Dayseeker Release New Single “Shapeshift” and Announce Creature In The Black Night Album

Southern California post-hardcore band Dayseeker have unveiled their new single Shapeshift, along with a visualizer, ahead of the release of their sixth studio album Creature In The Black Night, due 24 October via Spinefarm.

Frontman Rory Rodriguez describes the track as deeply personal:

“This song is about the anxiety I live with on a daily basis. An open letter to myself about how it shifts and molds me into a different version of me.”

The single follows the recent previews of Crawl Back To My Coffin and Pale Moonlight, offering fans a darker and heavier taste of what’s to come.
Produced by Daniel Braunstein (Spiritbox, Silent Planet) and mixed by Zakk Cervini (Blink-182, Bring Me The Horizon, Lorna Shore), Creature In The Black Night is positioned as Dayseeker’s most ambitious work yet. While not a traditional concept record, the album carries strong thematic cohesion, rooted in horror-inspired imagery, Grim Reaper iconography, and an ominous atmosphere.

Rodriguez explains, “There’s a horror-inspired vibe that took hold early on. It wasn’t planned. But once it started showing up in the songs, we leaned into it.”

For longtime fans, the new album marks an unexpected shift. While Dayseeker have become known for emotionally heavy songs balancing post-hardcore aggression with melodic passages, Rodriguez suggests the new record reverses expectations.

“There was this idea that we’d get more and more commercial over time,” he says. “But I think the opposite happened — we’re riffing more, I’m screaming more. And it feels good. It feels honest.”

Dayseeker formed in Orange County, California in 2012, quickly finding a following within the post-hardcore and metalcore scenes. The original lineup featured Rory Rodriguez (vocals), Alex Polk (guitar), Andrew Sharp (bass), and Mike Karle (drums). Over the years, personnel shifted, but Rodriguez remained the creative core, with today’s lineup rounded out by Gino Sgambelluri (guitar), Ramone Valerio (bass), and Zac Mayfield (drums).
From the beginning, Dayseeker stood apart from their peers with a blend of soaring melodies and brutally honest lyrics. Themes of mental health, grief, relationships, and personal struggle became hallmarks of the band’s catalogue.

Their debut album What It Means To Be Defeated (2013) introduced them to the scene, gaining attention for its raw emotion and tight musicianship. By their sophomore release Origin (2015), the band had cemented their place in post-hardcore, balancing polished production with aggressive breakdowns.

Signing to Spinefarm opened the door to a wider audience, and Dreaming Is Sinking /// Waking Is Rising (2017) showed a leap forward in both concept and execution, telling a sprawling, cinematic story through its tracks.

But it was Sleeptalk (2019) that redefined Dayseeker. Moving into more atmospheric and melodic territory, the album produced the popular title track, expanding their fanbase well beyond post-hardcore circles.

Their last album Dark Sun (2022) continued this evolution, blending lush, synth-heavy soundscapes with their emotional core. It was also a deeply personal work for Rodriguez, largely written in the aftermath of his father’s passing.

Now, with Creature In The Black Night, Dayseeker appear to be circling back to heavier territory, rediscovering their hardcore roots while maintaining the cinematic edge they’ve developed over the past decade.

DAYSEEKER DISCOGRAPHY
What It Means To Be Defeated (2013)
Origin (2015)
Dreaming Is Sinking /// Waking Is Rising (2017)
Sleeptalk (2019)
Dark Sun (2022)
Creature In The Black Night (2025)

CREATURE IN THE BLACK NIGHT – TRACKLIST
Pale Moonlight
Creature In The Black Night
Crawl Back To My Coffin
Shapeshift
Soulburn
Bloodlust
Cemetery Blues
Nocturnal Remedy
The Living Dead
Meet The Reaper
Forgotten Ghost

Dayseeker will tour extensively across 2025 before returning to Australia in December for Good Things Festival 2025, where they’ll share the stage with Tool, Weezer, Garbage, All Time Low, Machine Head, The All-American Rejects, Knocked Loose, Lorna Shore, Refused, New Found Glory, Make Them Suffer, Goldfinger, Tonight Alive, Cobra Starship, and more.

Good Things Festival 2025 – Dates:
Friday 5 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (16+)
Saturday 6 December – Sydney Showground, Sydney (16+)
Sunday 7 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (16+)

With Shapeshift out now and Creature In The Black Night just weeks away, 2025 is shaping up to be Dayseeker’s biggest year yet — one that promises both a return to their heavier beginnings and a bold step forward into uncharted territory.

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Tagged as: 10s, Dayseeker, Good Things, hardcore, rock, Shapeshifter, USA