Underoath - Define the Great Line

[Dystroxia]

Underoath - Define the Great Line
Record Label: Tooth and Nail Records
Release Date: June 20, 2006

I'm shocked, if not more excited by the huge improvement Underoath has made, from ditching the pop-like sound they made on They're Only Chasing Safety, with Aaron Gillespie singing lead vocals. No band, and I mean it, NO band has blown me out of my chair with how great their album is, except this one. Underoath has created a masterpiece in the genre, an album that can never be forgotten, an album that can never be erased from my mind or any mind of any human soul on the face of this earth. The album is that good.

All of the songs on this album aren't similar to each other or generic, so you're listening to a new song each time. "In Regards to Myself", a.k.a. the opener, opens well, similar to a Nine Inch Nails song. "You're Ever So Inviting" has frontman Spencer Chamberlain screaming the chorus: "This ground we tread upon / Is now filling up to our necks / We turn the pages left to right / We see everything."

"Returning Empty Handed" is the best track on this whole record. Around the end of the song, Chamberlain screams "As the light begins to breach the border / While I lay here alone / Aware of every step / I’m not aware at all / Black… flash white … I am awake." Amazing lyrics indeed. "Casting Such a Thin Shadow" opens well, even more so than "In Regards to Myself". The heavy, fast-paced track "Moving for the Sake of Motion" definitely proves Gillespie can play his double-bass drums well, and Chamberlain delivers ear-splitting, bridge-collapsing screams that send a shiver down your spine (which he does on each track), and it never fails to deliver. The closer, "To Whom It May Concern", ends the album on a good note. Later into the song, Chamberlain starts to scream: "It’s time for you to press on / This is not your war / Set your sites to the North and press on / This is not your escape."

If there's one complaint about this album (and it's truly not even a real complaint), it's that it's over too soon. At 45 minutes, it's not short by any means, but it's so good that you don't want the album to stop. Another thing they can do is be brutal without being generic. There are no breakdowns on the album whatsoever, and fierce, piercing screams along with all the nice guitars, keyboard, drumming, and singing prove they own the metalcore genre. Underoath are one of those bands that don't need to be generic to be good. They accomplished something most bands couldn't even wish to think about.

Haste the Day; From First to Last; bands that sound exactly like UO; copycats

www.myspace.com/underoath (http://www.myspace.com/underoath)

Hell, all of them.

[floormaster925]

I like that you put "bands that sound exactly like UO". Underoath does sound a lot like bands that sound exactly like Underoath. (Not trying to be a dick or anything, it just made me laugh)

[Tuu Mmaaddrree]

this review is so late lmao

[satellitesong]

dude..... alright, i love underoath too, and this album is awesome, but c'mon, you def went crazy on the exagerations. its quite a claim (quite an ignorant and naive one) to say something along the lines of this being among the greatest albums ever. and ya this albums like 3 years old, you shoulda covered Lost in the Sound of Separation.
yes, their passion and emotion and atmosphere and vocals are amazing and practically unrivaled, but you could hardly call underoath metalcore. so surely they cant "own the metalcore genre". aside from some heavy vocals and some drumming, their guitar work has virtually no metal technique to it at all. they are more screamo/post hardcore.
sorry, not tryin to be a dick lol, keep writing!

[packattack227]

Best Album Ever

[Dystroxia]

I like that you put "bands that sound exactly like UO". Underoath does sound a lot like bands that sound exactly like Underoath. (Not trying to be a dick or anything, it just made me laugh)
I know, that wasn't a dick saying at all.

It's so true though, there are TONS of bands that sound exactly like UO.

[Dystroxia]

this review is so late lmao
I know, I'm a fashoinably late album reviewer :D

Just look at my other albums I reviewed.

[Dystroxia]

dude..... alright, i love underoath too, and this album is awesome, but c'mon, you def went crazy on the exagerations. its quite a claim (quite an ignorant and naive one) to say something along the lines of this being among the greatest albums ever. and ya this albums like 3 years old, you shoulda covered Lost in the Sound of Separation.
yes, their passion and emotion and atmosphere and vocals are amazing and practically unrivaled, but you could hardly call underoath metalcore. so surely they cant "own the metalcore genre". aside from some heavy vocals and some drumming, their guitar work has virtually no metal technique to it at all. they are more screamo/post hardcore.
sorry, not tryin to be a dick lol, keep writing!
It's no means one of the best albums of all time.

It's one of the best christian metalcore albums of all time.

[awakeohsleeper]

This album got quite old for me relatively quickly. Like all Underoath albums. Great band... but the replayability isn't there for me unfortunately. It's not often that I return to this album. I also prefer Lost in the Sound of Separation to this record.

[holybatmon]

This is one of the few albums that literaly changed the way I view music. It's heavy, but it's not metal. I don't know. All I know is that songs like Casting Such A Thin Shadow and Moving For The Sake Of Motion blow me away every fucking time. So yeah, one of my all time favourites.

Funny you complained about the length, cos thats my main gripe about Lost In The Sound...

[rpk004]

imo this is their best album.

[Dystroxia]

This is one of the few albums that literaly changed the way I view music. It's heavy, but it's not metal. I don't know. All I know is that songs like Casting Such A Thin Shadow and Moving For The Sake Of Motion blow me away every fucking time. So yeah, one of my all time favourites.

Funny you complained about the length, cos thats my main gripe about Lost In The Sound...
I was going to submit this review with no complaints, but it got disapproved.

So I had to come up with one, and it was the length.

45 minutes is not short at all...I don't think this album is short, it's pretty long IMO

FYI read the words in parentheses

[po0ty]

This is good but not like holy shit omfg shit your pants good. Review could use some more detail too you kinda just say how amazing the album and the lyrics are without much explanation

[flks511]

Oh my god, no.

[live4music]

Fave UO record. Was SHOCKED to see them jump OFF the pop bandwagon with this record

[setsailprairie]

There actually is one breakdown in "Everyone Looks So Good From Here." I wish you could've written about that song more, because that's definitely one of my favorite songs on the album, if not one of my favorite songs that they've ever written.

However, I completely agree with you on how great the album is. It's amazing how one band can change so much, completely switch to a different style of music, and at the same time do it so well. No doubt that they're all very talented musicians and great songwriters. Ø FTW.

[Dystroxia]

There actually is one breakdown in "Everyone Looks So Good From Here." I wish you could've written about that song more, because that's definitely one of my favorite songs on the album, if not one of my favorite songs that they've ever written.

However, I completely agree with you on how great the album is. It's amazing how one band can change so much, completely switch to a different style of music, and at the same time do it so well. No doubt that they're all very talented musicians and great songwriters. Ø FTW.
Yes, you're right.

There is one, but they don't overuse them, which is great for an album like this.

And I'm glad you agree with me, thank you. :)

[sweepthenation]

Amazing album

[AirTraffic]

Can't go wrong with Underoath.
And there are not a TON of bands that sound exactally like underoath...
Underoath doesn't do breakdowns every 5 seconds consisting of simply chugging and open D...or C...or B...or freaking A.

[Dystroxia]

Can't go wrong with Underoath.
And there are not a TON of bands that sound exactally like underoath...
Underoath doesn't do breakdowns every 5 seconds consisting of simply chugging and open D...or C...or B...or freaking A.
What I mean by bands sounding like Underoath, I mean screamed vocals wise.

[AaRoNpUnK]

the sickest record ever. single handedly got me into heavy music 4 years ago and its still busting my eardrums :)

[AirTraffic]

What I mean by bands sounding like Underoath, I mean screamed vocals wise.

Well yeah sure, most Post-Hardcore bands have screaming vocals...just like most Country singers sing with a twangy voice, and radio rock bands sing like they have throat cancer, and Rappers say "Yo" after every line, and R&B singers are always singing with plenty of vibrato and trill every line. It's called style, they're nothing wrong with it. I absolutely hate Country music, and I can't stand the twangy voices, but some Country artists are very talented, and there is nothing wrong with some people liking it. Same with Post-Hardcore and screaming vocals.

Music shouldn't be about trying to be as "different" as you possibly can. New styles don't just develop overnight by one ground breaking band, they slowly change over years of bands and artists taking whatever genre it is they do just a tiny step further with each album they put out. - My new quote =]

[Dystroxia]

Well yeah sure, most Post-Hardcore bands have screaming vocals...just like most Country singers sing with a twangy voice, and radio rock bands sing like they have throat cancer, and Rappers say "Yo" after every line, and R&B singers are always singing with plenty of vibrato and trill every line. It's called style, they're nothing wrong with it. I absolutely hate Country music, and I can't stand the twangy voices, but some Country artists are very talented, and there is nothing wrong with some people liking it. Same with Post-Hardcore and screaming vocals.

Music shouldn't be about trying to be as "different" as you possibly can. New styles don't just develop overnight by one ground breaking band, they slowly change over years of bands and artists taking whatever genre it is they do just a tiny step further with each album they put out. - My new quote =]
Well of course they have screaming vocals!

And of course they have style. Otherwise nothing but a clone of waves would pass by.

[Hidden In NJ]

Kind of late... but true! Awesome record, Great review!!!

[kkman99]

I love Underoath...they're AMAZING...but I think there's better bands out there. Not many though, haha. Because Underoath is SO original with their lyrics and their Christian, which makes it so hard to break into modern rock with similar bands like Silverstein or Dance Gavin Dance.

[TyBreaker]

This is my favorite album from UO. Far more favorable songs than other songs imo. In ranking Id say this, Act of Depression (yea, the ep), LSOS, CoT, and then TOCS. Good review, I agree that they have a shock and awe talent.

[I'mAGetUpKid]

This album is amazing, but there are tons of breakdowns.

[sonnyboy]

"casting such a thin shadow" is just...wow...