ALBUM REVIEW: Artificial Selection – Dance Gavin Dance

After playing musical lineups for many years it seems DANCE GAVIN DANCE have settled on dual wielding vocalists. This has provided a particular purple patch in their career in the form of albums Instant Gratification and most recently 2016’s Mothership and they are hoping to continue this momentum into latest effort Artificial Selection which is due for release on June 8th via Rise Records.

Opener Son Of Robot unnassumedly glides into the picture with tranquil harmonics before quickly descending into utter chaos with frantic drum work and the scathing screams of Jon Mess. It isn’t long before they are combatted with the soothing tones of Tilian Pearson taking the edge off the rabid bursts of aggression. Midnight Crusade takes a more post-hardcore approach with melodic, accessible hooks and signature drum rhythm equipping all the hallmarks of a single release.

Suspended In Disaster flies in all directions with crazy, elaborate riffing and quirky bass lines mixing in a powerful chorus before Care introduces serene floaty guitar work with the odd sharp contrasting scream. The pace is enhanced with exotic funk-ridden bass riffs towards the latter stages.

Count Bassy oozes an old school 80’s vibe with subtle guitars and smooth vocals calming the tempo down briefly. A addictive gang chant rings out before Flash keeps you on your toes with chopping and changing vocal segments. The Rattler is certain to raise a few eyebrows as it dives straight into an insane barrage of mathcore frenzy which harnesses the unshackled fury of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and the anarchic energy of EVERY TIME I DIE. There are slight melodic interludes along the way to stop your head from spinning off. At this stage a little respite is welcomed and it comes in the form of a familiar face in the returning Kurt Travis to offer his smooth tones to Shelf Life.

Slouch brings a naughties indie vibe to the table with enticing bass lines later transforming into heavy riffing and bursts of mind boggling tapping before Story Of My Bros follows an upbeat punky pacing and feel good summer vibes. Hair Song continues the swathes of eccentricity with flamboyant guitar work and slick transitions between screams and melodic vocal passages. Gospel Burnout takes a more calculated approach with significantly less chaos, choosing to let the distorted bass work and the mellow vocals draw you in.

Bloodsucker harbours a barrel load of bellowing screams, at times it feels like Jon Mess must have the lung capacity of a blimp to consistently launch such vigorous blasts of venom without breaking a sweat. Evaporate puts an emphatic exclamation point on proceedings with one last array of crazy twists and turns. The vocal prowess of touring guitarist Andrew Wells offers a different flavour to the final tracks bringing a fitting end to this chapter.

DANCE GAVIN DANCE have never been a band to settle for the predictable or mundane and this effort shows their continuous efforts to push the boundaries of experimentation. Artificial Selection displays their signature fearless swagger as well as throwing a few curve balls in for good measure. It isn’t very often that the guitar work takes a back seat in the mix but in this instance the bass lines take centre stage on numerous occasions providing a refreshing spin on their already established sound. However, even for the most devout fans of DANCE GAVIN DANCE and technical music in general this album may require a few listens to fully comprehend the dense web of intricacy that has been woven.

Rating: 7/10

Artificial Selection is out now via Rise Records.

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