless live performances, wide vocal range, and outspoken views, having caused controversy due to both performances and interviews...
. Miss Machine marks a change to a more experimental style by the band, it still follows their notorious mathcore musical style, but is less aggressive than their previous album Calculating Infinity
Calculating Infinity
Calculating Infinity is the debut album by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, released in September 1999 by Relapse Records. Calculating Infinity showcases the band's heavier and more technical sound and would go on to be considered a landmark of avant-garde metal...
.
The album is The Dillinger Escape Plan's first album since 1999, the gap between albums being accredited to a number of bad fortunes, and a short EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
release with lead vocals being performed by Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
. There were three music videos made for the album ("Panasonic Youth", "Unretrofied", and "Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants") directed by Neurosis'
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
Josh Graham. The band decided to feature metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
producer Steve Evetts
Steve Evetts
Steve Evetts is a music producer who has produced music for Alesana, Poison the Well, A Static Lullaby, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Sepultura, Symphony X, Saves the Day, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Story of the Year, Every Time I Die, Earth Crisis, Still Remains and Our Last Night.-Partial...
to produce the album.
Musical direction
Until the band's 2007 release of the further groundbreaking Ire WorksIre Works
-Personnel:* Greg Puciato – vocals* Ben Weinman – guitar, piano, sound design, programming, and backing vocals* Liam Wilson – bass* Gil Sharone – drums, percussion-Additional personnel:* Dimitri Minakakis – backing vocals on "Fix Your Face"...
, Miss Machine was considerably the band's most experimental release to date, as the band drew from the experience of working with Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
and the industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
influence of bands such as Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. It is also arguably their most accessible due to the band toning down the musical complexity and adding new elements like slower song tempos, singing vocals, and more straight-forward song structures.
Due to Mike Patton collaborating with the band, his experimental influences began to rub off on The Dillinger Escape Plan. In addition, Greg Puciato
Greg Puciato
Greg Puciato is the lead singer of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is known for his reckless live performances, wide vocal range, and outspoken views, having caused controversy due to both performances and interviews...
was involved in an industrial band around the same time as the release of Miss Machine, all of which would form their sound on Miss Machine. The album turned out to be much more experimental, and include many more jazz-fusion elements and electronics. Weinman's guitars were not as prominent in the mix, and Pennie's drumming was not as demanding. Their newer, experimental sound was a hit with critics, as they garnered much attention due to the shift in sound; however, the band's change lead to split views amongst fans: some embraced their new sound while others detested it.
Critical reception
The critical reception for Miss Machine was relatively favorable, with Allmusic going so far as to say, "There's nothing more to say — the next true image of rock & roll has crawled out of the swamps of Jersey." Despite being positive in their review, Pitchfork noticed "Though Miss Machine displays DEP in top musical form, the band seems to have lost its confidence and direction." Rolling Stone, however, was negative, noticing "unless you're trying to drive a third world dictator out of his barricaded palace, you'll be hard pressed to listen to Miss Machine in its entirety." Miss Machine has earned a metascore of 80 on review aggregate site MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
/link indicating favorable reviews.
Track listing
Chart positions
Album – BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
(North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Billboard 200 | 106 |
| 2004 | Top Heatseekers | 2 |
| 2004 | Top Independent Albums | 4 |
| 2004 | Top Internet Albums | 106 |
Personnel
The Dillinger Escape Plan- Ben WeinmanBen WeinmanBen Weinman is an American musician, who is most notable for being the lead guitarist for the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is the founder and only original member remaining in the band....
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Brian BenoitBrian BenoitBrian Benoit was a guitarist for The Dillinger Escape Plan. Before playing in Dillinger, Brian played in Jesuit with eventual Converge bassist Nate Newton. He was also an early live-only member in Virginia youth crew revival band Time Flies...
– guitar - Chris PennieChris PennieChris Pennie is the former drummer for the progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria and former drummer and co-founder of mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan.-Background:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Greg PuciatoGreg PuciatoGreg Puciato is the lead singer of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is known for his reckless live performances, wide vocal range, and outspoken views, having caused controversy due to both performances and interviews...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Liam WilsonLiam WilsonLiam Wilson is the bass player of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan and former bass player of the band Starkweather. Before playing in the Dillinger Escape Plan, Liam played bass for other Philadelphia-based metal bands, such as For Life and Burnside.-Personal life:A vegan who is concerned about...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Production
- Steve EvettsSteve EvettsSteve Evetts is a music producer who has produced music for Alesana, Poison the Well, A Static Lullaby, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Sepultura, Symphony X, Saves the Day, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Story of the Year, Every Time I Die, Earth Crisis, Still Remains and Our Last Night.-Partial...
– producer, engineering, mixing - Jesse CannonJesse CannonJesse Cannon is a music producer/engineer/mixer and founder of currently based in Union City, New Jersey.- Records produced :#Aim Of Conrad/Transistor Transistor?...
– "Additional ProtoolingPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
" - Tom Shumway – assistant engineer
- James RussoJames RussoJames Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 90 films in three decades.-Early life:...
– assistant engineer - Alan Douches – mastering
- Mike Watkajtys – live sound engineer
- Brian Montuori – artwork and direction
- Dimitri MinakakisDimitri MinakakisDimitri Minakakis grew up in Morristown, New Jersey. Minakakis is the original singer and founding member of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. Minakakis left the band in 2001 to focus more on Graphic Arts/Design...
– layout and design - Matthew Jacobson – executive producer