Dillinger Escape Plan / Every Time I Die / Silverstein

There are many bands that you see "play" live and then there are bands that one "experiences." The unpredictability of Black Flag, Neurosis in their prime — these bands were an event, and that's where the Dillinger Escape Plan now finds themselves. Opening for Dillinger can be a daunting task, one that locals Silverstein weren't up to. Hailing from Southern Ontario, and signed to Victory, it's no shock that they sound like Grade, but musically they were ill-suited for their opening slot. On many bills, Every Time I Die would have stolen the show outright, but not tonight. Overcoming their horribly muddy sound with an excellent performance, and looking like a Greg Ginn boy band, ETID unleashed their brand of heavy, complex and catchy metallic hardcore noise and had the audience in the palm of their hand. With their stage presence, intensity and tightness, ETID may be the most underrated, and best band on Ferret. With the crowd chanting "Dillinger!" as the band blacked out the club, any doubts about new singer Greg Puciato were immediately negated as two seizure-inducing lighting rigs blinded the audience and the band exploded into "Sugar Coated Sour." A mass of flailing limbs and instruments, the band was a spastic blur of damage, pausing only momentarily to unleash an impossibly precise run. Progressive death/thrash or free jazz/grind with a hardcore intensity, Dillinger have invented their own genre and nobody can touch them at it. Relying heavily on Calculating Infinity material, the stage divers were in full flight and the audience was ravenous. A number of excellent new tracks were debuted, demonstrating a more spastic and intricate, but catchier slant. The classic "Mullet Burden" even made an appearance, as did a number of tracks from the Dillinger/Mike Patton Irony Is A Dead Scene EP, with Greg acquitting himself quite well. The only flaw was in the placing of their brilliant cover of Aphex Twin's "Come To Daddy," which was so good that it should have ended the show, but didn't, with "43% Burnt" admirably closing with its massive cycling breakdown outro. Arguably the best band in the underground, Dillinger live is as good as it gets.