French progressive metal juggernauts DALI have once again made their mark on the genre's shifting landscape with the release of their latest single, “TEARGAS", dropped on April 18, 2025. After accruing a sizable following under the moniker "The Dali Thundering Concept", the quartet has recently rebranded themselves under a more succinct name, "DALI". Known for blending technicality with conceptual weight, the band has earned a reputation for making music that hits as hard intellectually as it does sonically. Past records like Savages and All Mighty Men helped solidify their identity within modern metal, tackling themes that span socio-political unrest, ecological collapse, and existential dread. “TEARGAS” continues that tradition, this time turning inward—examining emotional repression and the human psyche through haunting textures, crushing grooves, and jagged melodic shifts. It’s a sharpened step forward from a band that refuses to stay in place.

Holding down the low end is Vola artist Steve Tréguier, whose Vasti 5 STM J1 Bass has become a key part of the band’s sonic foundation. Built with a Swamp Ash body, roasted maple neck, and the precision of Vola’s ATR-1 3-band EQ system, the instrument meets the demands of Tréguier’s style—equal parts punch and aggression. His tone cuts through whether he’s anchoring complex polyrhythms or stretching into ambient space, and on “TEARGAS,” that dynamic presence remains central: tight, melodic, and unmistakably him.

On guitar, founding member Léo Natale brings a similarly distinct voice with his custom OZ 8 Signature Model—a sleek left handed 8-string built with a Buckeye Burl top, Black Limba body, and Vola pickups designed for extended-range clarity. Natale’s playing on “TEARGAS” is controlled chaos: harsh chugs, abysmal heaviness, and tense melodies all woven together with intent. His instrumentation is essentially the brush he uses to paint the emotional core of the band’s sound. Speaking of which, the visual elements of the accompanying music video perfectly complement the energy and quick pacing of the song. Overlaid with hand-drawn animations of stark pink, it adds street-art like element to the aesthetic, which fits the band's counter-culture approach.

Behind the kit, drummer Martin Gronnier delivers a performance that’s both punishing and precise. His work balances brute force with intricate control, driving the track with surgical double kicks, syncopated fills, and moments of restraint that make the heavier passages hit even harder. His drumming is the glue that holds the band’s layered mayhem together, and on “TEARGAS,” his rhythms guide the pacing shifts like a pulse.  Leading it all is vocalist Sylvain Conier, whose guttural roars bring a merciless attack to the song. Conier brings raw emotion and pointed intensity to every line. On this latest offering, his delivery is especially potent—channeling the psychological tension at the heart of the track and elevating it into something deeply personal. It all comes to a head during a hellish breakdown near the end, where the quartet erupts into an otherworldly level of intensity.

There’s no coasting here. "TEARGAS" hits like a warning shot—tight, chaotic, and unfiltered. DALI sound more dangerous and determined than ever.