THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN are recognised as being frontrunners of the 'Math Metal' genre, purveying a Jazz-Metal hybrid marked by discordant time signatures topped by Greg Puciato's piercing vocal stylings. The New Jersey band is rooted in the Hardcore act ARCANE, this unit comprising Minikakis, guitarists Ben Wienman and Derrick Brantley, bassist Adam Doll and drummer Chris Pennie. Re-billed as THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, the band performed just two gigs before Brantley exited. A demo prompted Now or Never Records to offer a recording contract and as the band's first tour was organised John Fulton stepped up to fill the guitar vacancy.

The group's completely new approach to Hardcore soon made waves on the live circuit resulting in a swift offer from Relapse Records. Fulton opted out upfront of recording the Relapse debut, 1998's three song 'Under The Running Board' EP, on which Wienman handled all guitar duties. The band also shared a split EP with fellow New Jerseyites NORA through Ferret Records. In 1999 the band hit the Rock world foursquare with the full length opus 'Calculating Infinity'. Unfortunately, Adam Doll lost his position in the band due to a car accident which left him paralysed. The group duly pulled in Jeff Wood for live work as guitarist Ben Wienman took over bass duties in the studio. Wood would later join FLOOD, the band assembled in 1998 by guitarist Scott Roberts of THE SPUDMONSTERS, vocalist Robb Brock and former AGNOSTIC FRONT and MADBALL drummer Will Sheplar.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN toured America in 1998 with BOTCH and JESUIT. Following these dates the band recruited guitarist Brian Benoit from JESUIT in time for a further tour with MR. BUNGLE. Minakakis then announced his departure, bowing out with some farewell gigs including the Japanese 'Beast Feast' festival. During this period the band also undertook a handful of purely instrumental gigs whilst actively searching for a new frontman. Novelly, the group planted a vocal free version of the song '43% Burnt' on their website in order for potential applicants to download and use as an audition piece. In the interim, a performance at the 'Krazy Fest' in Louisville, Kentucky saw COALESCE singer Sean Ingram as guest frontman. Studio work found Mike Patton donating his skills and the band also laid down a brace of tracks for a BLACK FLAG tribute collection.

Greg Puciato was brought on board as new vocalist in October 2001, debuting at the CMJ Music Festival in New York. The band, now signed to Epitaph Records, announced their return in the Spring of 2002 with a mini album, 'Irony Is A Dead Scene', produced by ex-NUMBER FIVE man Chris Badami. The prospect of this record created a buzz when it was learned that former FAITH NO MORE vocalist Mike Patton had contributed guest lead vocals. The band also announced a proposal to record a split album with California's ICARUS LINE.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN would be confirmed for a high profile round of European gigs opening for SYSTEM OF A DOWN including the UK's Leeds and Reading festivals. North American dates throughout September and October saw ICARUS LINE as opening act.

Greg Puciato was set to session as guest vocalist on PSYCHOTOGEN's 'The Calculus Of Evil' 2003 album but these plans were later dropped. Former singer Dimitri Minakakis allied himself with ex-members of Philadelphia act KNIVES OUT in a fresh band called TOKYO in early 2003. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN would form up part of the 'Take Action' festival tour of North America. Commencing in Minneapolis on 11th September and running through until mid October the dates would be designed to raise awareness and funding for the youth suicide prevention body The National Hopeline Network. Sharing the festival billing would be POISON THE WELL, SHADOWS FALL, FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, DEATH BY STEREO, EIGHTEEN VISIONS, SHAI HULUD, THIS DAY FORWARD, BLACK CROSS and SINCE BY MAN. Headline gigs in the UK during December saw support from CULT OF LUNA. A further round of extensive US dates saw the band uniting with THE LOCUST and YOUR ENEMIES FRIENDS for gigs throughout January and February 2004.

In an unexpected move, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN donated their rendition of 'My Michelle' to the GUNS N' ROSES tribute album 'Bring You To Your Knees' released by Inertia Records in March.

The band entered Mission and Water recording studios with producer Steve Evetts in April to craft a new studio opus 'Miss Machine'. Upfront promotion included a video for the track 'Panasonic Youth' directed by Josh Graham. UK dates in June of 2004 had BURST partnering with BURST, MONO and BLOOD VALLEY. US shows in July, dubbed the 'Fucking With The Lights On' tour, had the band employing a swathe of up and coming acts as support including THE BRONX, PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS, DECEHEDRON, READ YELLOW and DAUGHTERS.

'Miss Machine' would hit no. 106 on the Billboard album charts, selling over 11,000 copies in its first week of release, making it the highest charting record in Relapse Records history. US headline dates, billed 'Miss Machine Gets Pregnant', running through September, October and November saw the band heading up a billing of ZAO, MISERY SIGNALS and EVERY TIME I DIE. Various legs also saw the addition of DROWNINGMAN, BAD ACID TRIP and WYOMING. However, in October guitarist Brian Benoit suffered a pinched nerve in his arm and was forced to sit out the a set of dates. Despite this, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN then launched into European dates commencing 8th November in Hamburg, Germany, with BURST and POISON THE WELL providing support.

European gigs for the Spring of 2005 would be jeopardised by a succession of ailments. Brian Benoit's previous injuries became aggravated by non-stop touring and ex-FENIX TX guitarist James Love filled in until Benoit had made a recovery. However, the band was assailed by injury yet again when Ben Weinman was involved in an automobile accident that left him in hospital. Nevertheless, the band still launched into touring but Weinman's injuries would be enough to see him black out on stage in Spain. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN was forced to postpone three weeks worth of dates, returning to action on 18th June at the 'Fields of Rock' festival in Holland.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN joined the 'Gigantour' festival trek, headlined by MEGADETH and DREAM THEATER, for US action in late July 2005, cementing a bill also comprising FEAR FACTORY, SYMPHONY X, DRY KILL LOGIC, and West Virginians BOBAFLEX and NEVERMORE. The band was forced to withdraw from the last few shows when guitarist Ben Weinman suffered an arm injury in Atlantic City.

In September the band maintained the road ethic, hooking up with ZAO, UNEARTH and A LIFE ONCE LOST.

The band would contribute their rendition of 'Honey Bucket' to a MELVINS tribute album, 'We Reach: The Music Of The Melvins', through Fractured Transmitter Records. Back on the road, November gigs in the USA and Canada would be backed up by BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and HELLA.

The group recorded an exclusive cover version of SOUNDGARDEN's 'Jesus Christ Pose' for inclusion on UK magazine 'Kerrang!'s 25th anniversary issue cover mount CD, 'High Voltage', issued in May 2006. Throughout June and July THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN toured the USA backed by AFI then DYSRHYTHMIA. However, guitarist Ben Weinman was forced out in early August in order to "deal with some personal issues".

Working with producer Steve Evetts, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN cut album tracks in February 2007. In July the band featured the track 'Unretrofied' on the official soundtrack to the Wes Craven horror movie 'The Hills Have Eyes 2'. That same month the band added former HEADS WILL ROLL guitarist Jeff Tuttle to its line-up. The group united with MESHUGGAH for a co-headlining European tour during November.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN conducted an Australian and New Zealand headlining tour in June 2008. The band then embarked on European dates with MESHUGGAH and a number of festival appearances, including 'Gods Of Metal' in Italy and 'Roskilde' in Denmark. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN were also added to a portion of the summer's US 'Vans Warped' festival tour, followed by a North American trek with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, THROWDOWN, and BURY YOUR DEAD. The group also performed as part of the 'Monsters Of Rock' Festival in Calgary, Alberta, Canada along with OZZY OSBOURNE, JUDAS PRIEST, HATEBREED and VOIVOD.

Drummer Billy Rymer, of the Long Island, New York-based progressive rock band THE RIVALRY, joined THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN as the replacement for Gil Sharone in December 2008. The group played its first show with Billy Rymer on Thursday, 5th February 2009 at The Barbary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN contracted a deal with French imprint Season Of Mist Records for the band's fourth studio album, 'Option Paralysis'.