Metal Hammer US correspondent Patrizia Mazzuoccolo was on hand to witness the Dillinger Escape Plan’s first show with new drummer Billy Rymer at New York’s Webster Hall Studio.

It might have only been six months since the last time the rabid mathcore menagerie trashed a stage and dished out injuries to a willing crowd, yet tonight’s venue is packed with heads that expect nothing but a good kicking. Go figure.

Guitarist Ben Weinman has been busy writing new material and giving guitar lessons to a bunch of selected few these last few months. Two of his pupils happen to play in progressive bands – Caverns and Knife The Glitter. Currently unsigned, both acts have been bestowed the honour to open up for their teacher’s maniacal ensemble and though they’re both aurally captivating, three-piece Caverns offers the added bonus of having a piano player that provides melody and bass lines to the sonic apocalypse painted by his other two stage cohorts.

When it comes to tonight’s headliners, there is nothing that would stop The Dillinger Escape Plan from giving the crowd what they crave – musical proficiency and a stage show that, at its tamest, looks like a Prison Break episode.

Tonight they have the additional obligation to introduce yet another drummer following the departure of Gil Sharone who replaced co-founding member Chris Pennie behind the kit a couple of years ago. New kid Billy Rymer sounds like he has trained his whole life to play with these guys. The band sounds so tight tonight that they could well have recruited Pennie back and we wouldn’t be any wiser.

‘Milk Lizard’, ‘Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants’, ‘Fix Your Face’, Black Bubblegum’ and ‘Horse Hunter’ get the loudest cheers from the contusion-hungry audience. To break the mad time signature set a bit, they break into a very realistic rendition of ‘Cult Of Personality’ and if you close your eyes, you could be tricked to believe that it’s Living Color’s Corey Glover bellowing his heart out up there.

It might have been six months since the last time they hit a stage but The Dillinger Escape Plan still sound and look like they have no inclination to chill the fuck out anytime soon.

Patrizia Mazzuocolo