Last summer, Gotee Records alum Ayiesha Woods returned with an encouraging new single, "I Have Hope." Now, just shy of a year later, Ayiesha is back with another upbeat anthem - and this time, she's brought a familiar voice along with her for the party. "No Rock (ft. Mr. Talkbox)" is a bold declaration inspired by Luke 19:40, where Jesus says: "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (NIV) And Ayiesha ain't gonna let those rocks speak for her...

Grief is a strange beast that can rear its ugly head when you least expect it. It can last for a short time, or it can plague one for a season, or perhaps even a lifetime. Jesus, himself, was described as a "man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief." There is something immensely comforting about knowing that our Savior understands grieving.

Which brings us to sophomore album you'll forget the sun from Nashville's idle threat. From the album's lead single, "evermind," we're given a glimpse into what the whole record is about, summed up in the line, "If I lift up lament, there's no sense in this tragedy. Father, sing...

Speaking broadly, there are two ways to review a comeback album from a legacy band: to compare it to the band's back catalogue or to try your best to listen to it as its own distinct work of art. For most Haste the Day fans, who've been waiting over a decade for a new album, it would be difficult not to compare 2026's Dissenter to its predecessors. Dissenter is effectively the band's second comeback album, drawing direct comparisons to 2015's Coward, meanwhile, they'd both have to live up to the reputation of 2010's Attack of the Wolf King, where Haste the Day ended the first leg of their career with what many fans believe to be their crowning achievement. However, I find myself uniquely positioned to view Dissenter on its own terms, as someone who's only ever been on the fringes of HTD's fandom. I've always liked what I heard from them, but I never fully bought in or became a repeat listener -- that is, not until the newest singles started dropping. Songs like "Burn," "Liminal," and especially "Oblivion" (the album's epic closer) were why I needed to get my hands on Dissenter...