This month, Dance Gavin Dance released their ninth album, Afterburner. The post-hardcore band released this album via Rise Records. This thirteen song album has fans feeling excited. The band took a bit of a new approach with this album, adding some electric sounds. The band is known for expanding into different genres, but this one may be their biggest push yet. Two songs on the album include features from Andrew Wells and Bilmuri.
The opening song on the album, “Prisoner,” was also the first song the band released from the album. The energetic intro promises the album will not be disappointing. The song even opens with a powerful lyric,
“Do you crave a greater reason to exist?” which puts the listeners in the mind space to actually take in the lyrics and think.
“Strawberry’s Wake” is a perfect example of how the band is mixing their hardcore sound, with melodic singing and a bit of an electric edge. The song also showcases just how well the band works together. The mixture of melodic voices to harsh screams, the groovy bass, the passionate drumming, and the intense guitar that pulls it all together.
“Into the Sunset” is the final song on the album and it features Bilmuri. It has more clean vocals than some of the previous songs on the album but also some of the best lyrics.
“Am I good enough for your love?
Make me believe that everything is good
Don’t shoot a hole up in the sun
Turn it to gold and make it happy again.”
Afterburner is the perfect example of how Dance Gavin Dance is still putting everything into their albums after fifteen years. The band was meant to tour this spring, but it got canceled due to the Coronavirus. The band plans on touring as soon as this is over. Go listen to Afterburner and see how Dance Gavin Dance explores new genres!
