Genre: Mathcore / Experimental Metal / Hardcore / Chaoscore™
From: Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA 🇺🇸
Active: 1997–2017 (R.I.P. to your eardrums)
Name Origin: A nod to notorious bank-robbing legend John Dillinger — fitting, because this band stole your sense of rhythm and punched your jaw on the way out.
Their sound?
Imagine Mr. Bungle jamming with Meshuggah while on fire inside a collapsing drum kit. Yeah. That.
💣 THE BAND THAT COULDN’T SIT STILL (Line-up evolved A LOT):
Core Wrecking Crew:
- Ben Weinman – Guitar / Architect of the chaos, human pinball
- Greg Puciato – Vocals (2001–2017) / Shred-throat savant, sex symbol of screams
- Liam Wilson – Bass / Groove ninja, chakra king
- Billy Rymer / Chris Pennie / Gil Sharone – Drums / All absolute lunatics. We mean that lovingly.
- Brian Benoit / Jeff Tuttle / James Love – Live guitar commandos
Early fans will remember:
- Dmitri Minakakis – OG vocalist (1997–2001)
- Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle / Faith No More) – Guest vocals on Irony Is a Dead Scene 🧠🧛♂️
💿 DILLINGER DISCOGRAPHY – NO SKIPS, JUST SCARS
🧨 Calculating Infinity (1999)
🎧 43% Burnt, Sugar Coated Sour
Vibe: Straight-up mathcore masterpiece.
Legacy: The technical blueprint. Brutal, brainy, berserk.
🧠🔥 Still scares drummers to this day.
🎭 Irony Is a Dead Scene (EP, 2002 – feat. Mike Patton)
🎧 When Good Dogs Do Bad Things
Vibe: Art-metal madness. Patton unchained.
Legacy: Unreal vocal chaos. A fever dream with breakdowns.
🚒 Miss Machine (2004)
🎧 Panasonic Youth, Unretrofied
Vibe: Chaos meets melody. Greg Puciato arrives.
Legacy: The shift begins. STILL HEAVY. More dynamic.
💥🤘 Unretrofied = Dillinger doing Depeche Mode while bleeding.
🧬 Ire Works (2007)
🎧 Milk Lizard, Black Bubblegum
Vibe: Genre-bending brilliance. Funk, jazz, grind – all in one.
Legacy: Divisive for purists. Brilliant for chaos gremlins.
💀 Option Paralysis (2010)
🎧 Farewell, Mona Lisa, Gold Teeth on a Bum
Vibe: Dark, destructive, intelligent.
Legacy: Maybe their best blend of madness & emotion.
🔥 One of Us Is the Killer (2013)
🎧 Prancer, Nothing’s Funny
Vibe: Rage, beauty, and massive grooves.
Legacy: A masterclass in restraint and release.
⚰️ Dissociation (2016)
🎧 Limerent Death, Symptom of Terminal Illness
Vibe: The swan song. Equal parts tragic and triumphant.
Legacy: A band ending on their own terms. Emotional chaos.
💔🥁 Farewell tour broke hearts — and probably venue ceilings.
🔥 THE RIFF REPORT’S ESCAPE PLAN PLAYLIST:
🎸 43% Burnt – Mathcore’s national anthem
🎸 Milk Lizard – Saxophone breakdowns?! Sign us up.
🎸 Prancer – Live show starter. Goes OFF.
🎸 Farewell, Mona Lisa – Emotional destruction
🎸 Limerent Death – Puciato’s final scream = goosebumps AND nightmares
💀 THE DILLINGER LIVE SHOW – PURE FERAL MAYHEM
- Ben Weinman once stage-dived WITH HIS GUITAR MID-SOLO
- Greg Puciato has literally thrown his mic stand across the venue
- Gear got smashed. Lights got pulled. Blood was real.
- They once set fire to their own amps. No joke.
It wasn’t just a gig – it was survival. If you left a Dillinger show unbruised and unshook, did you even go?
🧨 WHY DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN STILL MATTER:
Because they:
- Redefined heaviness without ever repeating themselves
- Brought artistry to brutality – and vice versa
- Refused to play safe – or even in 4/4 time
- Influenced literally EVERY chaotic modern band (looking at you, Knocked Loose and Rolo Tomassi)
- Went out on THEIR terms. No cash-grab reunion. Just… boom. Done.
And because no band ever did it like Dillinger. Or ever will.
🎤 FINAL VERDICT FROM THE RIFF REPORT:
The Dillinger Escape Plan were chaos in human form.
***They didn’t just make metal – they rewrote the damn manual and then shredded it on stage with a flying dropkick.
Want riffs that punch through concrete?
Want songs that sound like quantum math having a breakdown?
Want live shows that leave you sweating, sobbing, and slightly concussed?
Then ***you don’t listen to Dillinger – you survive them.
💥 NO ONE ESCAPES. 💥
The Riff Report sets the amps ablaze and salutes the kings of chaos:
LONG LIVE THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN.
Now go learn “43% Burnt” on guitar, ya coward. 🧨🤘💀
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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