One of my biggest passions in recent years that has led to an overwhelming sense of fulfillment is discovering new artists/bands and broadening my music horizons. There is something so euphoric to me about fully immersing myself into an album I’ve never heard before and falling in love with the sound and overall production of the record. There are many ways in the past I have chosen to engage in an outward expression of this hobby, examples being starting my own vinyl collection of all the albums I cherish, going to live shows for my favorite bands and artists, and conducting “album rankings” – a process in which I choose an album to listen through and rank all of the songs on it based on my own personal level of enjoyment.
With the advent of me starting my own blog, I figured what better way to expand upon this hobby than to carve out a space on my blog dedicated to the music I consume that I am incredibly passionate about discussing with others.
A brief history about my musical interests: I love and am captivated by all different types of music. The genres I primarily listen to on a regular basis includes alternative rock, post-hardcore (as well as the niche, “math rock” sub-genre entitled “swan-core”), metal genres like progressive metal and metal-core, and electronic music (future bass and house progressive EDM). Notable bands and music artists I frequently listen to include: Dayseeker, Dance Gavin Dance, Eidola, A Day to Remember, ERRA, Daft Punk, Porter Robinson, and many more.
For this week’s music-related post, I wanted to discuss the Sacramento-based band, Dance Gavin Dance’s newest studio album that was recently released in September, 2025, “Pantheon”. This album is notable as it is their first album in over a decade with a significant lineup change, this being Andrew Wells replacing Tilian Pearson as the clean vocalist as well as Sergio Medina stepping on bass due to the tragic passing of their former bassist, Tim Feerick in 2022. While these lineup changes can greatly affect the band’s sound and creative output and have a general change in their dynamic as a group, this is nothing new for the band, as over their twenty year history, they have had to overcome several of these lineup changes due to controversy or personal matters with their former lead, clean vocalists. Andrew is the fourth person to take up this role in the band’s history, a decision he was initially apprehensive about from various interview clips.
While many online have expressed doubt in Andrew’s capabilities in his newfound role in the band, it’s worth noting that he has already been a key component of the band for the last ten years as a guitarist, backup studio vocalist (occasionally filling in as the lead on tours), as well as having songwriting credits on various songs in the band’s discography. When the band decided to part away with their prior vocalist, Tilian, it seemed like Andrew was the obvious replacement for the band moving forward. Since the release of their eleventh studio album, “Pantheon”, it has aided in quieting some of the doubt many have expressed regarding Andrew’s ascension in the band. The tone of the album appears to be a lot darker, heavier, and overall more experimental (as evidenced by tracks like “Space Cow Initiation Ritual”) but still offers a familiar sound that fans of their previous work will recognize and enjoy. The band themselves seem beyond optimistic about this lineup change and it’s clear from a long-time fan’s perspective this is the happiest they have been as a band in quite a while, as evidenced by their creative output/motivation to write new music, as they have already gone on record prior to “Pantheon” releasing announcing their twelfth studio album is already in the works.
My current top three tracks on this album, in no particular order:
- Animal Surgery – The opening track of the album perfectly encapsulates the “new” DGD sound while still keeping core elements to ease long-time fans into the album. The chorus is infectious and keeps the listener engaged. This song also does a terrific job into elevating Jon Mess, the band’s “unclean”/scream vocalist, into the spotlight. This was an intentional direction the band has went on record in interviews stating, as they believe Jon’s screaming vocals have always been an iconic, defining staple for the band’s twenty year history and have a desire to move into a heavier direction with their music going forward.
- The Robot with Human Hair: Rebirth – This track admittedly took a bit for me to grow on me. However, upon my countless listens to the album, I think it is one of the most dynamic, fun songs on the album. It follows the band’s “robot” saga, which has been established going as far back to their first album. This song offers constant rhythmic and tempo changes. I admire how the song structure deviates from typical verse-chorus format. Tonally, it sounds like something that could have been written during former lead vocalist Kurt Travis’ time in the band.
- Strawberry’s Daughters – Andrew has spoken in interviews saying this song was the most meaningful to him on the album, and when listening to the lyrics, one quickly can understand why. The concept of the song deals with him coming to terms with taking up this role in the band, a position he initially did not want. The lyricism incorporates themes of self-doubt with stepping into this unknown path, especially with all of the trolls and haters, as the online fanbase for the band can be incredibly polarizing and toxic. The musical tone presents itself as an incredibly upbeat and encouraging anthem for passionate, creative individuals on a similar path of discovery.
The entire album offers a fresh take on the band’s sound, while still holding true to the intricate, math-rock genre that made people fall in love with them. I realize it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, as some people may prefer the previous vocalists’ eras from this band’s discography. In my personal opinion, the current lineup is the band at their best, as they manage to strike a balance between the standard “post-hardcore” sound that made them successful in early releases like “Downtown Battle Mountain” and experimentation that the band has gained a reputation for throughout the years.