MISS MACHINE

Miss Machine is a mixed bag for me. New vocalist Greg Puciato is certainly capable of bringing former singer Dimitri's intensity to the table, and can also bring much more as he displays throughout the album. The opening track 'Panasonic Youth' brings us the same frenetic Dillinger we had become acquainted with on Calculating Infinity, and it does it well. The following track 'Sunshine The Werewolf' presents an amazing and epic-sounding track so early into the record, and really sets the standards high as far as expectations for the rest of the album. 'Highway Robbery' is where things take a turn for the less than impressive. It is impossible to ignore the parallels in Greg's vocals to Mike Patton. Instrumentally the track is great but the annoying chorus makes this one skip-worthy. Another influence made apparent in the album is 'Phone Home's Nine Inch Nails-sounding ambience, synthesizers, and Reznor-esque vocals, though this is a much more successful homage to their influences than 'Highway Robbery'.

The rest of the tracks are hit (in-the-face) or miss (by-a-mile). Songs like 'Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants', 'Unretrofied', and the latter-half of 'Baby's First Coffin' display an attempt at the more accessible which may not connect with old fans but will surely attract newcomers to the band, which can certainly be viewed as a good thing. This is balanced out by the face melting 'The Perfect Design', 'We Are The Storm' and 'Van Damsel'.

Miss Machine is certainly worth buying and listening to if you're a Dillinger Fan and even more so if you've never had a proper introduction to the band. This album makes sense concerning the evolution of a band like DEP as their blend of styles is more encompassing and their few stabs at a brighter limelight; which they deserve. Old fans should come into the album not expecting a Calculating Infinity part two and they will certainly leave satiated, if not amazed