The Dillinger Escape Plan is the kind of band that is “cool” to like. Kids drop their name and wear their t-shirts in a never-ending quest for scene points, whether or not they really listen to them. Well, Miss Machine is going to make all those kids actually listen.

DEP hasn’t released a full length record in five years. That fact alone will probably secure Miss Machine a spot on quite a few Top Ten of 2004 lists come December. 1999’s Calculating Infinity was a pioneering release that opened up numerous doors in heavy music, as it’s known today. 2002’s “Irony is a Dead Scene” EP added to the anticipation of a new full length, and the much delayed release of Miss Machine has solidified the band’s spot on the proverbial Hardcore Walk Of Fame.

Right off the bat, it’s apparent that Miss Machine is far more musically diverse than Calculating Infinity. The music is still chaotic and there are time changes a-plenty, but it’s easier to identify each part of the song and it actually gets catchy in some parts, something that Infinity never got around to being.

From the album’s opener, “Panasonic Youth,” Miss Machine is a non-stop assault on the listener, barely letting him or her catch their breath before the next song. New vocalist Greg Puciato makes his studio debut with the band on Miss Machine, and his performance will not disappoint. He goes from quiet whispers to top-of-the-lungs screeches at the drop of a hat, always keeping the listener on their toes.

The band obviously picked up a thing or two from Mike Patton (Faith No More, Fantomas), who sang on the “Irony” EP. Some of the vocals are heavily influenced by Patton’s almost sinister voice, particularly in “Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants.” While some fans may think of this as a departure from the screams that make up the rest of the album, it’s actually the perfect companion. In “Phone Home,” DEP actually sounds like Nine Inch Nails would if they had been on a steady diet of Motorhead before they recorded The Downward Spiral.

The Dilly P is a band that many people have already made up their minds about. Call it hardcore, metal, metal-core, math-rock, grind-core, or just plain noise, the style of music they play is often love it or hate it. However, with this release, they will convince a ton of new fans that they are more than just a popular name. Pray that they come anywhere near Wilmington in the next few months.