Underoath - "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear" (2008)

Underoath are an anomaly for me. I never really got very into the whole metalcore/screamo scene with very few exceptions. Of those exceptions, Underoath are the only band that I’ve gone back to time and again because to me, there is so much more to them than just a bunch of screaming. But don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of screaming. More than ever actually on their latest album Lost In the Sound of Separation. Like a lot of people, I first got heard them when 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety came out and blew everyone away. It was a great mix of screaming and pop punk with melodies galore. The band followed up in 2006 with the decidedly heavier Define the Great Line, which scaled back the pop elements and delivered more on the metal side of things, with Spencer Chamberlain’s blistering scream taking center stage. I liked that record but not quite as much as Safety and I was a little skeptical about how I would feel about Lost In the Sound of Separation. Well Underoath makes it quite clear within the first few seconds of the brutal opener “Breathing In a New Mentality” that Chamberlain is at the helm. I didn’t think I would be as into this album, but it grew on me and I came to discover it’s many merits. Underoath has never sounded tighter than they do here. Aaron Gillespie’s masterful drum skills almost make up for the fact that we don’t get to hear his voice as much this time around. There are also so many electronic elements involved that weave all the parts of the songs together as a cohesive unit. And lead guitarist Tim McTague doesn’t slouch when it comes to delivering memorable riffs that are instantly recognizable as Underoath. That being said, Underoath is probably a band that most people have already made up their mind about. And that’s fine. They’re definitely not for everyone. But I chose today’s song because I think it shows a side of their sound that most people wouldn’t immediately think of. This is the lightest song the album and the one that most prominently features Gillespie on the mic. Chamberlain even forgoes his trademark growl for a good portion of the song and shows us that he can actually sing when he wants to. Of course there is some screaming at the very end. I guess it wouldn’t be Underoath without it. However, it works so well in the structure of the song that I think you have to at least appreciate it even if it’s not your cup of tea. Underoath impressed me with this album by showing that they weren’t content to just use what worked before. Because of that, I’ll probably be more apt to buy their records in the future, always sure that they’re going to deliver something that I might not have counted on.


Underoath - "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear"