Album Review: "Option Paralysis" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

There are very few bands in metal that are more polarizing than The Dillinger Escape Plan, and fewer still that are more polarizing based solely on their sound. Fans of Dillinger hail them as one of the most innovative bands ever to grace metal, while detractors call them chaotic, reckless noise producers with no direction or focus. There is virtually no middle ground with this band – you either love them or you can't stand them. However, even within the band's own fans, there are rifts emerging. There are those who appreciate the band's reach into more diverse styles, as showcased on 2004's Miss Machine and 2007's Ire Works, and there are those who wish to see the pure, unadulterated mathcore sound of 1999's Calculating Infinity repeated. Dillinger's newest album, Option Paralysis, attempts to placate both groups with a mixture of mind-blowing technicality and avant-garde creativity.