Let’s get this straight. Underoath is back. And let’s also get this straight. This review isn’t a substandard evaluation of Underoath’s first record in half a decade, Erase Me, because the band doesn’t sound like it did 15 years, or even five years ago.
The Floridian six piece came up in the early 2000s brandishing a melodic, dynamic and energized approach that spread across the heavy rock and metal subgenres. Underoath had a distinct sound and with cornerstone records They’re Only Chasing Safety and Define The Great Line, the band became a household name. Even if you didn’t grow up listening to the tunes of vocalists Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillepsie, you knew of the name. Before disbanding in 2013, they were a staple of the first decade. Now after a few years removed from the scene, Underoath is doing their best to become a staple of the latter half of the second decade.
Erase Me‘s leadoff track “It Has To Start Somewhere” is woven with what makes this album so special. It bursts with that renowned rambunctious Underoath melody and is bolstered with Chamberlain’s mature, angst-driven vocals. However these vocals aren’t neccesarilly what we’ve come to expect from Øath. Chamberlain’s lyrics are honest, and possibly some of the emotional we’ve heard in the band’s lengthy career. Chamberlain shouts, “Don’t understand it / Don’t need your grace / You were never listening / To the words I said.” He continues in “On My Teeth,” So where were you / When I fell out / Went back into the dark / I’m lost again / So don’t come find me.”
These type of lyrics directed at a greater spiritual being, aren’t new to the world of metal, however, they are for Underoath. Whether accurate or not, Underoath has always been labeled a christian band which makes this dialogue perhaps a bit unexpected. Although, the passion in Chamberlain’s voice is felt like never before.
The vocalist sounds more carnal and guttural than he ever has before. As Alternative Press has stated, Chamberlain’s “high end (is) more tuneful than whiny.” Because of this, it’s easy to think that Gillepsie is still carrying much of the vocal responsibilities from behind his drum set. However, Chamberlain revealed on Shane Told’s Lead Singer Syndrome podcast last week, Gillepsie is less involved with the singing on this album.
With that said, there’s few bands that go on hiatus and come back with an outright killer record. It doesn’t happen often, yet Underoath accomplishes the unlikely. The record admittedly is different from past projects and the band does sound different. That’s a good thing though. Erase Me is a breath of fresh air and the power behind a band that’s creating a record that they want to hear is refreshing.
