Calculating Infinity
Calculating Infinity | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 28, 1999 | |||
Recorded | March – June 1999 | |||
Studio | Trax East (South River, New Jersey) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 37:27 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
The Dillinger Escape Plan chronology | ||||
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Calculating Infinity is the debut studio album by American metalcore band the Dillinger Escape Plan. Recorded at Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey, it was produced by engineer Steve Evetts with the band's guitarist Ben Weinman and drummer Chris Pennie, and released on September 28, 1999, by Relapse Records. Calculating Infinity is the band's only full-length album to feature original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, who left the band in 2001.
Media response to Calculating Infinity was positive, with critics praising the aggressive nature of the album's material, as well as the complexity of the arrangement and instrumental work. Several publications have highlighted it as a landmark release in The Dillinger Escape Plan's catalogue and in hardcore punk and heavy metal as a whole. They also credited its influence on the genres and on the work of several subsequent bands. The record is also classified as metalcore, avant-garde metal, and grindcore, in addition to being highlighted as one of the first mathcore albums. Its lyrical themes mostly revolve around failing relationships and insecurity. By 2013, Calculating Infinity had sold in excess of 100,000 copies worldwide.
Background
In 1998, The Dillinger Escape Plan wrote and recorded the EP
Recording and production
Recording for Calculating Infinity took place in March, April, and June 1999 at Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey, with production led by Steve Evetts alongside lead guitarist Ben Weinman and drummer Chris Pennie.[3] The recording process has been described by Weinman as "extremely difficult" due to technological limitations, and he was "very unhappy" with the recordings at first.[4] In an interview with Decibel magazine, the guitarist added: "In the studio it was really hard, because at the time we didn't use Pro Tools and did everything to tape".[5] The group also ran out of money during the process, resorting to trading their individual publishing rights for the songs to their label Relapse Records in return for $2,000. Weinman commented on this decision: "We weren't thinking about the future, just the present and how this record had to rule." Vocalist Dimitri Minakakis agreed: "We weren't focused on what the record could possibly do; we just wanted a record we were happy with," adding that it was a decision agreed to by every member of the band.[5]
The band's original bassist
Release and promotion
Calculating Infinity was released on September 28, 1999,[7] with Relapse Records issuing it on CD and Hydra Head Records releasing a vinyl edition.[8] The album was released later in Japan on April 5, 2000, featuring bonus tracks "The Mullet Burden", "Sandbox Magician" and "Abe the Cop"[9] (the three tracks comprising Under the Running Board).[10] To promote the album, The Dillinger Escape Plan opened for Mr. Bungle on the first leg of their California tour on Mr. Bungle frontman Mike Patton's invitation, and appeared on the Warped Tour and at various rock festivals.[6] Patton was reportedly introduced to the band after being given the album, but he had been "one of the first people" to hear the album according to Weinman.[11]
Calculating Infinity was reissued on vinyl alongside 2004's Miss Machine and 2007's Ire Works on November 27, 2015, marking the first time in more than ten years the album had been released on the format.[12] The album reportedly sold in excess of 100,000 units worldwide, which made The Dillinger Escape Plan the best-selling artist on Relapse at the time.[6]
Composition and lyrics
Commentators have primarily categorised Calculating Infinity as mathcore due to its frequent use of complex time signatures, atypical rhythms and unpredictable tempo changes.[13][14][15] Many have claimed that The Dillinger Escape Plan "pioneered" or even "created" the genre with the release of their debut album.[13][16][17] Others have described the album's style as metalcore,[18][19] avant-garde metal,[6][20] hardcore punk,[13][20][21] grindcore,[21][22] and post-hardcore.[23] Speaking to The Independent, the band's guitarist Weinman suggested that the challenging nature of the album's material was intentional, explaining that "Calculating Infinity was us effectively ripping up the music theory book; if someone said 'don't harmonize with a second, it just sounds out of tune', then every single lead we did, we'd harmonize with a second. It sounded disgusting, but we did it".[24] Natalie Zina Walschots of Exclaim! described the album's style as "even more avant-garde" than the band's first two extended plays, which she had noted featuring "complex and technical guitar work", "unpredictable shifts in tempo and tone" and "fractured song structures".[6] Decibel writer Daniel Lake described the album as a combination of "gouts of noise, rhythmic chaos, jazzy runs and cinematic interludes".[25]
According to vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, the majority of the lyrical content on Calculating Infinity is based on his experience in dysfunctional relationships. Speaking to Decibel magazine, Minakakis explained that "Most of my Dillinger lyrics were predicated on myself ... I just had stupid relationships with idiotic people, and I'd just write a song about it", concluding that "most of the lyrics on Calculating Infinity were based on human insecurity. That's where I got the best material."[5] The album's title was suggested by guitarist Brian Benoit, who recalled to Decibel: "Since so much of the material lyrically was about failing relationships, I kind of took it as a "love not lasting forever" sort of thing ... Obviously, forever – or infinity – isn't going to happen ... so let's see how long we can calculate before this blows up in our face."[5]
Reception and legacy
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [21] |
CMJ New Music Report | Favorable[22] |
Decibel | Favorable[26] |
Critical response to Calculating Infinity was positive. AllMusic writer Jason Hundey described the album as "spew[ing] forth anger and venomous misery in a way that is comparable only to spontaneous combustion", adding that it expands upon "the ultra-aggressive, deliciously technical approach they adopt toward grind and hardcore".[21] Hundey praised the release for being "both screechingly abrasive ... and morbidly beautiful", dubbing it "explosive and brilliant", singling the tracks "43% Burnt" and "Weekend Sex Change" out for praise.[21] Decibel magazine's Kevin Stewart-Panko wrote: "Regardless of what you think about Calculating Infinity, you can't deny that the 11 tracks on this album revolutionized extreme music and raised the bar in terms of technicality, musicianship, speed, dynamics," describing it as a "groundbreaking metallic hardcore album".[26] The CMJ New Music Report noted that "this noisy album is almost painful to listen to, but it's compelling enough to turn you into a happy masochist."[22] Terrorizer magazine ranked the album as the 15th best release of the year,[27] while Metal Hammer also included it in a retrospective top ten list for 1999 published in 2017.[28]
Calculating Infinity has since been lauded as a landmark release for the band and the genre.
Track listing
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Calculating Infinity.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sugar Coated Sour" | 2:24 | |
2. | "43% Burnt" | Weinman | 4:31 |
3. | "Jim Fear" | Weinman | 2:22 |
4. | "*#.." | Chris Pennie | 2:41 |
5. | "Destro's Secret" |
| 1:56 |
6. | "The Running Board" |
| 3:21 |
7. | "Clip the Apex... Accept Instruction" |
| 3:29 |
8. | "Calculating Infinity" | Weinman | 2:02 |
9. | "4th Grade Dropout" |
| 3:35 |
10. | "Weekend Sex Change" |
| 3:11 |
11. | "Variations on a Cocktail Dress" |
| 7:55 |
Total length: | 37:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "The Mullet Burden" | Weinman | 1:50 |
13. | "Sandbox Magician" |
| 2:31 |
14. | "Abe the Cop" |
| 3:12 |
Total length: | 45:00 |
"Variations on a Cocktail Dress" ends at 2:15; a hidden track containing samples from the 1959 film The Diary of Anne Frank begins after three minutes of silence.[25]
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Calculating Infinity.[3]
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Dimitri Minakakis – vocals
- Ben Weinman – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar
- Brian Benoit – rhythm guitar
- Chris Pennie – drums, keyboards
- Production
- Ben Weinman – production
- Chris Pennie – production
- Steve Evetts – production, engineering
- Aaron Harris – engineering assistance
- Jason Hellmann – engineering assistance
- Alan Douches – mastering
- Adam Peterson – graphic design
- Paul Delia – photography
- Scott Kinkade – additional photography
References
- ^ Apostolopoulos, Tom (January 18, 2011). "Dillinger Escape Plan Biography". Sing365.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0306818066.
- ^ a b c The Dillinger Escape Plan (1999). Calculating Infinity (Media notes). Relapse Records. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ a b "Calculating Infinity (Relapse, 1999)". Kerrang!. London, England: Bauer Media Group. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0306818066. Archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Walschots, Natalie Zina (June 17, 2013). "The Dillinger Escape Plan: Hazard Warning". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "Calculating Infinity – The Dillinger Escape Plan: Releases". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Adams, Gregory (October 6, 2015). "Dillinger Escape Plan Treat Their First Three Albums to Deluxe Vinyl Reissues". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Hundey, Jason. "Calculating Infinity (Japan Bonus Tracks) – The Dillinger Escape Plan: Release Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Hundey, Jason. "Under the Running Board – The Dillinger Escape Plan: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Hartmann, Graham (September 14, 2016). "The Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'". Loudwire. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "The Dillinger Escape Plan Announces Deluxe Vinyl Reissues Of First Three Relapse Albums". Blabbermouth.net. October 6, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ SpinMedia. Archivedfrom the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Cosmo (February 21, 2008). "The Dillinger Escape Plan: Ire Works Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- AXS. Archivedfrom the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "Mathcore band the 'Dillinger Escape Plan' visit NZ". Newshub. MediaWorks New Zealand. May 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Mendez, Sam (October 10, 2016). "Mathcore Pioneers The Dillinger Escape Plan Mark an End to Their 20-Year Run". Cleveland Scene. Euclid Media Group. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ a b Hill, Stephen (September 28, 2014). "In Praise Of... Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity". Metal Hammer. TeamRock. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Prindle, Mark. "Calculating Infinity – Relapse 1999: The Dillinger Escape Plan". Prindle Record Reviews. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Alternative Press. Archived from the originalon September 19, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Hundey, Jason. "Calculating Infinity – The Dillinger Escape Plan: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Freeman, Phil. "The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ Dedman, Remfry (October 13, 2016). "The Dillinger Escape Plan Interview: 'The only way to finish this correctly is to do it in a way that has a definitive end'". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ a b Lake, Daniel (April 4, 2017). "Hall of Fame Countdown: The Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity". Decibel. Red Flag Media. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ a b Stewart-Panko, Kevin (December 18, 2006). "The Dillinger Escape Plan – "Calculating Infinity"". Decibel. Red Flag Media. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "Terrorizer Albums Of The Year 1999". Rocklist.net. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "The Top 10 Albums Of 1999". Metal Hammer. TeamRock. July 21, 2017. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (June 21, 2017). "The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'Calculating Infinity' (1999) – The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Sciaretto, Amy (July 14, 2009). "Albums We Wish Had Made The List But Weren't Really Eligible: The Dillinger Escape Plan – Calculating Infinity". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "#6 The Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating Infinity – Top 10 Debut Albums In Metal". Metal Injection. October 11, 2016. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Hartmann, Graham. "No. 10: The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'Calculating Infinity' – Best Debut Metal Albums". Loudwire. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ "25 Best Metalcore Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ASCAP. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
External links
- Calculating Infinity at Discogs (list of releases)