Lost in the Sound of Separation,
Underoath
Underoath are my guilty pleasure. I'm bored of screamo bands. I'm bored of the breakdowns and the riffs. I'm bored of the predictability. But these guys are a class apart from all of the other bands in the genre and this record is far and away the best by any similar band this year. It's heavy - fuck this record is hard hitting - but it doesn't fall down to the usual verse/chorus/verse followed by scream/shout system many of their peers get lost in. 'Define The Great Line' may have been a step towards maturity, but 'Lost...' is just an immense beast of a record.
'Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home' is a beast of a song. There's a huge melody within twisting basslines and a gut-wrenching scream. The melodies are cranked up several notches on a couple of songs mind. 'A Fault Line. A Fault Of Mine' does the trademarked dual vocals as well as they've managed since 'Reinventing Your Exit'. The guitars sound huge on 'Desperate Times, Desperate Measures' while 'Emergency Broadcast: The End Is Near' lulls you into a false sense of security with its electronic start. But the band are even better when they really go for it. 'The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed' is a psychopath on the loose while 'Coming Down Is Calming Down' is on the heavier side of things.
Underoath keep getting better. When it would be easier to keep their fans happy with a very melodic album they switch it up and are arguably heavier - and bigger sounding - than ever. A great record by a great band.
