UNDER THE RUNNING BOARD

This is The Dillinger Escape Plan's first Relapse Records release which features much more of a genre bending edge than it's self-titled predecessor, also a fantastic record. The first track, "The Mullet Burden", is a staple of in the Dillinger Escape Plan's live set and is the song that first brought the band to the critics' attention. From the opening riff to the final blast of energy, it is amazing to think that such a short track can say so much. The same can be said for the remainder of the EP in the following two tracks "Sandbox Magician" and "Abe The Cop".

This disc made quite a statement concerning the 'hardcore' scene at the time and what the future could look forward to in the world of progressive music. That's a lot to say in seven and a half minutes.

I don't think it would be fair to proclaim an EP as a band's best 'album'... so I won't. But this disc is without flaw and it's three tracks are all of the highest caliber. Were it a full length album and maintained it's already perfect track record it would easily be THE greatest extreme metal/prog metal album ever. Regardless, this has to be amongst the most satisfying listening experiences I can expose myself to again and again without it losing that "wow" factor... and that warrants five stars.

This is the band's second EP and is quite representative of their early sound. Although the EP only lasts 7.5 minutes, there is plenty to discuss about the three short tracks here, and reviewing them is not as easy as initially thought.

The sound of the band (at least in these early days) can be roughly described as hardcore/thrash played in an extremely technical/progressive manner. I could only compare them to Meshuggah, and especially to more "chaotic" albums such as Chaosphere. There are influences from both the American (Slayer) and the Swedish scene (At The Gates) - the latter evident in Sandbox Magician. On top of these, there are few glimpses of jazz and fusion and also some more alternative/nu-metal elements resembling to Deftones (Abe the Cop). Generally the tempo is dominated by blast beats, interrupted by short pauses or slow thrashy riffs.

None of these was apparent in my first listen, which I regarded as mere "noise", but a few repeated spins have somewhat changed my mind. There are plenty of moments to take with you and as the EP progresses, it becomes better. I find this EP both annoying and great at times, as the thought of any type of structure between the challenging riffs is completely out of the question.

The Running Board is definitely difficult to digest and should be approached with caution... Although there are pieces of brilliance, they do not really add up for me as a "package" but should definitely appeal to fans of extreme prog metal in the vein of Meshuggah.