Review: Joshua Hobbins
Photography: Dan Maynard

There are gigs, and then there are nights that shift the tectonic plates of your musical world. For me (and many, many others), Calculating Infinity was the record that rewired my brain; an album that proved music could be violent, mathematical, unpredictable, yet still deeply human. Tonight, at The Tivoli, Brisbane finally got chance to experience that chaos reborn, with original front man Dimitri Minakakis leading The Dillinger Escape Plan through their 1999 classic, alongside cuts from The Running Board Ep, the self-titled album, and some other surprises thrown in for good measure.

Before the mathcore madness, we were plunged headfirst into the industrial-rap-punk chaos of Ho99o9. The duo thrives on disruption, and tonight was no exception. TheOGM and Eaddy were in fine form, trading venomous bars with the energy and sneering charisma reminiscent of HR from Bad Brains. Both vocalists also slipped in eerie melodic lines between the relentless mash of distortion and beat-driven violence, while Billy Rymer held it all down behind the kit, pulling double duty across the night.

Tracks like Okay, I’m Reloaded and Target Practice had punters surging, especially when TheOGM leapt into the crowd to orchestrate a circle pit. Mid-set, Frank Sinatra’s My Way blasted through the PA — and I can’t think of a song more apt to capture the uncompromising ethos and vision of both Ho99o9 and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Closing with Godflesh and Street Power, Ho99o9 showed their ability to pivot from noise-driven abrasion to straight-up groove. They were an inspired choice as an opener and they didn’t just warm up the room, they set it on fire

Then came the masters.

The opening doom of *#.. bled straight into Sugar Coated Sour, detonating The Tivoli with spasmodic riffs, lurching time signatures, and Dimitri screaming like he’d been frozen in time since 1999. From that moment on, we were transfixed, not knowing who to watch as the legendary chaos ensued. The Running Board and The Mullet Burden followed in quick succession, each jagged turn and tempo shift keeping everyone on edge.

After every song I had a massive smile on my face and a wow in my throat – this was every bit as mind blowing and dangerous as the first time I heard Calculating Infinity, and the first time I witnessed them live 20 plus years ago. The three gunslingers of the mathcore apocalypse – Ben Weinman, James Love and Liam Wilson – stalked the stage with unhinged precision, stomping and colliding like shrapnel. Their interplay flipped effortlessly from jazz-infused runs to shredding, blast-beat-fuelled violence, each movement as unpredictable as it was devastating. Behind them, Billy Rymer proved once again why he’s one of the most understated but respected drummers in heavy music. He made the impossible look effortless, every strike delivered with flawless power and absolute mastery.

Clip the Apex… Accept Instruction again highlighted the band’s razor-sharp precision, before things took a surreal twist as Ho99o9 stormed back onstage for a venomous cover of The Prodigy’s Breathe. Just when the crowd caught its breath, Dillinger slid into a warped, dirgy take on Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over.

From there it was another deep dive: Calculating Infinity, Destro’s Secret, Sandbox Magician, and 4th Grade Dropout, all delivered with the same feral intensity that redefined heavy music in ’99. Abe the Cop and Weekend Sex Change pushed the chaos further, before Variations on a Cocktail Dress and Monticello, a welcome deep cut from the self-titled album, gave long-time fans a rare gem. It’s such a full circle moment for us experiencing Minakakis perform the songs that rewrote the rule book on what constitutes heavy music, and seeing the emotion and energy he put into this performance was such a genuine thrill and honour.

The closing stretch was pure bedlamic perfection. Jim Fear tore through the room, followed by a crushing rendition of Aphex Twin’s Come to Daddy, with Ben and Dimitri sharing vocal duties in a wall of distortion and screams. I still remember the first time I heard the original, and thinking how rad it would be for a heavy band to interpret this. An absolutely perfect blend of two massively ground-breaking and influential artists.

And then came the riff. The riff to end all riffs. 43% Burnt. Less a song than the sound of total collapse – overwhelming, destructive, and wildly euphoric. Again, you couldn’t wipe the smile off everyone’s face, with the hope that this isn’t the last time we get to experience this lingering long after the band walked off stage.

This wasn’t just nostalgia. It wasn’t just a reunion. It was The Dillinger Escape Plan, in 2025, proving that Calculating Infinity still cuts sharper, hits harder, and confuses more gloriously than anything that came after. For those of us who’ve carried this record like a scar, tonight was nothing short of sacred.