Lineup: The Dillinger Escape Plan/Lunglust
Venue: Great Scott, Allston, MA
Date: August 7th, 2016
Lunglust: I'm not nearly as tuned in as I should be to Boston's local metal scene, but from what I've heard from various sources that are in the know, chaotic hardcore/crust punk act Lunglust is one of the area's seminal acts at the moment. Based on their set last night, I have to say I don't understand how they've managed to garner so much acclaim on the local level. Their sound reminded me of the spastic hardcore-meets sludge sound that bands like Gaza (now known as Cult Leader) and Trap Them have perfected throughout their respective careers without the frenzied energy levels and parade of breakneck riffs that have made those bands longtime fixtures in the national underground metal scene. Their solid vocalist and competent musicianship made their set tolerable, but their time on stage mostly just made me think of how many other bands have done a better job of playing this style over the years.
(Warning: This review is a complete fanboy freakout rant. I usually try to avoid gushing about something to a masturbatory extent, but I saw one of my all-time favorite bands in a venue that's the size of a fucking tool shed, so I can't hold back. I sincerely apologize for my lack of maturity and temporary disregard of journalistic objectivity.)
The Dillinger Escape Plan: The first six times I'd seen The Dillinger Escape Plan were merely an appetizer for what transpired last night. Seeing a band with a live show that's as notoriously intense and insane as Dillinger's in a 200-capacity venue two days after they announced they were disbanding once the touring cycle for their new album Dissociation (due out October 14th) raised the energy from both the band and crowd to an unprecedented level. As soon as the opening notes to "Prancer" hit, Dillinger turned Great Scott into a tornado of destruction that didn't let up for the entire hour they were on stage.
I could ramble on at length about how great the setlist was or how tight the band sounded, but it was the size of the venue that ultimately made this show one for the annals. The intimate setting amplified every thing that I love about this band and somehow got be more immersed in the performance than the previous times I'd seen them. Being 50 feet away from the stage while Dillinger ripped through 14 beautifully chaotic gems and pulled out their trademark "holy shit"-inducing stage antics (guitarist Ben Weinman sticking his head through ceiling tiles while members of the crowd hold him up, Greg Puciato singing while hanging upsides down from the rafters, from the speakers, etc., stage dives galore) was an experience that I never even dreamed of having (the previous smallest venue I'd seen them in held 1,000 people). The rush of being caught in the middle of this wave of musical chaos in such a small space was unlike anything I've ever experienced before and I highly doubt I'll ever match the level of adrenaline I felt during this performance ever again.
They are set to do at least one more tour of the United States (Puciato said at the end of the set that they'll be back in Boston one more time this fall before they disband, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did a final headlining tour in 2017) before they hang it up, but I can not overstate how much that I'm going to The Dillinger Escape Plan when they're gone. There is not a band on the planet that can even come close to matching the intensity, energy and sense of unhinged mayhem they produce on record and bring to the stage every time they perform. Words can't describe how thankful I am to have gotten the opportunity to see them play in such a small venue before they call it quits. Every Dillinger show I've show seen in the past six years has been special, but this one stands well above the rest.
Scores:
Lunglust 5/10
The Dillinger Escape Plan 10/10
Setlist:
The Dillinger Escape Plan:
Prancer
Limerent Death
Milk Lizard
Panasonic Youth
Room Full of Eyes
Hero of the Soviet Union
Nothing's Funny
Crossburner
Happiness is a Smile
Good Neighbor
Farewell, Mona Lisa
When I Lost My Bet
The Mullet Burden
Sunshine the Werewolf
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