Sunday, September 21, 2008

Underoath Gets Lost In Their Sounds of Separation

Zach Fraser

Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Updated: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Lost In The Sound of Separation -Underoath

After many trials and tribulations throughout the past couple of years, Tampa Bay natives, Underoath came out swinging with “Lost in the Sound of Separation.” It is a complex, melodic and intense album sure to further solidify them as veterans of the hardcore genre.

Underoath’s fourth full length release, “Lost In the Sound of Separation” strays away from the bands poppy/screamo sound on “They’re Only Chasing Safety.”

The new album progresses more towards the harder sound of their last album, “Define The Great Line.”

One thing that loyal Underoath fans will most likely recognize on “LITSOS” is how Spencer Chamberlin once and for all takes near complete control of the mic, proving that his screams are the backbone of the band.

Although not quite as prevalent as in the past, Aaron Gillespie still provides clean vocals, but puts most of his efforts into drumming throughout the album.

“LITSOS” opens with the song “Breathing in a New Mentality” a shot of adrenaline that surely will wake you up.

Chamberlain confesses, “I’m the desperate, and you’re the savior!”

He was most likely referring to the problems and struggles he had with substance abuse over the years, as well as his deep love for God.

The album follows by setting the bar high for other bands and setting the volume even higher. Even at its slowest points, the album makes “They’re Only Chasing Safety” seem like a calm walk in the park compared to this all out sprint.

“A Fault Line. A Fault of Mine” is a great track showcasing the benefits of having Chamberlain and Gillespie sing together, providing a wonderful harmony of shrieks and pristine vocals.

“The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed” lets guitarist Timothy McTague and James Smith shine throughout the song, providing deep riffs and high distortion.

Further down the track list is Underoath’s first single from “LITSOS,” “Desperate Times Desperate Measures.”

This song gives Underoath a single that is very accessible and listener friendly while still providing the raw sound of the band that everyone knows and loves.

Near the end of the album my favorite track “Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear” gives us a slower side of Underoath.

Screamer Chamberlain actually gives his clean vocals a shot on this track and actually does very well.

Him and Gillespie combine beautifully throughout the whole song until the very end, where the calm vocals explode into an all out war of screams and shrieks.

Overall, Underoath has released an album that should satisfy fans and soar above their expectations.

“Lost In the Sound of Separation” shows how Underoath has progressed over the years to become one of the most ambitious groups out there, while staying loyal to their fans and their hardcore roots. They prove that they are indeed at the top of their game.


For more Underoath, visit www.underoath777.com.
Also listen to tracks at www.myspace.com/underoath.

Zach can be reached at zfraser@ut.edu.

Article Link

This year I'm going to try and update this blog with my album reviews, interviews, etc. I haven't been successful at all in the past at doing this, so you can check out all my past articles here in the archives of the minaret:

Archives: Zach Fraser (A & E)

I'll post all new and current pieces to this blog as they are published.

Thanks,
Zach