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43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"It's All Worth Reaching For", June 20, 2006
"Define The Great Line" is the culmination of everything Underoath began building upon way back when they released their now infamous debut "Act Of Depression." With the mainstream success the band achieved with their previous record ("They're Only Chasing Safety") the pressure to write a record of this sort must have been monsterous. How do you follow the album of your career? Well if there was ever any pressure on Underoath writing this record, one would never know it. The outcome is a furious onslaught of metal, hardcore and screamo that most bands in the same genre can't even contend with. For the older Underoath fans who cried "sellout!" when TOCS hit the airwaves, prepare to be amazed because the band has brought back plenty of their heavier elements, while still keeping the same melodic sensibility that made them so popular with their last outing. "Define The Great Line" is undoubtably destined for good things in 2006.
If anyone is still crying "Underoath went soft" after the first seconds of "In Regards To Myself" (which sounds like some sort of Norma Jean meets As Cities Burn monstrosity), then I have to question what indeed is the definition of "soft?" "Define The Great Line" is a record that truly brings together every single piece of Underoath's sound. The melodic side. The aggressive. The Emotional. Every spectrum of sound is covered. It's almost as if they went back and took a little bit from every single album they've put out, and just created one giant masterpiece.
So enough of the high praise. I can just tell you flat out, this album is golden. No matter when you became an Underoath fan, you're going to like this record. It has everything. Blistering, heavy hitters like "In Regards To Myself" and "Everyone Looks So Good From Here" sound like they could have easily came from the pre-"Changing Of Times" Era and will satisfy any older fan. There's melodic pieces to be discovered in the first single "Writing On The Walls" and "You're So Inviting". "Casting Such A Thin Shadow" and "To Whom It May Concern" are both slow, driving (and yet distinctly heavy) tracks that show the range that Underoath is able to pull off. And the remaining tracks? Every single one more or less combines those previously mentioned areas, just in a much better way (Check "Moving For The Sake Of Motion" and "Returning Empty Handed" for proof, they're the albums two best tracks.)
The band is of course in top form for "Define The Great Line". Spencer has grown so much as a screamer since the last time around, it's amazing. His scream sounds like a mix of his days back in This Runs Through (his previous band) and his debut on "They're Only Chasing Safety". This means he can reach down for those ultra deep bellows, and then instantly hit the high shrieks that everyone now knows him for. Aaron has also gotten much better as the melodic vocalist. His parts aren't annoying or overbearing in the slightest as they sometimes were in the past. Instead every time he sings, it adds to the song. He also pounds aways on the drums like he was known for before "They're Only Chasing Safety." Tim and James have created plenty of interesting riffs that will leave most wondering, "Who? What?" after every moment. They pulvarize one second, then slip into tight breakdowns, only to transform to slow melodies the next second. And Chris' keyboards actually add more depth to the songs then they ever had, and make him actually more of an important element than he's ever been before.
The most impressive thing about the record and the musicianship this time around though has got to be how the band has gone back to the more progressive song writing structures which they used to be known for. This time around the tracks aren't oversaturated with hooks and catchy choruses. Instead we get to see how truly skilled musicians and song writers Underoath really are. The songs don't follow any particular pattern, and instead of feeling like just a repetition of stale parts, every song is unique and individual (And trust me, no two sound alike.)
"Define The Great Line" is absolutely the must listen of 2006. No matter when you became a fan, or what you're stance of musical style is. There is something on here to please everyone. This may be a bold statement, but I truly believe this is Underoath's best album to date (and I previously thought "Cries Of The Past" was). I cannot urge you enough to listen to this album. And if you can, do it as soon as possible, it's worth it. Underoath have truly become a powerhouse in the Christian heavy music world (not that they weren't already) with this record, and I guarantee this is one of the 5 best metal/hardcore albums you'll hear all year. "What are you so afraid of?" Get this album immediately.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genre Defying...and its a good thing., June 20, 2006
It's difficult not to sound the slightest bit overzealous when reviewing this album, because let's face it, it's good. Very good.
Let's go back for a second. They're Only Chasing Safety...Underoath unavoidably set a standard for themselves and fans alike, the only concern following that release was, how in the hell are they going to top themselves, let alone be reinventive in a fast-deteriorating genre filled with hopeless lyrical "insight" and overproduced material that generates undeserved attention.
We all fear a band like this selling out big time and becoming the next casualty to mainstream, essentially supressing any notion of talent these guys actually have. Fortunate for us however, they shattered their own conception of hardcore/screamo (whatever you wanna call it), and produced this fine piece of work that almost qualifies on the boundary of a concept album.
Define The Great Line is what happens when you realize that moving backwards is necessary to move forward. The songwriting is stronger, the technical composition is far more unearthed and complex than any of us could have imagined. The level of experimental elements is no match for The Changing Of Times, though it comes damn close with lenghty interludes and instrumentals that serve siginificant purposes found in the meat of the album.
UO is becoming increasingly sharper with their craft, which is far more than most bands out there could say. They've taken the road less traveled in order to push their sound into a theamatic/cinematic state with intelligent songwriting (ie: Thrice, Thursday) that requires more than just a glance at the liner notes. Define The Great Line is certainly not your average disposal-worthy "screamo" record, it strikes at the heart of an ailing genere of music that's bound to collapse. UO has undoubetly accomplished something that has the balls to contend as their most accomplished masterpiece to date. Kudos to these
guys for monumentally exceeding the expectations, this is what a follow-up to an album like TOCS should and ought to sound like.
Personal Picks:
- In Regards To Myself
- You're Ever So Inviting
- Returning Empty Handed
- Casting Such A Thin Shadow
- Everyone Looks So Good From Here
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Surprise Album of 2006!, June 29, 2006
"Oh God, everything, everything..." on this album is amazing! Now, I won't lie, I'm one of the later Underoath fans that first heard of them after their release of "They're Only Chasing Safety" back in 2004, then picking up their earlier releases like The Changing of Times and Act of Depression. But of course, then I wasn't the biggest fan of hardcore either. As my taste in music matured and expanded, I realized that there are so many sounds that run parallel with each other, creating a stagnant infamous world we refer to as the scene. What I learned with Underoath themselves is that even in this faceless tastless "scene", there still is that one band that stands out from the rest. The one band that refuses to cave in to this emo/screamo phase that plagues everyone into standardizing everything that everyone else listens to. Underoath is indeed that band, and they displayed just that on "Define the Great Line".
Adam D, shredding guitarist of Killswitch Engage and part-time producer was co-producer along with Matt Goldman who produced They're Only Chasing Safety. With Adam D as their selection for producer, I knew right away that Underoath was serious about creating a more metal sound, and along with the security of having a familiar face in the studio with Goldman; the pressure was on for Underoath to record a masterpiece. No matter what, after "They're Only Chasing Safety" selling over 350,000 copies which is huge for an indie album, "Define" was going to hit big numbers, but to the delight of most fans, especially those more into the heavy side of Underoath, they've exceeded expectations of others and mine.
From front to back, this album just unveils brutal yet subtle guitar riffs, varying vocals with occasional melodic hooks, innovative electronic effects, and YES, the return of the double bass drum which altogether makes for a superior album that you won't take out of your CD player for at least a week. "Define" is so surprisingly heavy and catchy that once you pick it up, you won't put it down. Trust me, this CD is currently owning my stereo system right now. The first song "In Regards to Myself" is a pleasant surprise; a reminiscence of new Norma Jean right from the beginning. Right after this song, it's easy to figure out that "Define" is as heavy as they come; much heavier than you might expect. Believe me, "It's all worth reaching for." If you have watched the Bonus DVD with TOCS, Tim (guitar) mentioned in his personal interview that the album is going to be much more metal than TOCS. Of course, many members of hardcore bands say that their album is going to be heavy to avoid added tension, but most of the time they cave in to the scene. Underoath ignored the pressure to create one of the greatest albums of all time.
Although every song hits hard, with the exception of the slow electronic verses they tried with number five "Salamir" and number seven "Casting such a Thin Shadow", my personal favorite has to be number ten "Everyone Looks so Good from Here". This song gets your heart beating faster right from the start booming out a ridiculously heavy verse and a sick breakdown at about 1:40.
If you liked both the music of "The Changing of Times" and the vocals and electronic innovation of "They're Only Chasing Safety", then buy the album immediately, please, you will NOT be disappointed. Just be on your guard, you might just crap your pants.
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