Dance Gavin Dance

Afterburner

Written by: PP on 23/12/2020 17:09:52

Post-hardcore legends Dance Gavin Dance are not slowing down on their latest gem "Afterburner", continuing to challenge the genre boundaries through an experimental and explorative approach to instrumentation, percussion, soundscape, and their very expression. They're on an incredible pace, having released nine albums in thirteen years so far (!!), which is all the more impressive considering how brilliant most of those records are on their own. Let alone when you take into count how intricate and creative their songwriting is overall.

Two years ago, "Artificial Selection" displayed a band at the very top of their game, and in comparison, "Afterburner" is an immediate step-down, simply because it doesn't have the same "wow"-effect as its predecessor did. But fear not, the consistency of Dance Gavin Dance is frightening: "Prisoner" and "Lyrics Lie" are two examples of how incredibly creative and different they can make post-hardcore sound. They're both characterized by playful vocals, blazingly technical guitars that venture into the math rock realm, breakdowns, screams, and intricate details everywhere that truly set the band apart from their peers.

Whether it's pop elements Issues style on "One In A Million" or Latin influence on "Calentamiento Global" with undertones of The Mars Volta embedded within, Dance Gavin Dance swings across genres effortlessly and maintains a strong finish throughout. They also aren't afraid to go into the depths of emo/post-hardcore roots with stab lyrics and more conventional songwriting on "Three Wishes", although the band is always at their best at their high-flying, infectiously catchy pieces like "Born To Fail".

However, as you progress through "Afterburner", it becomes clear that it might yet be their most experimental record to date. Everything from metalcore to funk gets touched, without sacrificing the core DGD sound: high-pitched vocals, screams, breakdowns, as well as intricate fretwork, are omnipresent. It's as if the record sounds like DGD reinterpreted a bunch of other artists and reimagined their songs from scratch into their own format. As a result, it sounds like DGD and doesn't sound like DGD simultaneously (...a Schrödinger's DGD?): fans will find plenty of common ground here, but it might just be a record that pulls in a new segment that previously wasn't interested. A solid offering - how long can the band keep this up?

8

Download: Prisoner, Lyrics Lie, Born To Fail, Three Wishes, Parody Catharsis
For the fans of: Emarosa, Letlive, A Lot Like Birds, Circa Survive, Issues
Listen: Facebook

Release date 24.04.2020
Rise Records

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