It is unlikely that any band on the scene can match Sacramento outfit Dance Gavin Dance in drama and intrigue. That the band have survived long enough to release Acceptance Speech, their 5th full-length album is a bit of a miracle. It’s beyond the scope of this review to recap the long road the band took to get here, but suffice it to say, the band has been inextricably linked to former clean vocalist Jonny Craig ever since his powerhouse vocals won critical acclaim on their debut LP and cult hit Downtown Battle Mountain. After Craig was kicked out shortly after DBM‘s release, his star definitely out-shone the band’s over the next 3.5 years, as he released two well-received albums with Emarosa and one much-ballyhooed EP with supergroup Isles and Glaciers. DGD went as far as to bring him back to the band, despite releasing 2 strong albums of their own in that period, with Kurt Travis manning the mic. The reunion didn’t last long, as Craig was kicked out once again before DGD could even do much touring to support Downtown Battle Mountain II.
Against this background, Dance Gavin Dance improbably rose from the grave of “an indefinite hiatus” to announce in late 2012 that they would indeed be making new music. Tillian Pearson, who coincidentally enough replaced Craig as the touring vocalist for Emarosa in 2011 after he rejoined DGD, was tabbed as the new clean vocalist. The product of this new lineup is, for my money, the best Dance Gavin Dance album since the original DBM. Acceptance Speech starts fast, showcasing unclean vocalist Jon Mess’s much improved screams on opener “Jesus H. Macy.” Mess is just as frenetic as ever, with the added bonus of the listener actually being able to understand what the hell he’s saying. For his part, Pearson avoids the temptation to try to imitate Jonny Craig’s signature vocal stylings, sounding for all the world like Anthony Green-lite. Pearson is also showcased heavily on “Strawberry Swisher pt. 3,” an eclectic track showing off his generous range that would be right at home on the original DBM.
One thing that struck me is how many straight-up heavy moments there are on Acceptance Speech. “Carve” features a near-traditional breakdown (of course with a progressive bend) that would be fit in on an early Every Time I Die album. As much as Mess has grown as a vocalist since even Downtown Battle Mountain II, Will Swan has matched that progress on guitar. His impressive skills are on display on the title track, which transitions from crunchy, math/prog wailing to an atmospheric ending, with Pearson’s vocals soaring over all. Swan’s fingerprints are all over Acceptance Speech, much as they were on Downtown Battle Mountain II. Swan matches Mess’s frenetic screams with rapid-fire riffs just as easily as he dials it back to float beautifully behind Pearson’s atmospheric vocals. The result is Dance Gavin Dance simultaneously fully realizing their progressive hardcore potential while mixing in some genuinely beautiful clean vocal moments.
Best Tracks: “Acceptance Speech,””The Robot with Human Hair Pt. 4,” “The Death of the Robot with Human Hair,” Strawberry Swisher Pt. 3,”
Worst Track: “Honey Revenge.” It’s rapey. Don’t do that.
Grade: 9/10. If Dance Gavin Dance wrote lyrics that made more sense, I might be tempted to give it a 10.
Ryan and Jon Do Music 