The Dillinger Escape Plan is a mathcore band that integrates metalcore with free jazz via varying time signatures and free jazz guitar interludes. They are known for the intensity and too-close-for-comfort violence of their live shows, and are rumored to choose their music's time signatures with the aid of dice, or with the use of some kind of code. Their name refers to outlaw John Dillinger, given their use of samples relating to him in their early live shows. They have been dubbed by NME as "The Worlds Most Dangerous Band" and Kerrang!! as "The Best Live Band on the Planet."
Greg Puciato - vocals Ben Weinman - guitar Brian Benoit - guitar due to Brian's injury, James Love filled in during live shows from late 2004 through 2005 Liam Wilson - bass Chris Pennie - drums
The band's beginnings can be traced back to a hardcore band by the name of Arcane. Arcane's lineup during their final performance included vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, Ben Weinman and Derek Brantley on guitars, drummer Chris Pennie, and Adam Doll filling in on bass. They performed twice with this lineup as Dillinger Escape Plan before Brantley left the group. Managed by longtime friend and whale hunter Tom Apostolopoulos, the band recorded a demo which Now or Never Records offered to release on CD. John Fulton joined the band, filling the vacancy left by Derek Brantley, shortly before the band's first tour. Dillinger Escape Plan gained notoriety in the hardcore scene for the intensity of their performances, and It was this notoriety that garnered the attention of Relapse Records representatives, who attended one of the band's shows in Pennsylvania, which ultimately resulted in the signing of a multi-record deal. Fulton played on Under the Running Board, their debut EP on Relapse, before he left the band in 1998.
