Dissociation - 10th Anniversary - Limerent Marble Vinyl

dis·so·ci·a·tion — the disconnection or separation of something from something else; the state of being disconnected. Few bands have earned the right to name an album so precisely. Formed in Morris Plains, New Jersey in 1997, The Dillinger Escape Plan spent two decades forging a sound built on dissonance, polyrhythm, and sheer physical ferocity, and on October 14, 2016, they detonated their final charge. Alongside its announcement, the band confirmed that Dissociation would be their last record, with dissolution to follow the album's touring cycle. Befitting the swansong of such a monumentally important band, Dissociation is an outright masterpiece — referencing every point in the band's consistently stunning discography while breaking more new ground than they had since Ire Works. "Limerent Death" hits like a freight train derailing at full speed; "Symptom of Terminal Illness" lures you into something hauntingly melodic before the ground falls away. Greg Puciato's performance throughout is breathtaking — spoken-word ennui bleeding into howling blues-hardcore, double-tracked pop-crooning set against layered industrial polyrhythm. The closing title track, an electronic ballad accompanied by string quartet SEVEN)SUNS, draws on a melody Puciato wrote at nineteen — the whole album, somehow, coming full circle. Ben Weinman has said of their legacy: "It's definitely cool to know that I left a mark, and that there are things out there that would never be out there if we didn't do what we did." A decade on, that mark has never looked deeper. This 10th Anniversary Edition honours Dissociation's legacy in full with a completely remastered version with expanded dynamics, alongside five demos sharing insight into the album's creative process. Housed in a mirrorboard gatefold sleeve with reimagined artwork, 1,500-word liner notes by Ryan Downey, and new text from Ben Weinman himself. This is how you honour the uncompromising. This is Dissociation.