| | Full Review | Ratings (88) |
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| 4.5 superb | RyanEckertArt | May 2nd 26 |
A decade of silence culminates in a masterpiece of evolution, as Haste the Day's Dissenter
trades nostalgia for a dark, daring, and masterfully dynamic sound that rivals the very best
of their discography and opens the door to a brand-new beginning.
For many longtime fans, it’s deeply understandable to feel a profound connection to a band
you essentially “grow old with.” I began listening to Haste the Day around 2006 when Stephen
Keech joined. I was just thirteen, and their music has always held a tender, sentimental
place in my heart for that early adolescent chapter of my life. This band walked with me
through nearly a decade of listening, growing up, and maturing. Their songs kept me captive
from such a young age, and even now, they still bridge my past and present with warmth and
familiarity. As we all know, songs change with us as we age. The records themselves never
change a single second, yet we do—and the world around us changes too. That shared evolution
touches our deepest relationships with the music we love and quietly opens doors to new
creative paths we couldn’t see when we were younger.
Eleven years after the heartfelt goodbye of Coward, Haste the Day has returned with
Dissenter. The album carries familiar echoes of 2011’s Attack of the Wolf King, but it has
matured that sound beautifully—transforming its brightness into something darker, richer,
more varied, and deeply textured. This growth radiates through the musicianship, song
structures, and lyrics. The record honors everything we’ve always loved about HTD while
bravely taking risks that make it feel alive and vital.
The only real stumble is the opener “Cycles.” Its heavy build creates a strong, gritty tone
for what’s ahead, but the abrupt ending doesn’t flow naturally into “Shallows.” A smoother
transition that lets the guitar distortion ring out and fade into the next track would help.
That said, everything after that is a steady, emotional uphill climb, growing stronger and
more moving until the breathtaking closer “Oblivion,” which stands tied with “Adrift” as the
best song on the album. The record divides naturally into two deeply satisfying halves: the
first (“Cycles” through “Liminal”) and the second (“Gnasher” through “Oblivion”).
The first half feels like coming home to the Haste the Day we’ve known and loved for two and
a half decades, which is a consistent brand of metalcore that is theirs and instantly
recognizable. Yet it’s far from repetitive. The riffs hit deeper and feel more textured than
ever. Brennan’s chorus on “Shallows” is one of the most somber and unique choruses in their
entire catalog. “Grave” and “Burn” deliver that classic bright HTD sound alongside Stephen
and Brennan's vocal tandem. “Grave” gently foreshadows the second half with its ethereal
verses and swirling, dreamlike instrumentation. “Liminal” ends the side on a high note with
its Attack of the Wolf King energy, Garrett from Silent Planet’s solid contribution, and the
most exhilarating drumming on the record.
As strong as the first half is, the second half is where the record shines its brightest.
This is where Haste the Day fully reveals their evolved sound while still holding onto the
soul of who they’ve always been. It’s riskier, darker, more mature, and more instrumentally
and emotionally varied. The band gives us enough familiarity to understand and then gently
pulls us into new, slower, beautifully textured territory. Here we get both the heaviest
songs they’ve ever written (“Gnasher” and “Heretic”) and the two most sonically and vocally
beautiful ones (“Adrift” and “Oblivion”).
Stephen’s voice has changed, and for the better. His screams are rawer and grittier, yet his
cleans remain luminous and bright, now carrying an even deeper, more lived-in maturity that
perfectly complements the music. His performance throughout is haunting and full of heart,
stretching from powerful screams to wispy, shoegaze-like vulnerability and soaring, heart-
piercing highs. “Adrift” and “Oblivion” are rightfully in conversation as two of the best
songs the band has ever written. “Adrift” wraps you in a vast, void-like atmosphere that
feels like floating through the unknown, while “Oblivion” lifts you above the clouds with
gorgeous strings and a sense of hard-won peace. Together, they capture the emotional peak of
the entire record, and it is within these two tracks that the band’s evolution and growth
are showcased most.
Lyrically, the album matches that emotional depth. It’s about facing the truth that the
world is no longer the one we grew up in. The early 2000s feel far away. Very far. Much like
our evolving bond with old songs, so much has changed, yet fragments of what we loved
remain. Dissenter is a heartfelt reminder to hold on to those you love and to keep them
close until the end. To wade through this new and darker world side by side with those who
are dear to you, so as to make it to the bliss of the next life with Christ, where this
growing darkness will be left behind forever.
Dissenter is, without question, Haste the Day’s best record to date. As they approach their
30th anniversary, this album feels like the hopeful beginning of a powerful second chapter.
Just like the record itself, I see their future in two halves: honoring everything that came
before while fearlessly stepping into new light. Few bands consistently outdo themselves the
way Haste the Day has with each new release. Because of that, I believe their best music is
starting now and whatever lies ahead.
5 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Comatorium. | May 4th 26 |
?Everyone else likes this album but me so everyone who likes it has to be wrong?r
Bump |
| 2.0 poor | MegaResurrectedJake4 | May 4th 26 |
One of my favorite bands of all-time, but realistically, this thing pretty much stinks. If you didn't like the singles, you won't like it. Burn and Oblivion are the two best choruses. Shallows has the best heavy section and it only lasts five to ten seconds. Teeth has some cool backing vox. In general, ridiculously boring. Coward also sucked aside from Accept. The ratings for these two albums feel like leftover homage to some of the best albums of all-time, including AOFTWK, which was a definite all-timer.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | OverSlyZed91 | May 2nd 26 |
Very basic metalcore, but the songs are catchy as fuck. The production is bad. Not Alexisonfire level of bad, but still.
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | alcnet | May 1st 26 |
I really liked the singles that they didn't just rewrite the same songs they had in the past, but
tried to add different elements and structure to their songs. For example the chorus of Shallows
is so dark compared to any of the chorus they have done in the past. I think the only thing that
I haven't gelled fully with is the production. I know they didn't want it to sound so
sterile/clean like AOTWK, but at times its a bit too gritty to really enjoy the guitars. The non
singles are really good. The breakdown in Gnasher is so tight. Heretic is short but hits you in
the face lyrically. Adrift is such a beautiful slow song. Takes me back to White as Snow and the
older Labyrinth song. Teeth's production sounds cleaner than all the other songs on the album,
any one else notice that? Oblivion is the standout track for me. That chorus is HUGE and love the
string outro. Its a little bit of a bummer that was a single because that's such an epic closer.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Thibs | May 12th 26 |
| 3.0 good | zuzek | May 12th 26 |
| 3.5 great | T5Cx | May 11th 26 |
| 3.5 great | Frenchy STAFF | May 6th 26 |
| 4.0 excellent | sr388 | May 6th 26 |
| 4.0 excellent | jmh886 | May 6th 26 |
| 4.2 excellent | Futures STAFF | May 6th 26 |
| 3.0 good | Matty CONTRIBUTOR | May 4th 26 |
| 4.0 excellent | Adam | May 3rd 26 |
| 4.0 excellent | Emim | May 3rd 26 |
| 4.0 excellent | JWT155 | May 2nd 26 |
| 4.0 excellent | jc3494 | May 2nd 26 |
| 3.5 great | Luna | May 1st 26 |
| 3.5 great | nbats | May 1st 26 |
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