Customer Reviews

Define the Great Line

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's this - I know that I shouldn't even be listening to this group, since I'm about 7 to 10 years too old and about 75 pounds over the necessary weight required to wear the appropriate uniform that most (if not all) hardcore kids have been wearing for the past couple of years. (It's been a decade since I could fit into 32-waist jeans and a size Medium t-shirt.) Coupled with that sad admission is the one that, whenever I even think about going to any kind of local rock show in my area (whether in Houston itself or in the general north of the city), I have to remind myself how old & out-of-place I'll look amongst all the kids in the crowd. Yes, I do realize that 15- to 18-year-olds really aren't kids, but when you're a decade or more older than a vast majority of the crowd going to see a hardcore show, you feel quite creepy standing next to kids who weigh half of what you do. I guess I should learn to be content with attending indie rock & folk shows - my age & my ears are getting to me.

And, on an even more level than personal style issues and the inability to earn points as a good scenester, I start listening to Underoath's new album, Define the Great Line, and began to fear that I've become "that guy." Any music aficionado of any real substance knows exactly the guy I'm talking about (Rob, Dick, & Barry make merciless fun of one of these guys in High Fidelity, both book & movie versions). He's the older and intelligent, yet subtly mocked, geezer who constantly says things like, "Oh, I used to listen to them back when they were [insert band's previous style here]," or "Oh, I like their old stuff better." This is the guy who can quote track lists, contributors, and influences for great records across many styles, but his pool of information is dated by about 5 to 10 years, at a minimum. You enjoy talking to him, since he's always enthusiastic and knowledgeable about music, but it can be almost sad to talk to him because he's stuck in the past that he's created for himself. His ears simply reached the point where they couldn't absorb anything new, whether new in style or interpretation of an old style.

Nonetheless, I say all of that to say this - I was first exposed to Underoath's music with their Cries of the Past EP that came out 6 years ago, full of many nods and bows to black/European metal. However, I cringed a bit when The Changing of Times was released in 2002, revealing that the band had left the gates of metal and entered the quickly-expanding subdivision that was becoming "screamo/hardcore." However, after growing to like the new direction the band undertook with TCoT, I was definitely not a fan of the clean & slickly-produced "pop-core" of 2004's They're Only Chasing Safety. I stood adamantly upon this opinion, even though it began to appear that legions of fans everywhere were collecting themselves around the house that is Underoath. And the band itself didn't make my distaste with their current work any easier, for after two years of constant touring and three straight appearances as a main-stage act on the Vans Warped Tour, the guys of Underoath have certainly secured themselves a spot in the mainstream rock pantheon.

Case in point - with the release of their newest album, Define the Great Line, on June 20th, this Florida-based band sold 98,000 records in the first week, earning them a #2 ranking on the Billboard charts, behind only Nelly Furtado's latest, and pushing the Dixie Chicks down a spot. That, my dear readers, is notoriety and market value of the highest level ("Under Who?" asks the average pop/R&B radio listener). It's one thing to mock the buying habits of the average teen and 18-25 demographic, but it's quite another thing to realize that those buying habits are the ones that have catapulted an overtly Christian rock band into the ears and eyes of hard music listeners around the nation.

Because, you see, this is a screamo/hardcore album that many people should be listening to, and for good reason, as the band seems to have eschewed all of the poppy & melodic tendencies that plagued They're Only Chasing Safety. Suffice to say folks, the talent level present on Define the Great Line is hard to ignore, whether or not you enjoy or even appreciate this subgenre of metal. The passion, intensity, and sense of purpose that literally explodes from this album are to be applauded, examined, and reflected upon by both those people who listen to music and those who actively are making music. I will even go as far as to step up to the plate, superlatives in hand, and declare that this is a career-defining album, in the best way possible - Underoath has happened upon a medium through which they can effectively sing/scream about their struggles, questions, trials, and tribulations without sounding like they're sorry for themselves, whining about their status in life, or pissed off at the world (as twice-baked and over-cooked as that approach is). The lyrics of Spencer Chamberlain & Aaron Gillespie read like the anguished pleadings and prayers of the Major & Minor Prophets of the Old Testament - and I mean that as an extreme compliment.

However, as I sit perusing the phenomenal photography contained within the special edition CD+DVD and examine the subject of the collection in his various stages of devolution and (almost) decomposition, I find myself hoping against hope for a decent lead guitar solo of some sort on more than a few songs. I fully realize that this is a concept album of high distinction and that screamo/hardcore albums often intentionally shun the concept of soloing, but there are times when the dark, brooding chugging could be complemented by a sonorous piece of fretwork (read: NOT a high, soaring 80's solo) connecting the movements in at least the two songs on the album that clock in at over 6 minutes. Do not read too much into my complaint (many metal-heads disdain hardcore as being replete with undisciplined and unstructured guitar players) - I just wish that more technical guitar playing had made its way onto this album.

Ultimately, Define the Great Line is one of the best rock albums of 2006, though the style of rock isn't always agreeable to many people in the demographic to which I belong, much less amongst the people who comprise my regular coterie of readers. Thus, I offer the same suggestion I've offered to the parents of the kids I sold hard music to for 6 years - while listening to the music (at a volume your old ears can tolerate), take out the lyrics, and read along with the men of Underoath. The crushing waves of instrumental fervor notwithstanding, it is the lyrical content lying within these songs ("You're Ever So Inviting" & "Moving For the Sake of Motion" are the album's standout tracks) that makes this album worth several listen-throughs and maybe even a purchase, but only if your old ears are up to the challenge. I'll even let you borrow my copy.

only chasing saftey (the previous record) was decent but it was way to screamo and poppy. Here, they go back towards more of their old sound of metal. The vocals have improved greatly, sometimes getting deep throated. THe guitars have a great crunch with some killer riffs. It's just totally sounds like a different band. If you don't like underoath or hated their last cd, then give this one a shot. It's one of the best albums of the year.

I don't care what anyone says, TOCS is and probably always will be UnderOath's best record. Saftey single-handedly changed the way I listen to music forever, and I don't think there ever has been or ever will be a band who can pull off music as aggressive and accessible as uO did with TOCS. From the anthemic sound of Reinventing Your Exit to the sheer brutality of Ten Friends, Safety was a complete listen.

Define The Great Line is different, but somewhat. It still has some of the melody of the previous effort, and whether intentional or not, the songs still feel anthemic in a way. Thankfully too, there's no slow-tempo metal posing either (as I feared there would be with Adam D working the dials), keeping things pretty consistant with the Screamo/Hardcore sound. For all of this though, DTGL is still a much heavier, less accessible record than TOCS, which actually crossed over into the mainstream at the height of it's success.

If you're a hardcore Uo fan, or a screamo/core fan in general you'll find a lot to enjoy to here. It just won't be as much as with TOCS.

Underoath. Wow. Started as a little annoying metalcore outfit, turned into a little annoying screamo pop band, and then morphed into THIS Underoath. Bombastic, tense, mass produced, and ready to turn the music world upside down. This is honestly probably the most unique music will get for quite some time.
Underoath is a hardcore band. They are emo dudes, no denying it. But it hurts me to say those things, seeing as they are a hundred times better than the rest of the run of the mill screamo acts. Emo kids, tell me I'm wrong, that Underoath ISN'T the band to change the hardcore and quite possibly the entire music scene forever. Some people seem to think that whiny bands like Sky Eats Airplane, or SKSK, or Emarosa, or even ALESANA(kill me now)are better than Underoath. Tee hee. Opinions are opinions, but my opinion is that those opinions are idiotical.
I like breaking this album down into two parts: aggressive and atmospheric. In Regards to Myself opens with an uppercut to the chin, flatout rocking all over the place to begin the record. A Moment Suspended in Time and There Could Be Nothing After This venture straight into prog-rock territory, providing two of the best chops on the album.
You're Ever so Inviting provides the first of two alt-radio ready songs, Writing on the Walls is the other. They are still so much more experimental than most other stuff out there, but for UO they provide a break from the pounding atmosphere. Moving for the Sake of Motion is another rock-hard number, displaying the twin guitar heroics from Tim and James like never before.
Casting Such a Thin Shadow and To Whom it May Concern are rousing experimental numbers that illustrate a softer side of Underoath. That's not saying that turmoil doesn't erupt in the latter parts of the two songs. Salmanir is little more than an intro to the rest of the album, and it features spoken Latin and electronic fizzles from keyboardist Chris Dudley.
Everone looks so Good From Here is the hardest track on the album, along with Returning Empty Handed. They are pure onslaughts of power, backed primarily from Spencer's ferocious vocals, Aaron's spastic drumming, and Grant's thudding basslines.
There is not enough ways to describe how good this album is, it's like trying to explain dark matter. DTGL must be heard to be believed or understood. LITSOS should be even better, and it really is an exciting time, given that UO has now officially graduated from being a standard screamo band to the most unique band out there today. All music fans should give this album a shot. If you don't enjoy it, I must apologize for your feeble mind not being able to grasp the magnitude of this mammoth.
*The future of hardcore was set back in 2006, when this amazing album hit stores. UO has proven themselves to be better than Norma Jean, Alexisonfire, Saosin, Killswitch Engage, or just about any similarly styled band out there. They are not a genre. They are Underoath. Not to mention there isn't a better live show out there.

Define The Great Line is a post-modern musical masterpeice that is of the same caliber of such classics as Ok Computer, The Shape Of Punk To Come, Calculating Infinity and De-Loused in the Comatorium. Every song is a harrowing journey of emotional catharsis with amazing musicianship and songwiting. The impact is even more pronounced when you relize your listening to the same band that relased the totally forgettable They Are Only Chasing Saftey. The album as a whole is one you will never forget, if you give it the chance. Without a doubt the best album of 2006, Define The Great Line should be experenced by fans of any genre not just ones of metal or post-hardcore.

Define the Great Line is a solid metalcore release that manages to, if not totally shatter the conventions of its genre, at least twist them to its own advantage. This is a polished album, with the production and songwriting putting it near the top of its genre--with an album like this, it's no surprise that Underoath is gaining a good amount of popularity in hardcore circles.

The album starts with a solid guitar riff and a deep scream from vocalist Spencer Chamberlain--"Wake up, wake up! My God! This is not a test..." Though it's not the best song on the album, lacking some of the momentum and flow other tracks achieve, this opening ("In Regards to Myself") sets the pace for the rest of the album. This isn't all good, unfortunately. The song, like the rest of the album, suffers from lyrics that are often vague and uninspiring. It's plain that the song is a call to let go of some addiction, but there really isn't anything particularly deep in the lyrics--"Pull yourself together, man" might make a rousing battle cry, but it's not quite the smart use of language I'd hope for in the lyrics, and the other lines aren't much better. Later songs in the album are downright incoherent in their ramblings. (True, difficult lyrics are acceptable sometimes, especially in songs that are extremely deep, but Underoath's lyrics, neither deep nor greatly original, have no excuse for their knottiness.) By the album's end, "To Whom It May Concern", the album has picked up its optimistic, Christian message, but by then it's a little late. The album's sound, full of beautiful instrumental sections and memorable melodies pushed next to heavy power-chord-filled riffs, is unmistakably emotional, but the lyrics hide the source of the emotions in nearly incomprehensible messes of words.

Nonetheless, there's a lot to like in this record. Underoath isn't afraid to put long instrumental sections in their album, and thanks to them, the album takes on an emotional atmosphere that mere power-chord-heavy riffs wouldn't by themselves produce. The melodies are catchy and sound far more interesting than the clean vox sections you'll find in many other metalcore releases. In fact, the sheer craftsmanship of the album is very impressive--overlapping guitars, keyboard, and vocals create a sophisticated, layered sound. Through all this, you get an album that, despite being nothing earth-shattering in originality or heart-rending in its emotions, is quite fascinating and even (at points) rather moving. Fans of metalcore or heavy music in general should give this a try.

Underoath did their homework on this album and it shows. there's more metal, some slower parts on it, and there is nothing about boyfriend/girlfriend couples splitting, as metalcore bands have been accused of singing about. I hope to hear more from these guys in the distant future. one suggestion I have for these guys: you're on a Christian label, so start singing about Jesus. also, Underoath should make an appearance on WWE.

The first thing I noticed with this album, (other than this being a new album with songs that I'd never heard before) was that it was mixed by Chris Lord-Alge. This means it's going to have amazingly full, booming bass and the effects on instruments and vocals are going to be proper and fit beautifully. What it also means is that it's going to sound like everything else that he's mixed. Note the title of this review. Right at the first song, I thought it sounded precicely like Silence. The general sound of the guitars and drums sounded exactly like Christian and them had never gone out of the studio. This isn't to say that the songs' keys/riffs sound similar, as Underoath still has it when it comes to playing notes. If this is your first Underoath CD and you're expecting more of the same sound on their older albums, you're going to be disappointed. Their other albums don't sound as 'deep' as this does, what with the bass sounding like it's coming from a monster 12' underground.

This is a decent album if this is your first ride with Underoath. Just don't expect their older stuff to be the same. (Should you decide to pick them up. Highly suggested, personally.)

Support great music. Buy this.
- Henry (Will probably end up rewriting this in a week or two)

In the time since the sensational "They're Only Chasing Safety" was released, Underoath have been selling out shows and records like madmen. The cult following the band brings about with their energetic belligerence is anything but unstoppable; and when the band made a surprise move to stay locked into Tooth And Nail Records (despite bigger offerings), it's no surprise Tooth And Nail were stoked.

Leading up to this release, the hype's been building much like the whirling, dark sand in their promo videos. Ominous advertisements, simply displaying a ticking clock, have been plastered all over the Internet--and even in Downtown LA I witnessed several black posters with the `Oath logo plastered on the walls. And, when a plane bearing the news that the album is to be released was spotted at this year's Columbus Warped Tour stop, it's no secret: there's a lot of hype behind this album.

It might be too obvious of me to state, simply, that the hype for this album was anything short of dead-on--and, at moments, I myself was even a bit skeptical about `Define' blowing `Safety' out of the water. When the band's first choice was, oddly, to put "Salmarnir," the torrential interlude, up, my heart dropped with a sense of disappointment.

Now, though, "Define The Great Line," is in my hands, and I've no doubt that this album powerfully redefines Underoath (excuse the pun). Moving beyond the blistering anthemics found on tracks like "Reinventing Your Exit" and "A Boy Brushed Red...," "Define The Great Line" is a screamy, messy, and violent record that's vigorous and exciting.

The only discretion I've had with Underoath's live show is that, as one might expect, singer and drummer Aaron Gillespie's dual duty is a bit difficult to perfectly render. As if the band knew it was an issue, Gillespie makes a noticeably quick and short appearance on many of the tracks--though songs like the very Safety-esque "Writing On The Walls" deals out the usual scream/sing combo, most of the time singer Spencer Chamberlain is found shrieking and screaming, often putting out what must be his utmost intensity.

Sonically, thanks to the dual production efforts from Matt Goldman (Copeland, Cartel) and Adam Dutkiwicz (guitarist for Killswitch Engage), "Define The Great Line" blurs the production between new and old. It's got plenty of moments that exhibit modern and cutting-edge recording capabilities, filled with drum machines and noisy, loud, radio-ready guitars and vocals. However, it still retains a raw, unpolished sense of noisy, sustaining guitars. In other words, as would be expected, it sounds stunning.

And while most of the people in the mass market might not react too well to this noisy, rocking change of direction in Underoath, one can only expect that their current fanbase will be utterly impressed--instead of taking advantage of their soaring record sales and diehard fan sect, Underoath wrote and made a record that sounds completely the way they wanted it to sound. It might sound cliché in today's terms to say a band's stayed true to their roots--but Underoath did just that, writing noisy, blazing hardcore songs with dark, heavy guitar textures and screaming--and they did it because they wanted to.

I think what I love most about this record is the fact that the band's obvious nature to crossover into two different genres with "They're Only Chasing Safety" is delicately retained--yes, fans of catchy, sing-a-long choruses and hooky choruses will find moments they love on "Define." But, at the same time, fans of heavy, destructive metal and hard rock will love the moments of sheer energy exhibited by the band--and will likely be able to look past the high-pitched wailing of Gillespie.

Perhaps Chamberlain puts it best on "Moving For The Sake Of Motion"--"Brace yourself!!!" "Define The Great Line" isn't for the weary, though by the end you feel like you've been beaten up. I am not even slightly reluctant to say this record will be topping the "Best Of" charts come 2007.

What can I say, I have been listening to underOATH for a long time now. My favorite album was Cries of the Past but this has surpassed that definitely! Love it, especially "In Regards to Myself"!