the din - suburban dream

     The second and final studio album from The Din, Suburban Dream is a concept album which explores the theme of ever-changing expectations in the face of personal growth and development. Loosely mirroring the group's own journey of musical and personal evolution, and the changes it brought about, the record's overarching goal is to prove that in many instances, change isn't necessarily negative.

     From nine different perspectives including loss, yearning, nostalgia, reminiscence, and optimism, each song tells a unique story of an instance in which expectations and reality are found to differ. Featuring lyrical pieces inspired by the achievement of personal and professional goals, watching relationships end, and recounting lost love, the record strays into far more personal territory than its predecessor, making far greater use of supplemental instrumentation including piano, intricate string arrangements, and a vast array of auxiliary percussion. Sonically, the record is significantly more introspective, varied, and deliberate than the group's 2016 debut, Give In To The Din.

     Further separating itself from the group's debut record, Suburban Dream is comprised entirely of new material created exclusively for the project, rather than including a handful of previously released material. Percussionist Brandan Glew is also credited with penning the full lyric set for Give Me A Reason, and the verse lyrics for Up In The Air, two early staples of the record.

     Plans to release the record were announced in early September 2017, on the same day the group revealed their farewell concert schedule, culminating in one final farewell show on 21 October 2017, titled The Suburban Sendoff. Fifty limited-edition handmade CD pressings of Suburban Dream were made available at the concert, and sold out before the band vacated the stage. The following day, the album was made available for digital download, and the band confirmed that they would not be pressing any further CD units of the album in order to preserve its status as a collector's item. The record received a favorable review from The Sault Metal Scene in late 2017.

     This record was mixed and mastered by Daniel Schmidt and Pretoria Hill Productions, with Haggith handling limited co-production duties. One of the rare few examples of a concept album released by one of Haggith's affiliated groups, Suburban Dream stands tall as an example of teamwork, dedication, and love for the journey. Years later, this record is still considered an essential part of The Din's discography. While CD pressings were manufactured and sold, they sold out almost immediately, and this record is currently not available in physical print. It continues to be available for digital download.