Option Paralysis (Bonus Version)

The Dillinger Escape Plan | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 22, 2010
• Label: Season of Mist
• Copyright: (c) 2010 Season of Mist
• Total Length: 44:13
• Genres: Hard Rock & Metal/Thrash & Speed Metal
• ASIN: B0035MLBAI
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,199 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)
  • #79 in MP3 Downloads > MP3 Albums > Hard Rock & Metal > Thrash & Speed Metal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another decade, another brilliant DEP album, March 23, 2010

By 

General Zombie (the West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Option Paralysis (Dig) (Audio CD)

With "Option Paralysis," The Dillinger Escape Plan, one of extreme metal's most unpredictable groups, release a somewhat predictable album. Though it contains refinements and slight variations on their sound, there isn't much here that one couldn't imagine on a previous release. As a raving fanboy for the last 8 or so years, I would hardly want DEP to radically alter their sound, mind you, but there's little use denying that they are currently filling in and adding color to their niche, rather than truly expanding it. Fortunately, other aspects that remain from prior releases are the impeccable musicianship and an unsurpassed songwriting sense for a technical band. DEP have here, more than on "Miss Machine" or "Ire Works," achieved a balance between the kinetic, rhythmically baffling avant-garde jazz-metal of "Calculating Infinity" with their more melodic and industrial/electronic influenced side. All this makes "Option Paralysis" a first-rate summation of DEPs career thus far, and while I'm not yet prepared to ascertain its relative position within the DEP canon, I am ready to declare it another blistering, 5 star masterpiece. (That's 4 in a row, for those keeping score . . .)

DEP's oft-changing lineup has been mixed up again with the addition of Billy Rymer on drums. Neither Pennie or Sharone seem easy to replace, but a collaborative as talented as DEP surely has the pick of the crop when it comes to new members, and Rymer is more than up for the task. As I have heard others suggest, Rymer seems to be more of a pure rock drummer than his more jazz-inflected predecessors, but he can still manage the absurd time signatures and changes with dexterity while adding perhaps even more brute force. The rest of the group remains the same, with bandleader Weinman apparently filling in all of the guitar duties and the underappreciated Wilson getting a bit more room in the mix this time to show off his considerable talents. (This has the best production since their debut, imo.) Most notable, however, is Puciato's continued improvement. While I've always thought he was often unjustly and sometimes idiotically criticized (he's too muscular!), he's undoubtedly developed better control and range than previously, and blends into the cacophony with ease.

At ten tracks and over 41 minutes, "Option Paralysis" is DEPs longest and most balanced record. While "Ire Works" was perhaps slightly short on the pure tech-metalcore mayhem, here DEP set the record straight with a longer batch of "Calculating Infinity" style crushers. "Endless Endings" replicates the sound of that classic most perfectly, with some of their most elaborate riffs and unbelievable drum thunder giving way to some smoother but still incredibly frenetic atmospheric jazz material, while "Room Full of Eyes" has among the noisiest, most uncontrolled guitarwork in their catalog. They do mix things up a bit more on this material than in the past, with some relatively simple, bludgeoning break in "Good Neighbor" and the smooth, jazzy piano that accompanies the middle of "I Wouldn't If You Didn't." This pure mathcore material is all ferocious and expertly executed, and if it isn't quite as devastating as the best work on "Calculating Infinity" well, neither is anything else.

"Widower" invariably gets the most attention of the more melodic material. Most notable for a discordant yet gorgeous piano solo from Mike Garson, Puciato also shines on this one, though I think he's even better on the relatively conventional "Gold Teeth on a Bum," which has perhaps my favorite vocal melodies of any DEP track. Most impressive of the more varied tracks, however, is the first single "Farewell, Mona Lisa." This is one of DEP's most fully realized tracks, moving from pure speed to more atmospheric material before the bludgeoning close. It could be trimmed slightly, but it displays a surprising ability to force their madness into a more coherent form. We also have "Chinese Whispers," one of their more conventional tracks that largely replicates a typical post-hardcore sound, albeit with a little odd time trickery thrown in. Not their best track, but is works and shows a slightly different side to the band. Finally, the album closes with "Parasitic Twins." DEP have done electronic and industrially flavored tracks in the past, but none have been as purely atmospheric and melodic as this. It's actually a relative weak point, but it stands out stylistically and thus makes an intriguing coda.

Needless to say, "Option Paralysis" won't likely convert anyone who disliked the band before. But if you need more of the fix on The Dillinger Escape Plan can give you, well, here's another dose. Check it out.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars grow with this artist!, March 26, 2010

By 

Mr. Penguin "mrpenguin" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Option Paralysis (Spec) (Dig) (Audio CD)

i've never reviewed a DEP album before, yet i now own all of them. i'm in the boat of people that checked these guys out b/c of the EP with Mike Patton (lucky enough to have caught them open for Mr. Bungle in 1999). if you want a CHALLENGING artist, this is where you go. i like that it took me awhile to "get it". much like the MELVINS, it didn't click with me right away. it's not as if it's an acquired taste, because it is definitely not forced. it's like enrolling in a math class. at first, it's foreign. as you either pass or fail, you choose the path. is this something worth trying to understand? with this band - yes. ok, i'm rambling, here's the review:

are you already a fan? did you like 'IRE WORKS'? then you'll enjoy this album. you accepted change. is it the next logical step for the band. no. if you're looking for 'IRE WORKS' 2, this ain't it. at first, i guess i wanted a sequel to one of my favorite albums of all time, but with each listen, i'm glad it isn't. all of their previous albums live and breathe on their own. you fundamentally enjoy it or you don't.

#1) the mix and mastering are definitely top notch. previous albums, i kinda wanted a little more of this or that, but this one delivers. previous efforts did not lack, but, this is the kind of band that only live can you experience the aural onslaught properly. this release comes REALLY close to the live setting. it hits. hard.

#2) the rhythm section is tighter than ever and in your face more than previous albums (this goes along with #1). so good to hear Liam Wilson's talent as a bass player break through the skin. it's easy to be a fan of this band's previous drummers, but to be able to play all of that AND be able to write up to snuff with the current vibe deserves much respect. Billy Rymer? he owns.

#3) whereas 'IRE WORKS' was more song by song with experimental interludes - this one just chugs song right after song, some let you take a breath, others don't. hard to explain, but being a huge fan of their previous album, i found it hard to let go of the previous concepts. in short, i listen to this album as it's own entity and enjoy what i hear. fearing 'IRE WORKS' was untoppable, it was at first difficult to "feel" it. of course, before the first listen was over, it clicked. i grew with the artist. it's like a familiarity with something and bonding with it's roots. welcoming changes, because they are still an interesting listen. there are bands that i'll buy no matter what they release, HELMET, for instance. i may prefer this or that, but i still pull from it what i want from it. the evolution is a thrill in itself. the versatility and the added piano pieces are what i feel to be the band becoming a bigger island. stretching their boundaries and touching more of the unknown. on this disc, when you think it's gonna hit, it may not, and that's what makes it more interesting. as a previous reviewer stated, if you didn't enjoy 'mouth of ghosts' that may summarize your mixed feelings on this release. 'mouth of ghosts' live changed me and my life for the better. amazing.

#4) Greg Puciato - this vocalist continually surprises me. he could tackle any genre. it's like watching someone come into their own, literally watching someone join and then become. 'MISS MACHINE' is really, really good. but i wanted a litle more versatility because i knew he had the chops. you can almost hear him as a hire on, but barely. you only notice at all because each album he's closer to the music. the albums he has been on, he continually puts his own stamp on their sound and has become more than just the "singer". his voice lends another inspired instrument to this group, a puzzle piece that he cut himself. not forced in, but rather, firmly placed.

#5) Weinman!!! to be in this guy's musical head! not sure he gets the credit he should. he writes some serious thinking man's metal. songs that by the time you're gettin' it, it's off to the next turn. un-ignorable. so important. unpredictable. genius. so glad he keeps this all going. can't imagine the challenges of line-up changes. this kind of band, i'd love to hear track by track, the songwriting process, out-takes, etc. this is real life music. constructed out of flesh, the brain, the hands to sound like a machine that gets broken by the same hands. it's up to the listener if it ever sounds fixed.

#6) Tuttle is doin' it! adding some killer back-up vox on this disc, he holds it down with the rhythm section. he adds the growl to the pound. live, an integral part of this band's performance. sheer power!

if you're a fan, you'll love this album. if you have a favorite album from them and you're awaiting the sequel, open your mind. or just hold on tight to that fave album. this new disc has a warmth and a soul that the others didn't strive for. if it had been their intention, the past albums would've been released as such. this is where they are now, current line-up. all giving 200% for the sake of each song. delivering their part as much or as little in content but contextually thru the roof. this band acknowledges its fan-base and appreciates us. that alone would make me a fan, but damn! their music...! energy! passion! that's just a portion of my devotion to this fine band.

is this a review? is it a song by song opinionated run-down? no. this is an easy choice. you either like them or you don't. new listeners, prepare to throw out your ideals and conceptions of what music could be. a review is pointless to most because fans already have this album! are you new to this band? hear 'farewell mona lisa'? if you dug it, you just scratched the surface of the universe that the DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN built, destroyed, and built up again. i'll continue to live there, happily. any and all of the albums have a common thread: unescapable sound. this album is essential.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Carefully calculated chaos, March 24, 2010

By 

R. Levine - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Option Paralysis (Spec) (Dig) (Audio CD)

It felt, at least to me, like a ridiculously long wait between Dillinger's last album and this one. It certainly has paid off. This album is brutal, but it also adds to what they achieved on the last album. There is more piano, and overall there is more variety than I'm sure some fans will want. I would easily recommend this album to anyone who enjoyed "Ire Works." The songs that I feel deserve special mention include "Farewell, Mona Lisa," "Widower," and "Parasitic Twins." The final song (the aforementioned "Parasitic Twins") is not unlike the final song on "Ire Works," so if you hated "Mouth of Ghosts" You're probably not going to feel too kindly toward this one. This album is relentlessly brutal while adding to the sound that Dillinger have been going for lately, and is in my opinion, a great success.

The packaging also deserves a mention simply because it is unlike anything I have ever seen. I don't necessarily want to spoil the surprise, but it sure is something.