Ben Weinman - Biography

Ben Weinman is an American musician, who is most notable for being the lead guitarist for the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is the founder and only original member remaining in the band.

Weinman attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey where he received a degree in psychology. He then went on to study corporate communications at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Weinman, Chris Pennie, Dimitri Minakakis and Adam Doll began The Dillinger Escape Plan in 1997.

Career and work in The Dillinger Escape Plan

Weinman has been involved in the production of all the band's releases since their self-titled debut EP, as well as various other musical works. Ben Weinman has self-managed or has been involved with the management of The Dillinger Escape Plan since the band’s inception. Known for his outspoken views on the music industry he has contributed to various publications and has spoken at Universities and conferences on the subjects of music production and the music business.

The band's second full-length album, Miss Machine, was the first album released by record label Relapse Records to make the Billboard charts. Weinman's first full-length studio album with the Dillinger Escape Plan, entitled "Calculating Infinity" was listed in the book "The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" by Martin Popoff. Calculating Infinity was also recently named one of "100 best rock albums of all time" by Kerrang magazine, who recently presented Weinman with a spirit of independence award.

Weinman was named one of Guitar World Magazine's 50 fastest guitar players of all time alongside Guitar players such as Eddie Van Halen and Les Paul. He was also recently named one of Guitar World's Top 25 Cult Guitarists, and one of the top modern Metal Guitar players by metalsucks.com

He has often been seen on stage performing randomly with acts such as Nine Inch Nails and System of a Down.

Benjamin Weinman has also been listed on About.com as an example of today's most important musicians under their definition of "guitarist." A skilled guitar player, Weinman is fond of ESP LTD guitars, and favors the M and MH series. For amps, Weinman is seen using a variety in the studio, ranging from a Bogner Uberschall to a Marshall JCM, mainly uses Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifiers and a Mark V.

It has recently been stated by AOL's Noisecreep.com that Weinman is working on music for a currently un-named project with Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, former Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen and ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery.

Ben remixed "Digital Sea" off of Thrice's The Alchemy Index Vol. II Water, as a bonus track for their "Come All You Weary" Single and since has remixed a range of artists including rapper Lil Wayne.

In 2009 he worked with Ephel Duath on the song "Bark Loud" off of their album Through My Dog's Eyes. He also collaborated with Zach Hill in 2007 and released a track on his MySpace page called "Untitled". .

He is currently in the process of writing music for Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, a supergroup which also consists of Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, former The Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen, and former Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery and also drumming for a new project called Cut Throat Tactics with Geoff Rickley of Thursday on vocals, and Don Devore and Joshua Brown, formerly of Ink & Dagger, on guitar and bass, respectively.

Discography

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Remixes