Underoath - Theyre Only Chasing Safety
Solid State Records/Tooth & Nail Records June 15th 2004
By Jason Jordan
Have you encountered a band whose sound refuses to remain stationary from album to album? Bolt Thrower you say? Well, no, thats wrong. But, groups like Amorphis, Tourniquet, Zao, et al are consistently surprising the listener with their takes on musical direction. In other words, listening to one release from their catalog wont give you any indication of what the rest of their repertoire sounds like; Underoath easily fit into this category.
Theyre Only Chasing Safety is the latest offering from this sextet, and it definitely has its charm. The group has progressed since their first two, misdirected metal efforts landed (Act of Depression and Cries of the Past[/I). Arguably, those werent bad albums, but the band felt it imperative to explore other areas of music. Enter clean vocal tradeoffs with screaming, a lofty, keyboard presence, and overall slick production. The title of their third release alone, The Changing of Times, described the bands newfound sound. However, they werent finished and thats where Theyre Only Chasing Safety finds us today. Call Underoath screamo, emocore, or whatever you like. The point is this - theyve found their niche, and theyre good at it. The album, as a whole, is perhaps the most infectious Ive ever come across. I despised the transfiguration upon first listen and was bent on disliking the work; but, after giving it a fair chance and spending some much needed time with it, I became enraptured.
Young and Aspiring opens the record, and were treated to clean, duet-style vocals from both Chamberlain (new vocalist) and Gillespie (drums, vocals). Often, these voices intertwine to create an ambiance that was rarely ascertained by previous outputs. The sometimes alternating vokills muster panic, but are seemingly just as contagious as all the other performances. The guitar and bass work leaves nothing to be desired, and Gillespies skinwork convinces me that hes not displaying half his chops (listen to anything from Cries of the Past to see what I mean by that). But his fills are sufficient nonetheless.
Tracks one through four are similar in nature, while the fifth song deters from the formula a little bit. Its a fifty second interlude that provides much needed tranquility before we delve back into frantic cuts six through nine. Ten is the requisite ballad that deserves little attention - if any - because it has almost no redeeming qualities.
So, if you like your music filled with a copious amount of variety, check this out. These guys can play, and if youre too metal to let yourself in then youre missing a quality experience. Label it as you like: screamo, emocore, or whatever. All Im gonna call this is a damn, fine record.
8.0/10
Official Underoath website
Official Solid State Records website
Solid State Records/Tooth & Nail Records June 15th 2004
By Jason Jordan
Have you encountered a band whose sound refuses to remain stationary from album to album? Bolt Thrower you say? Well, no, thats wrong. But, groups like Amorphis, Tourniquet, Zao, et al are consistently surprising the listener with their takes on musical direction. In other words, listening to one release from their catalog wont give you any indication of what the rest of their repertoire sounds like; Underoath easily fit into this category.
Theyre Only Chasing Safety is the latest offering from this sextet, and it definitely has its charm. The group has progressed since their first two, misdirected metal efforts landed (Act of Depression and Cries of the Past[/I). Arguably, those werent bad albums, but the band felt it imperative to explore other areas of music. Enter clean vocal tradeoffs with screaming, a lofty, keyboard presence, and overall slick production. The title of their third release alone, The Changing of Times, described the bands newfound sound. However, they werent finished and thats where Theyre Only Chasing Safety finds us today. Call Underoath screamo, emocore, or whatever you like. The point is this - theyve found their niche, and theyre good at it. The album, as a whole, is perhaps the most infectious Ive ever come across. I despised the transfiguration upon first listen and was bent on disliking the work; but, after giving it a fair chance and spending some much needed time with it, I became enraptured.
Young and Aspiring opens the record, and were treated to clean, duet-style vocals from both Chamberlain (new vocalist) and Gillespie (drums, vocals). Often, these voices intertwine to create an ambiance that was rarely ascertained by previous outputs. The sometimes alternating vokills muster panic, but are seemingly just as contagious as all the other performances. The guitar and bass work leaves nothing to be desired, and Gillespies skinwork convinces me that hes not displaying half his chops (listen to anything from Cries of the Past to see what I mean by that). But his fills are sufficient nonetheless.
Tracks one through four are similar in nature, while the fifth song deters from the formula a little bit. Its a fifty second interlude that provides much needed tranquility before we delve back into frantic cuts six through nine. Ten is the requisite ballad that deserves little attention - if any - because it has almost no redeeming qualities.
So, if you like your music filled with a copious amount of variety, check this out. These guys can play, and if youre too metal to let yourself in then youre missing a quality experience. Label it as you like: screamo, emocore, or whatever. All Im gonna call this is a damn, fine record.
8.0/10
Official Underoath website
Official Solid State Records website
