If you’re expecting another ‘…Chasing safety’, be ready for a BIG surprise. With the band’s last record chalking up over 300,000 sales, it would have been easy for Underaoth to write a catchy follow-up, cashing in on their new found success. But in choosing Killswitch Engage‘s Adam Dutkiewicz to produce this, they’ve pulled off a masterstroke. This is heavy, far heavier than the last CD and, while maintaing elements of melody, it allows Spencer Chamberlin to scream his bollocks off – literally. ‘Define The Great Line’ sounds huge, seriously big – but it’s neither glossy nor overproduced. It’s literally a perfect sounding record for a band of this type.
This is a great – and intelligent – record from start to finish. While Underoath make no bones about their religious beliefs, this record does continue their Christian themes. It’s more spiritual than pushing a belief on the listener, and while the end result may not inspire me to ‘join up’, their message is thought-provoking and the lyrics are well delivered – although when you have Senses Fail‘s Buddy Neilsen as a peer. ‘In Regards To Myself’ and ‘Writing On The Walls’ are aggressive and heavy, yet both keep Underoath‘s melodic edge, even if it’s not as distinct as it was last time out.
More metal than emo, at times ‘Define The Great Line’ is crushing rather than uplifting. The production really brings this out in the band, easily making it the standout moment of their career so far. It would have been easy to ditch the heavy sounds and gone down the predictable poppier path, so fair play for making an album they wanted to – and ditching major label offers in the process to stay with Solid State/Tooth and Nail. And anyway, what other band can deliver a passage from Psalm 50 – read out in Russian – and get away with it as the band do on ‘Salmarnir’?
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