Some bands churn out albums like they have nothing better to do and some bands release an album every couple of years. The Dillinger Escape Plan is neither of these sorts of bands. They have an impressive tally of three albums in nine years. Yet in that same span of time the band have managed to release five EPs, including this one. This release, much like the last EP the band issued, Irony is a Dead Scene in 2002, could be seen as a stop gap between the last album and the next one, a small treat to keep the fans interested.
So why is this such a huge waste of time and money? The band have covered four songs, all of which seem like interesting choices. I mean, who doesn't want to hear The Dillinger Escape Plan's take on Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You"? It should be something to behold, sadly it's almost an exact copy, as is their take on Massive Attack's "Angel." What is the point of a band like The Dillinger Escape Plan covering songs like these if they are going to just faithfully recreate them? It's like finding a giant present under your Christmas tree only to find that it's a big box with a satsuma in it.
Other than these disappointments, Plagiarism contains a radio edit of "Unretrofied" which adds nothing to the song at all and is not nearly as good as the original edit found on Miss Machine. There is also a somewhat boring and uninspired take on Nine Inch Nail's "Wish" and a live version of "The Perfect Design," which is okay. The live track only makes you wish you could see them live rather than listen to a recording of them on stage.
The one track that does stand out is their take on "Jesus Christ Pose" by Soundgarden. The band once again doesn't stray too far from the original as Greg Puciato cannot come close to sounding like Chris Cornell. But this gives the song the slight difference and appeal that the other covers lack.
Overall this seems like a quick cash-in, using the ploy of an iTunes only EP to attract fans to what can only be described as a let down. I just don't see how the band felt that this was worth even considering, it has nothing worth paying for and it ranks just shy of A.F.I.'s "four band-members picture inlay" in the "conning the fanbase" stakes.
