Underoath: More than just screaming
Lost in the Sound of Separation
John Smith
Issue date: 9/16/08 Section: Entertainment
What Alternative Press magazine describes as " the closest thing to being in a forest fire without dying," Underoath's new album Lost in the Sound of Separation is a tactile sensation to your ears. In their 4th studio release, the six guys from Tampa that represent the Christian faith to its fullest extent have yet again successfully combined a prog-rock/hardcore/screamo/melodic record that somehow seemed to land in the top ten on the billboard charts.
When asked to describe the album in three words, guitarist Tim McTague says, "heavy, ambient, layered"; ambient in a heavy metal album, only from Underoath. Priding themselves on being heavy and experimental, they've found a home on both Tooth & Nail and Solid State records and since making their final member change in 2004 with lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, all of their studio releases have gone platinum. Working with previous producers of Define the Great Line Adam Dee and Matt Goldman, keyboardist, Chris Dudley says, "It is great working with them because they are so laid back and the atmosphere is great."
The album itself has eleven tracks, each one with its own personality. Although the album doesn't flow together quite like Define the Great Line does, it is evident they spent a lot more time personalizing each track. If their two previous albums Define the Great Line and They're Only Chasing Safety, had a kid it would be this new album. It has heavy tracks like "The Only Survivor was Miraculously Unharmed" and purely instrumental tracks like "Desolate Earth :: The End is Here" both of which have ground-breaking combinations of drum beats, bass-lines, guitar extracts, and piano elements that I'm sure would make Elton John proud. Without a doubt, it is the easiest Underoath album to listen to because it is hard to predict what's next. Drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie does an incredible job of vocalizing harmonies with the music and simultaneously producing drumbeats that make your heart want to skip a beat. It is always more than just screaming with Underoath and songs like "A Fault Line, a Fault of Mine" and the first single off the album "Desperate Times Desperate Measures" proves just that.
Aaron, Tim, Spencer, James, Chris, and Grant should be extremely proud of the album because even if you only listen to one song, you'll be pleased. The only question is how well they'll be able to perform all of these songs live; we'll see on their headlining U.S. tour this fall. For tour dates or more information check out myspace.com/underoath or underoath777.com
Rating: 4.5/5
When asked to describe the album in three words, guitarist Tim McTague says, "heavy, ambient, layered"; ambient in a heavy metal album, only from Underoath. Priding themselves on being heavy and experimental, they've found a home on both Tooth & Nail and Solid State records and since making their final member change in 2004 with lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, all of their studio releases have gone platinum. Working with previous producers of Define the Great Line Adam Dee and Matt Goldman, keyboardist, Chris Dudley says, "It is great working with them because they are so laid back and the atmosphere is great."
The album itself has eleven tracks, each one with its own personality. Although the album doesn't flow together quite like Define the Great Line does, it is evident they spent a lot more time personalizing each track. If their two previous albums Define the Great Line and They're Only Chasing Safety, had a kid it would be this new album. It has heavy tracks like "The Only Survivor was Miraculously Unharmed" and purely instrumental tracks like "Desolate Earth :: The End is Here" both of which have ground-breaking combinations of drum beats, bass-lines, guitar extracts, and piano elements that I'm sure would make Elton John proud. Without a doubt, it is the easiest Underoath album to listen to because it is hard to predict what's next. Drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie does an incredible job of vocalizing harmonies with the music and simultaneously producing drumbeats that make your heart want to skip a beat. It is always more than just screaming with Underoath and songs like "A Fault Line, a Fault of Mine" and the first single off the album "Desperate Times Desperate Measures" proves just that.
Aaron, Tim, Spencer, James, Chris, and Grant should be extremely proud of the album because even if you only listen to one song, you'll be pleased. The only question is how well they'll be able to perform all of these songs live; we'll see on their headlining U.S. tour this fall. For tour dates or more information check out myspace.com/underoath or underoath777.com
Rating: 4.5/5
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