Justin Nuoffer
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Milwaukee Metal Fest 5/18/25
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
The history of The Dillinger Escape Plan is a wild one, but they are on the road, hitting every corner of the country to celebrate twenty-five years of Calculating Infinity. Now, with original member Demitri Minakakis back on vocals, the band is once again leveling venues with ease. The utter chaos they bring with them is the main drawing factor for the fandom. They have built a legacy surrounding their live shows and havoc-laced recordings.
Before even striking a note, the Rave was a flurry of action. The moshing started as the band took the stage. With Minakakis back in the band and on vocals, not much has changed. The sheer intensity and out-of-control nature take over instantly. Calculating Infinity album play is insanity. The album plays, though, is not in front-to-back order, and they even add in songs from earlier EPs. This was special. How could it not be? Songs like “Clip The Apex… Accept Instruction,” “Sugar Coated Sour,” “Weekend Sex Change,” and “4th Grade Dropout” helped redefine extreme music.
Mathcore has always been a concept about technical skill and precision. Ben Weinman knows this and has mastered it. His onstage antics are unstoppable. Jumping off monitors, jumping into crowds, or climbing walls, he is an unstoppable force of nature. Opening the show with “Destro’s Secret” set that tone for pure havoc. The album is everything and then some to the genre. The rabid Milwaukee crowd was as unruly as the band itself. The uncontrollable flow of crowd surfers and destruction on the floor had onlookers either scared or ready to jump into the fight. Closing with “43% Burnt” didn’t slow anyone down either. The onslaught of one body blow after another is what sets them apart. The unrelenting attack is welcomed because there are many imitators, but there is only one The Dillinger Escape Plan.
All in all, The Dillinger Escape Plan was the perfect band to close out The Rave’s portion of Milwaukee Metal Fest 2025. There may not have been a physical fire due to fire codes, but the band created their version. Every superlative could be used to describe how fantastic and fun their set was. If it was missed by anyone, then they should question themselves on why they missed it. The set should go down in the festival’s lore, and it was a fantastic return to the MMF stage after twenty-plus years.
Check out The Dillinger Escape Plan concert photos below:
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