By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
A trend in today's Christian music scene that is present more than any other is bands actively pushing away from identifying as a Christian band. This has been the case for many artists that I have come to love over the years. It looks as though Underoath is pushing away from the Christian label, too, and it has been the subject of some controversy. People were excited when hearing Underoath was releasing a new album after an eight year hiatus. The lead single, "On My Teeth", definitely destroyed any thought that the band was identifying as Christian when they dropped an f-bomb within the first couple of seconds of the track. It did surprise me a little, as the band has never done this in the past. Other people were surprised too, many angry. I still claim, though, that Underoath wants to address their relationships with God on the new album "Erase Me". This album more focuses around Spencer Chamberlain's struggles with faith, as he talks about his compelling story. Because of that, he takes over the majority vocal duties, emphasizing a lot more on his cleans than I would expect. This album is still plenty intense, though, and Underoath proves on this release why they deserve to be called one of the pioneers of quality modern-day metalcore/hard rock.
The album gets off to an excellent start with its first three tracks. The lead-off track, fittingly titled "It Has to Start Somewhere", does a good job at establishing some of the elements this album will contain. The intense guitar shredding is an incredible thing to behold, as is the effective subtle infusion of electronics. I feel like electronic elements are a fairly commonplace thing in metalcore, but UO know how to use them in a way that is unique and not overpowering. Spencer Chamberlain comes out swinging vocally, letting his experienced unclean vocals dominate the song. His clean vocals soar in the chorus, making the chorus a shining moment. I also couldn't help but smile at hearing Aaron Gillespie contributing a few times in the pre-choruses. He actually appears on quite a few songs here, and the chemistry between him and Chamberlain is still as present as it was on the band's older releases. The breakdown in this track also deserves mention, as it's killer. The next song is one of the singles "Rapture". This is one of the more accessible songs on the album with its hard rock tendencies. I was originally not sure what to think of it, but in context of the whole album, this song works very well. It has grown on me significantly, and the chorus is undeniably resistable. Even the usage of "whoa"s, which is something I typically object to, work effectively. After that, we get the thematically and musically intense lead single "On My Teeth". Despite any controversy surrounding this track, I absolutely love it. The booming electronics that start it out give you a sense of anticipation, and when the song explodes with Spencer's screams as well as some superb drumming from Gillespie, it's irresistible. I think the lyrics on this song are very well written, as Chamberlain vents his frustrations with his faith as well as the hypocrisy of the Christian community. I totally get where he's coming from, and as a Christian I relate to some of what he's saying. The passion here is absolutely genuine.
After these first few tracks, the album actually just keeps on getting better for the most part. "Bloodlust" is a bit of a risk taking track as a more pop/rock like track in the verses, but it switches to a powerful hard rock hook in the chorus. I love everything about this track, especially the lighter textures of Spencer's voice in the verses, which has not really happened that much, if at all, in Underoath's previous discography. That makes this track very unique, and once again, the emotion the track evokes comes out so naturally. The lyrics are some of the most intriguing on the whole album: "I wrote a letter that you'll never read/I shed a tear that you'll never see/I'm buried with these words that I never speak/I have a darkness that you'll never see". Because of all these factors, this song is definitely one of my top favorites. Yet another great cut comes in the nearly 5-minute song "Sink With You". This song is very impressive in the musical department, with some of the best guitar work I've heard all year. Spencer unleashes in the refrain of this song as well, really letting his screams reach some incredible highs. I love how progressive this song is, with it shifting pace in interesting ways, especially in the ending where there is just a pure instrumental breakdown. This song is special, and I would find it hard to believe anyone could dislike this one. "Ihateit" is a tragically personal song where Spencer opens up about how much his drug addiction distorted his image of himself. There's a particularly emotional moment where Spencer says, "God, erase me/I don't deserve the life you give". Lines like this make me think that Chamberlain is not entirely disconnected from God, but he is in a lot of pain in his relationship with Him. I like the ballad-like structure of the song, as well as the ending that becomes more upbeat. "Hold Your Breath" is a solidly intense followup, and just screams classic Underoath. I couldn't help but headbang along to this one. "In Motion" does a good job at balancing the vocal chemistry between Spencer and Aaron, and although not a personal highlight, I still enjoy it. The album ends off with my favorite track off the album, the haunting song "I Gave Up". This track is filled with atmosphere, and both Spencer and Aaron let the musical emotion of the song take control. The lyrics are simplistic in structure, but there's still something so compelling about them: "Just drive me far, far away/From this hospital bed/Where my soul is sick/And I'm scared of it". The song gives me cold chills, and only improves in its second half. This will most likely be one of my favorite songs of the year. It's a powerful testimony from Spencer, and it's brutally honest.
There are only a couple of tracks on this release that don't work quite as well for me. "Wake Me" just doesn't work on this release. It's a very simplistically structured rock song. It feels like it was made just to be played on the radio. It's not very offensive in any way, but as I've gone back to it more, I've noticed that it's noticeably lower in quality than any other song on this album. It's sort of boring to me at this point, and I doubt I'll be coming back to it for any subsequent listens of the album. "No Frame" musically does not fit on the album, and is probably the weakest song for that reason. Spencer's vocals are processed in a very bizarre way. Electronics are also used way too much, and they don't balance out as well as in almost every other track on this release. Even from my first time listening through the album, this song stuck out as an outlier.
As you can tell, there's not a whole lot of negative things I can say about this release. I have a feeling that some Christians could be turned off by this release because there's some cursing on it, but I just don't understand why that bothers people so much. Underoath are very tasteful in using it. When they do curse, I feel as though it's impactful and is more meant for a genuine release of emotion. This band still has a spiritual content to deliver, in my opinion. This album as a whole is thematically focused on struggles of faith. Even though Chamberlain is not at the best place in his faith, the lyrics give me the impression that he's trying to reconnect with God. That is something that I think almost anyone can relate to. "Erase Me" has a powerful thematic arc, and is filled with hard hitting musicality as well as a standout performance from Spencer. Definitely check this release out. It's good to have Underoath back; I can't wait to see what they do next!
Favorite Songs: "I Gave Up", "Bloodlust", "Ihateit", "Sink With You", "On My Teeth", "It Has to Start Somewhere"
Least Favorite Songs: "No Frame", "Wake Me"
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