Dance Gavin Dance - Pantheon (September 12, 2025)

1. Animal Surgery
2. Midnight at McGuffy's
3. The Robot with Human Hair: Rebirth (feat. Jonny Craig)
4. The Conqueror Worm
5. Trap Door
6. Strawberry's Daughters (feat. Kurt Travis)
7. Space Cow Initiation Ritual (feat. George Clinton)
8. All the Way Down
9. A Shoulder to Cry On
10. The Peak of Superstition
11. The Stickler
12. Yikes! (feat. Matt Dommer)
13. Descend to Chaos

"Midnight at McGuffy's" out May 8.

“All the Way Down” out May 22.

Album out September 12.

 

Single's out there. It's ok.

 

Like the single MUCH more than almost anything on the last two albums personally - I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

very powerful first single vocal wise. album is gonna rule

 

That's the most memorable hook they've written in a minute. it helps having a vocalist who's not constantly going for over the top, impossible to replicate high pitched melodies. Andrew's approach is a welcome change for them, reminding me more of the vocals on DBM2.

Instrumentally, it's fine but it sounds like a mishmash of a dozen songs they've done in the past 5 or 6 albums. That said, I genuinely don't know what they could do to shake things up on that front at this point. They also influenced so many bands in the past decades so their particular mix of post-hardcore, pop, R&B, funk and math-y guitars doesn't feel fresh anymore.

edit: I even feel like the most "fresh" move for them would be to either streamline their sound or go full prog. Pick a side and push it to the extremes. DBM and parts of S/T weren't that poppy, funky or mathy when you compare it to their latter records, for example.

 

Speaking of DBM2, I was thinking of this one, down to the pitched screams.

 

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the day Happiness leaked, having my mind blown at what I was hearing. It felt so different from everything else out there. Fast forward to a decade and a half later and *gestures at everything*

 

Yeah I'm not entirely sure what they can do to truly shake up their sound anymore. The past 3 albums with Tilian all sounded very similar and I could not tell you which single song belonged to which album. They should bring in a number of singers as guest vocals on a future effort.

 

Andrew has said this is his favorite DGD song, so you could be onto something.

 

I like the single a lot, but that may also be influenced by just how much I was ready for Tilian to be gone. Even before everything came out about him, I felt like his approach was getting very stale. Basically made me realize this band needs to change up vocalists sometimes to keep it fresh. I feel like if Johnny or Kurt had stuck around for 6 albums they’d eventually run into the same issue.

I think Andrew sounds good, definitely agree with it sounding more DBII in the vocals. This song doesn’t blow my mind, but it’s good enough that I have a bit more hope for this release than anything else post-Mothership.

 

DGD Pantheon Preorders are up if anyone still listens to them: Dance Gavin Dance - Pantheon Preorder (Newbury has a /500 exclusive as well)

 

why is jon mess a better singer than andrew..

 

I was never a big fan of John’s vocals, cool he’s switching it up a bit here. The new singer is less annoying than Tillian but also kind of bland. 5 month album rollout is too long

 

5 months is too long, glad it's only 4.

Song is fine. Everything is just... fine. Hard for me to get too excited about the band, but I'm lying to myself if I say I won't give it a fair shot.

 

honestly it is wild that this is the band's 11th album, not even including live albums or instrumental versions. I typically dig some songs here and there but so much of it starts to run together, and I wonder if it does for them too

 

They got Kurt as a guest vocalist on the new album!

 

Songs must be long on this new album for it to be a double LP. Majority of DGD albums are single LP's

 

New single did nothing for me but I’m looking forward to that song with Kurt!

 

I really like the new single. But damn do I wish glassjaw was on the full tour and not just swan fest. Two of my all timers.

 

yea mess’s part was the only real standout for me. That said, I’d probably be more stoked about it if not for, well, everything.

also we need to do something about the ironic mullet thing.

 

Next single "All the Way Down" drops the day the tour starts, May 22nd

 

I'm pretty out on this band but this song did get me jamming Royal Coda again and goddamn that most recent album was phenomenal

 

Sounds like Jonny Craig features on Robot Rebirth as well (per verified person who has the album). Also the Kurt feature is short and on Strawverry’s Daughters, not A Shoulder to Cry On as previously reported.

 

we really don't need Jonny Craig in 2025 lol

Andrew taking over on vocals would actually have me except if they didn't keep pulling shit like this