Dissenter Feels like the welcome return, not just of Haste the Day as a band, but of a voice from my youth that sounds wiser for the years it has been silent. There's an immediate sense of familiarity in the riffs, rhythms, and the melodic urgency, yet it is paired with the weight of a group that has clearly lived through life's inevitable highs and lows. This is most evident on "Grave," which carries that classic Haste the Day slow burn: restrained and patient at first, steadily building tension until it lands with an emotional punch that feels like partial catharsis. The song's reflection on loss and regret connects naturally with "Adrift," reinforcing a thematic throughline across the album that wrestles with what we carry, what we let go of, and what still haunts us. While it is unmistakably a Haste the Day album, Dissenter feels weathered and shaped by time, reflecting less of the youthful urgency of their Jimmy Ryan days and more of a hard-won clarity born of hard-learned lessons. It's a welcome return that reflects more than just a comeback, but as a mature, honest statement from a band that has endured the roller coaster of real life. - 4/28/26 Matt Baldwin