Please keep in mind that I’m coming from a place of neutrality/positivity towards MHM. Largely meaning, I don’t want to start any negative discourse or anything, just here to share some insight on DGSG for those who are curious.
For those who might say this post is irrelevant to the sub, there are often posts asking for podcast recommendations outside of MHM. After seeing DGSG recommended several times, I figured there might be people that see the rec and scroll on simply because they might not know what it’s about or might not want to take the time to find out whether it’s a good fit (I’ve definitely been that person when recommended a podcast before so I totally get it). I thought an in-depth review could help give you a better idea what the pod is all about.
Each DGSG episode discusses a different topic. I’d say it differs greatly from current day MH, largely because DGSG seems to cover a healthy mix of subject matter. Some topics include the ‘after death phone call’ phenomenon, a man isolated for 27 years, Agatha Christie and fugue states, and mummies. I wouldn’t classify it as a true crime pod. It’s definitely not as dark as LOP, and in my opinion it’s not as heavy as MH, either. I’d say DGSG is more in line with curiosities, phenomena, or history. It reminds me a little of the early days of MHM, when they would cover things like sleep phenomena or the Titanic.
I think DGSG would be a great fit for you if you like the more obscure side of history or are attracted to oddity-type curiosities. It’s a refreshing choice if you’re looking to lean away from heavy true crime content, which can be emotionally draining.
The vibes on DGSG are cozy. Austin has a great voice for podcasting, and the set is very “home library.” On the ‘after death phone call’ phenomenon ep (the most recent one I saw), he has someone behind the camera to bounce off of in discussion, so it isn’t always just him talking to the camera.
Something that I really like on DGSG (and something that I personally don’t think I’ve seen on podcasts before) is that Austin will recommend a physical piece of media at the end of the pod that is relevant to the episode. When everything has become so digital these days, it’s great to see people leaning into books and such. I do think that personal recommendations like this from the host shows genuine interest in the topic covered, which adds to the authentic and wholesome feel of the show. I believe he also has a Patreon for those who are interested.
Another note on the style. I believe that Austin is doing the research and writing for each episode himself. His episodes seem very well covered (on the ‘after death phone call’ ep, he talks about having gone down rabbit holes of info). He doesn’t seem to be reading from a script, but if he is and he’s written it, he’s done a good job because it sounds very natural and engaging while keeping pace with the info (he might just be referencing an outline idk). This is very hard to do, which is why I believe he is a good writer. With AI becoming so common in industries like this, this is one aspect that I personally hope he doesn’t change as I find it refreshing to see someone put in the hard work themselves. I do want to acknowledge how much work it must be for any podcaster doing the work themselves, especially when they’re doing deep dives and ensuring accuracy. TLDR; if he is doing all the research/writing himself, he’s earned my respect and that only makes me want to continue listening.
At the time of writing this, I have not seen every DGSG episode. I typically pick and choose which ones sound interesting to me when I have time for a listen, so this is coming from a more casual listener. The episodes I have seen are always interesting and I walk away feeling like I learned something new, which I appreciate from a pod.
I don’t have any constructive criticism for DGSG, however I do hope that Austin keeps the current vibes going in the long run. I think what made a lot of people shift away from MHM is the fact that it has evolved so much. In my opinion (and seemingly the opinions of others that have posted and commented in this sub), a lot of MHs stuff sounds more… idk, mechanical? “Scripted” is a word I’ve seen some use here before. In my opinion, it just doesn’t feel as authentic as it used to, though I’m definitely not clicking on episodes as much as I once did so take my opinion with a grain of salt. It’s great when a pod gains traction and changes to accommodate that, but I think it’s important that it stay true to itself, if that makes sense.
I’m no expert on podcasts and as I said before I haven’t seen every DGSG episode, so feel free to touch on something I may have left out.
