Interview: The Dillinger Escape Plan talk Australia

July 25, 2025

The Dillinger Escape Plan have reunited and are set to perform their groundbreaking debut album, Calculating Infinity, in its entirety for Australian audiences. Adam Davis-Powell asks original singer Dimitri Minakakis about it:

What sparked the reunion—and how did it feel being back in a room together after so many years apart?

Back in 2023, our friend Frank Godla from Metal Injection was curating bands for the Metal Injection Festival and asked us if we wanted to play. That’s when the interest sparked, then we decided to wait a year and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Calculating Infinity. It all came together wonderfully and for me all the emotions of nostalgia to these new feelings of being able to do it again. There is nothing better than being able to show up to practice and grind out songs with people you adore.

You’re heading to Australia next month—what are most looking forward to?

This will be my first time visiting Australia, I’ve been meaning to go for years and regret not making those decisions to go. I’m really looking forward to seeing nature and all the beautiful sights and feels.

You’ve always been hard to pin down—genre-defying, often imitated but never matched. Did you set out to push boundaries, or were you just writing what felt true?

We definitely have always wanted to write what felt true, it was never an attempt to be genre-defying, the main goal was to push ourselves to the limit and defy what we were capable of.

You’ve influenced an entire generation of chaotic, mathy, and emotionally charged bands—are there any newer acts that you feel are pushing boundaries in a way that excites you?

That first statement was very kind and generous to say, so thank you for that. I don’t have my finger on the pulse for everything but the Callous Daoboys and Squid Pisser have been lighting it up on the path they are shredding through.

Any leftfield guilty music pleasures?

I’m not one to believe in guilty pleasure, if you like it it’s a pleasure right? But I’ll play along 😉 I really like what Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus are cranking out but saying that’s guilty does them a disservice. I’m just trying to come up with some non aggressive music that someone wouldn’t expect. I really don’t listen to primarily heavy tunes.

Favourite album of the year so far?

Deadguy’s “Near-Death Travel Services”. What a masterpiece

Most memorable show since reuniting?

Philadelphia, November 2024. My family was there and Philly has always been a second home to me. Philly any day of the week for me.

Do you see this reunion as a one-time celebration—or could it open the door to new material or future projects?

Right now we are just having fun with it. No plans at all for the future. So I’ll say it’s a one time thing.

Are there any surprises in store for the setlist? Will you be digging into rarities …. Come to daddy…..

Yes of course. Possibly even a tribute to Australia as well. We shall see.

After all these years, what does Dillinger Escape Plan mean to you now—personally, emotionally, artistically?

DEP is family to me. All past and present have been part of this entity, it’s part of my life and will always be. I’m proud I was able to hang my hat on this band for decades.

You’ve got Ho99o9 joining you on this run—a band known for total unpredictability. What drew you to them as a support (apart from the obvious Billy Rymer Connection), and what kind of energy are you expecting from this tour?

Ho99o9 is high octane and emotion, they put everything out there live. They aren’t performing they feel it. And they’re our kind of people. I was lucky to finally meet them when we played together in Europe last year and are the nicest fellas. It’s such a honour and pleasure to have them on this tour.