Now that it’s been announced that Chris Pennie is joining up with The Black Queen, we’re reminded that we never actually recovered from the 2017 breakup of The Dillinger Escape Plan. We remember it unfolding in slow motion like a traumatic event. We were actually between tours ourselves working at an old folks home at the time, and distinctly remember how songs like “Symptom of Terminal Illness” and the title track made us spasm with all-too-real inescapable dread. The idea of a scene without them, and that they’d just take themselves out seemed so… cold.
In our eyes, Dillinger was the most important band in heavy music – if it was time for them call it, what did that mean for heavy music’s horizons? We were young and hotheaded, so this didn’t seem like quite the hypothetical question it does now. Of course it was only natural that music everywhere would continue to evolve and be excellent, it just wouldn’t include Dillinger. But between losing them, SUFTA, and Chris Cornell around the same time, we’d taken hits on what felt like a personal level, and decided that it was time to bolster our emotional boundaries. We just did it in the stupidest way possible.
We became consciously distant and did our best to resist all surges of band-related cortisol no matter who was breaking up, even if that meant in and around our own bands. Sadly this streak continued a few years, even into our first couple years of writing for Fecking Bahamas. Though we remember eventually tearing up to our then-partner-now-spouse about what we’d lost with Chris Cornell, it took the demise of our other mathcore constant Every Time I Die in 2022 to bring things into true focus.
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By then we’d spent just enough time in isolation to comprehend that we should treat ourselves more humanely and develop some healthier coping mechanisms. The loss of ETID stung like hell and didn’t make a ton of sense – but it also felt like the first time we got to really practice said mechanisms. When it happened, we admitted to ourselves not only that we were sad, but that favorite bands were an inextricable part of our identity and that there was no point in trying to hide it. Luckily, we already ran a music blog.
In the face of all that, it’s tempting to wax poetic about the pain, the growth, the journey, etc., but let’s get to the point. In the wake of ETID and TDEP, we got the incredible Better Lovers, which up until recently included members of both projects. It’s true that Greg Puciato left the project last month to focus on Black Queen, but we’re beyond stoked on the remaining core of Jordan Buckley, Stephen Micciche, Clayton Holyoak, and Will Putney.
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If rumors are true, what comes next for the band is going to be tuned low and heavy as hell, but we wouldn’t be surprised if on the vocal front they kept things dynamic, so it’s only natural to wonder…
“… who could it all be?”
Is that the worst written Dillinger pun in existence? We’re not sure, but hey, we gave it a shot! Right now we already know that Josh Scogin of The Chariot and ’68 has other obligations, and though he may have been an S-tier pick, there are other exciting possibilities. While of course this article is meant to be in good fun, in all seriousness, daydream a bit with us here and check out these potentially perfect vocalists for the next iteration of Better Lovers. They may or may not be realistic, but we think they’d each bring something unique to the table and carry the band to the next level.
Enjoy!
Carson Pace – The Callous Daoboys
When we first heard Die on Mars, we thought Carson was Greg for a second. While the Daoboys have grown on us immensely over the years and it would suck to see them sidelined, it would be pretty thrilling to see their vocalist try to make things even more chaotic for Better Lovers.
Jason Sherman – Circuit of Suns, Torrential Downpour
Jason was actually part of the crew for one of Dillinger’s later tours, during which he’d occasionally fill in for Greg during soundchecks. There’s a Soundcloud recording floating around from those days that sounds amazing, while in Circuit of Suns he gets to employ more range, he nails that higher register grindcore kind of thing that Dillinger used more towards the end.
Vern Metzii-Moon – Turian
One of our favorite vocalists of the 2020’s, Vern’s blistering and profound delivery helped shape Turian’s already formidable sound into something totally undeniable. After dropping Blood Quantum Blues and touring a bit, the band went on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time, so maybe there’s some room on the calendar!
Joseph Spiller – Caricature
We recently spoke to Joseph Spiller about the latest Caricature and his emotional, eviscerating process, but to prepare for the chat we listened to the entire discography and remembered his overall range is outstanding. Not just that, but his dramatic, sing-speak moments gel perfectly with the weirdest parts of each previous TDEP vocalist AND the swagger of Every Time I Die, so this could be a massive win.
Eugene S. Robinson – Buñuel
There’s actually a lot of great crossover between the sounds of Buñuel and Better Lovers – noisy riffs, spastic freakouts, collages of intensity… but all done with a sense of style. While Robinson is most likely a little busy to front another band, it doesn’t change the fact that this combo would be sensational.
Stephanie Brooks – Stress Positions
Stress Positions’ punishing hardcore is pushed into the stratosphere by vocalist Stephanie Brooks, and her range is more than enough to get her on today’s list. But just as if not more importantly, Brooks is isn’t afraid to be loud about important social issues while dishing out the fury, and seeing Better Lovers channel rage in an even more literal and/or practical ways could stoke extreme results.
Chaney Crabb – Entheos
Entheos is a highly underrepresented band in heavy music, mixing some of our favorite metalcore and djent elements with dark, pervasive vocal melodies courtesy of Chaney Crabb. Crabb’s singing has always been a highlight of the band, and while they split relatively evenly between harsh and clean tones, Better Lovers’ unhinged style could be a prompt for even bigger range.
Sam King – Codefendants, Get Dead
If you just know him from the records of Get Dead and Codefendants, King’s lightning quick Midas touch with lyrics, narrative, and style are hardly up for debate. But that’s not why he’s on this list – if you’ve seen him live, you know he’s also an infinitely energetic and raw frontman that might make metal magic with Better Lovers.
Dylan Walker – Full of Hell
For this one, really, what do we even need to say? Walker’s unholy range of harsh noises rivals that of anyone else in the scene, and his lyrics are always dense with fascinating terms. Full of Hell is always doing radical collaborations and unexpected appearances so in some ways, maybe this one is closer to reality than we’d assume, but either way, gargantuan possibilities here.
Tim Singer – Deadguy
Now that the mathcore progenitors are back, it would be a shame to distract them in any way, so we won’t push it. But still, a Tim Singer stint with Better Lovers would almost certainly be a legendary time.
David Yow – The Jesus Lizard
On one hand, the absurdist notion of Yow stepping in to lead Better Lovers is almost too radical to entertain. On the other, just to reiterate, this is pure fantasy so imagining his signature blend of crass and class atop of the band’s unhinged barrage of riffs is totally permissible. Besides, he might not actually be the craziest idea on this list.
Nick Sakes – Dazzling Killmen
Considering that Dazzling Killmen blazed the trail for chaotic post-hardcore in the 90’s, it would be as poetic as it would be insane to see Nick Sakes front Better Lovers. On top of already having a great resume for those barking-mad vocals, it would be an inter-generational dream come true for music fans in several circles.
Denzel Curry
We could be wrong, but we’re not sure anyone has capitalized on Denzel Curry’s ridiculous ability to shift from rap to hardcore with out an iota of cheesiness. As evidenced in the famous “Bulls on Parade” cover, he’s clearly ready, and this would be one hell of a starting place.
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Tony Wolski – The Armed, Genghis Tron
For years now, Tony Wolski’s intense vision and execution have had us in a hopeless chokehold. Whether it’s Genghis Tron or The Armed, he’s always delivering things that feel just ahead. We wouldn’t know what to expect if he got involved with Better Lovers, but we have no doubt it would be captivating. It’s also worth noting that his harsh vocals and screams just seem to get better over time, so why not add another to the pile!
Jon Chang – Gridlink
Jon Chang blasted his way into our top five heavy vocalists of all time when we were exposed to Gridlink, one of the coolest grindcore bands to ever do it. After several years of inactivity, they released an amazing album, and then immediately went dark again right after, so who knows what availability looks like. We just know that Chang’s got more than enough juice in the tank to make ruthless, carefully calculated music.
Justin Pearson – The Locust, Deaf Club, Dead Cross, Retox, etc.
We were on our way back from the gas station when out of nowhere, it hit us – Justin Pearson would be beyond ideal for Better Lovers, at least on a sonic level. Surely it’s actually more complicated than that given that he’s toured with most everyone involved, but we could see this combination putting asses in seats like no one’s business.
Eric Andre
Okay, true fantasy pick? Johnny Silverhand. But because he’s a fictional character, we would go with the next best thing, potentially at the expense of the mental health of everyone else involved: Eric Andre shouting and bloody onstage. Finally, a formidable match for his presence. It’s a thought that tickles us to no end, and we’re really excited about his upcoming album. From what we can tell it’s mostly instrumental, but come on… we’re not sure how many walls he’s jumped through at this point, but Better Lovers could be a fun set of circumstances for him to transcend, screaming and kicking and who knows what else.
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Okay we’re done now. We feel better. Just remember it’s okay to love your favorite bands as long as you don’t get obsessed, make lists and start elaborately writing down… wait… never mind. See you next time!
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