Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley Joins Dillinger Escape Plan For Cover Of Nine Inch Nails’ “Wish”

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz

Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley made surprise appearance onstage with The Dillinger Escape Plan this week, joining the reunited icons for a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Wish.” The moment went down on December 12th at The Belasco in Los Angeles, instantly igniting excitement among fans in attendance and online.

Buckley, the former frontman of Every Time I Die and current vocalist of Many Eyes, stepped in to front the band for the aggressive NIN classic. While the pairing felt especially charged given Buckley’s recent history, it wasn’t entirely unprecedented. Buckley has previously joined Dillinger to perform “Wish” as far back as 2009. Still, seeing the collaboration resurface in 2025 carried a different weight, fueled by years of band breakups, reunions and shifting alliances within the heavy music world. The performance itself was explosive, with Buckley and Dillinger tearing through the track with their trademark voices. Fan-shot footage captured a visibly energized crowd, fully locked into the moment.

According to The PRP, Buckley’s appearance also comes in the middle of a lingering fallout from Every Time I Die’s highly publicized split in early 2022. Buckley went on to form Many Eyes, while the remaining members launched Better Lovers. His reunion with Dillinger, even for a single song, felt like a truce amid a divide.