The Dillinger Escape Plan

Once upon a time in 1999, the Dillinger Escape Plan made a record called Calculating Infinity — and subsequently wrote the book on modern technical hardcore. In the years since, the band's style has been aped and rehashed so many times that DEP may have had a wee bit of an identity crisis. With a revolving door of members, it's toyed around with becoming weirder (its Mike Patton collaboration Irony is a Dead Scene) and becoming less weird (2004's song-oriented Miss Machine) with mixed reactions from fans, although the kids have never stopped coming out in droves to witness the group's staggering live shows. While the band's most recent release Ire Works doesn't tear down any stylistic walls, it is a welcome return to form — with the band finally sounding comfortable just being the Dillinger Escape Plan.